Being a climber: Progressive lead coaching

An exploration of the changing power relations and agency that can result from a gentle progression of angle and duration. Adopting an occupations approach this short article describes an atypical approach to teaching leading and some of the benefits that arose

Paddle to the sea

This paper explores human and other-than-human agency through the rhythms experienced during a source to sea canoe journey from Kirkstone Pass in the centre of the Lake District to the Solway Firth.  Musing on the narrative of Holling’s (1941) children’s classic ‘Paddle to the Sea’ this study reflects on the dance of agency experienced by Hollins' character 'Paddle' alongside those which emerge during our own paddle to the sea. Acknowledging privileges in terms of agency, finances and time; what experiences would the researchers have in terms of their sense of space, time and nature connection? Findings included observations around the role of task focus on the sense of time, space and nature connection, some attractive aspects of arrhythmia and the examination of some assumed hierarchical dualities

What kind of outdoor educator do you want to become? Trying something different in outdoor studies in higher education

This paper seeks to explore a way of responding to tensions present in formal education and outdoor education in UK higher education. Separation of the doing from the knowing could perhaps be limiting students’ ability to become reflective practitioners and respond creatively to an ever-changing modern world. A different way of organising the curriculum through the concept of ‘occupations’ was the innovation and basis for an action research approach, with data gathered through the authors’ observations, logs and diaries. Findings suggested that not only is the connection between education and experience important, the relationship with the landscape that it takes place in is central, in conjunction with the social context. Implications are that agency and autonomy within the learning experience leads to increased motivation and understanding that the process can be open and emergent and about change

Finding new ways: developing a co-constructed approach to excursions in higher education

Background: Outdoor Experiential Education (OEE) in the UK is steeped in tradition. It can be argued that established practices are limiting the ability of outdoor professionals to respond to the global challenges of the modern world through locally relevant ways. Internationally, Higher Education (HE) is also currently subject to considerable challenges and its continued relevance can be gauged through its ability to become meaningful in a rapidly changing and pluralistic world. If the intention is to prepare educators for the future, OEE within HE could benefit from finding new ways. Purpose: We examine