What’s the story? Outdoor education in New Zealand in the 21st century

Outdoor education, in its various guises, has been part of the New Zealand education system for decades and is considered by many to be integral to school life. This paper addresses outdoor education within physical education in primary and secondary schools. It critiques the priority historically given to personal and social outcomes, suggesting that this has served to keep outdoor pursuits and adventure activities at the forefront of many school programmes, particularly in secondary schools. In turn, it is proposed that this has sidetracked the focus from outdoor environmental education, a problematic outcome given contemporary concerns about the need to foster environmental appreciation, understanding, and action. A range of possibilities for a practice of outdoor education that deliberately and creatively fuses simple, 'skill-full' adventures, and student connectedness and commitment to local environments is highlighted

Assessment in senior outdoor education: A catalyst for change?

In recent times issues of sustainability and place, and human connectedness and care for outdoor environments, have been the subject of increasing professional dialogue in outdoor education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Attention has been drawn to the ways in which traditional, adventure-based conceptualisations of outdoor education shape pedagogical practice in particular ways, potentially obscuring opportunities to explicitly promote student connectedness to, and learning about and for the outdoors. This paper contributes to this evolving dialogue about the greening of outdoor education by specifically targeting assessment in senior school outdoor education. By initially establishing the interdependence of curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, the potential that assessment has to constrain and/or drive this recent curriculum and pedagogical re-prioritising in outdoor education is made evident. We argue that it is possible for assessment to be a productive engine for student learning about sustainable relationships with the outdoors. Five interconnected catalysts are highlighted as being central to this: (i) the alignment process, (ii) using fresh eyes with current achievement standards, (iii) taking another look at curriculum in relation to assessment, (iv) writing programme-specific assessments, and (v) reflective decision making. These are suggested to be key considerations for outdoor educators for the potential of school-based outdoor education to be fully harnessed

Learning from leisure: Developing nature connectedness in outdoor education

The “greening” of outdoor education has received increasing attention from educators in Aotearoa-New Zealand and internationally. Given contemporary global concerns about the scale of environmental issues and the associated recognition that educating for sustainability is a matter of urgency, the continuing exploration of pedagogies promoting human connection to nature is arguably a central concern for outdoor educators. This paper contributes to professional dialogue about outdoor education pedagogies that may facilitate the development of students’ connectedness to, and care for, non-human nature. It draws from an interpretative research project that explored the meanings of nature-based leisure for eleven women aged 40 to 65 years. Findings from that research highlighted an important interplay between women’s conceptions of nature and their participation in leisure. The paper directs attention to three interconnected pedagogical principles that are teased from the women’s stories: repeated immersion in local nature environments, the decentring of traditional performance discourses, and critical reflection. These are presented as key considerations for outdoor education teachers and teacher educators in promoting nature connectedness and care. Recommendations are made for outdoor education researchers and teacher educators for future research directions

Delaminations Investigated With Ultrasonic Spectroscopy

A previous study suggested that the ultrasonic spectroscopy technique identified possible disbonds or delaminations in polymer matrix composite (PMC) rings sectioned from flywheel rotors (ref. 1). These results went unsubstantiated by other nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods. To explain the results, PMC rings were further investigated with ultrasonic spectroscopy (ref. 2). The ultrasonic spectroscopy system utilizes a continuous-swept sine waveform as the input. After the swept sine wave traverses the material, the captured waveform is subjected to two fast Fourier transforms. The second fast Fourier transform along with equalization of the frequency spectrum, allows for evaluation of the fundamental resonant frequency. The full-thickness resonance, the resonance corresponding to the location of the intentional disbond, and the frequency spectrum were examined in an effort to characterize the sensitivity of the NDE method to various delamination conditions

School curriculum and outdoor education. Part 1: Early childhood and primary school

Th is chapter explores broad possibilities for learning outdoors in formal education contexts. In part one we set the scene for the chapter by examining contemporary curricula in the early childhood and school sectors. National curriculum documents are introduced to look at the vision and ‘big picture’ direction they suggest for outdoor education practice. Attention then turns to consider outdoor education initiatives in early childhood settings, with examples drawn from programmes to illustrate the unique and practical ways in which they ‘walk the talk’ of student-centred, bicultural, holistic, and sustainable approaches. Th e discussion moves to consider the opportunities the primary school context aff ords for outdoor education that deliberately focuses on students’ relationships with the outdoor places they inhabit. Examples such as the well established Enviro-Schools programme and integrated units of learning are outlined to illustrate what we consider to be the heart of this forward looking outdoor education. In part two, the focus moves to outdoor education in the secondary school. While the distinctiveness of the secondary setting with its associated compartmentalised, subject-focused curriculum is initially acknowledged, the focus broadens to consider a range of factors or enablers of innovative outdoor education practice. As with part one, examples of ‘real’ curricula, co-curricula, and extra-curricula programmes are featured. Th ese examples provide powerful guides for outdoor educators seeking to rethink, refi ne and reshape their students’ outdoor learning experiences in ways that enable them to enjoy, understand, and act for the environments in which they live and move. In sum, this chapter explores a vision of a more sustainable outdoor education future

Gender and the Outdoors: An International Conversation

Over the past two to three decades in outdoor education circles, there has been a gradual swell of interest in bringing a gender lens to the examination of issues, theory and practice within the field. Although feminist theory has been subjected to lively debate and undergone sophisticated shifts in the ways of conceptualizing and analyzing gender, much of the literature coming out of the outdoor field and much of our practice is still centered on women and difference. As Bell (1997) so clearly asked, “Has the dialogue on the nature of gender and associated social issues not changed in the past decade?” A group of international researchers, educators and practitioners discussed gender theory and practice in their “neck of the woods” and challenged attendees to ask that question again today

A new species of the Rhytidosteidae from the Lystrosaurus zone and a review of the Rhytidosteoidea

Main articlePneumatostega potamia, a new rhytidosteid temnospondyl from the Lystrosaurus Zone, is described and compared with the other species of the family. Its evolutionary relationships and adaptive morphology are considered. The closest affinity is with the species of Deltasaurus from the Lower Triassic of Australia, the next closest with the species of Peltostega from the Lower Triassic of Spitsbergen and the most distant with Rhytidosteus capensis, a Karoo species which is probably also from the Lystrosaurus Zone. As with other species of Rhytidosteidae, for which both taphonomic and adaptive morphologic evidence is available, P. potamia was, apparently, a fluviatile, subsurface, piscivorous temnospondyl regarding its primary and preferred habitat. Proceeding from information contributed by the new species, the taxonomic structure of the Rhytidosteoidea is reorganised and expanded and new diagnoses are provided for both this superfamily and its contained families. The family Rhytidosteidae now includes Deltasaurus kimberleyensis, D. pustulatus, Peltostega erici, P. wimani, Pneumatostega potamia and Rhytidosteus capensis. A new family, Indobrachyopidae, is created to include Derwentia warreni (removed from the Rhytidosteidae), Indobrachyops panchetensis, Mahavisaurus dentatus, Mahavisaurus (Lyrosaurus) australis and Rewana quadricuneata. Laidleria gracilis is removed from the Rhytidosteoidea. Latiscopus disjunctus and Almasaurus habbazi possess some features in common with members of the superfamily but are too distinct in most features to be considered rhytidosteoids. Taxonomic distances among the rhytidosteids and indobrachyopids are established by a computer program. A phylogeny of the superfamily is constructed and this is consonant with the stratigraphic and geographic occurrences of the species. A southern origin for the superfamily with a generally northward dispersal is proposed.Non

Monitoring performance of cardiac surgery: the SCTS governance programme

OBJECTIVES The SCTS have published mortality rates for cardiac surgery by named hospital since 2001 and by named surgeon since 2005. This clinical governance programme has been associated with improved mortality outcomes despite increasing numbers of high-risk patients undergoing surgery. We describe the process of analysing the 2008-11 in-hospital mortality data, including the management, data processing and statistical framework. METHODS All SCTS data from April-2008 to March-2011 were extracted from the central cardiac audit database. The data were cleaned and summaries, including missing data, returned to units for validation. Afterwards, the final extract was cleaned and procedures classed as emergency, salvage, transplantation, trauma or primary-VAD removed. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. A contemporary recalibration of the logistic EuroSCORE model was developed for risk-adjustment. Funnel plots were used to detect outlier units with 95% and 99% two-sided confidence limits. One-sided 95% confidence limits corrected for multiple comparisons and multiplicative adjustment for overdispersion are examined. RESULTS A total of 106,982 records were included from 40 hospitals and 301 consultants. The mean mortality was 2.7% in all cardiac surgery. The recalibrated model was well calibrated (Hosmer-Lemeshow test P=0.56) and had good discrimination (AUC=0.78). Funnel plots were generated for each procedure group comparing 1) hospitals and 2) consultants. CONCLUSIONS The detection of ‘outlier’ healthcare providers is a challenging exercise and requires careful planning and analysis. By combing clinical and statistical expertise with robust methodology, we can reduce the chances of falsely classifying a unit as an ‘outlier’

Results from an online survey of adults with cystic fibrosis: Accessing and using life expectancy information

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the one of the most common inherited diseases. It affects around 10,000 people in the UK, and the median survival age is 47. Recent developments making use of longitudinal patient registry data are producing more detailed and relevant information about predicted life expectancy in CF based on current age and clinical measurements. The objective of this study was to conduct an online survey of adults with CF living in the UK using a web-based questionnaire to investigate: (i) if and how they access information on life expectancy; (ii) what they use it for; (iii) if they want more personalised information on life expectancy or the time until other milestones. The survey was advertised through the Cystic Fibrosis Trust using social media. There were 85 respondents, covering men (39%) and women (61%) aged 16–65. 75% had received information on life expectancy either from their CF care team (34%) or other sources (71%), the most common being the Cystic Fibrosis Trust website and research literature. Most people who received information found it to be beneficial and reported using it in a variety of ways, including to plan strategies for maintaining as best health as possible and to psychologically manage current health status. 82% of respondents were interested in more personalised information about their life expectancy, and participants also noted interest in other outcomes, including time to needing transplant or reaching a low level of lung function. Themes arising in text responses included the importance of good communication of information, the difficulty of relating general information to one’s own circumstances, and a desire for increased information on factors that impact on survival in CF. As an outcome from this work, research is underway to establish how information on life expectancy can be presented to people with CF in an accessible way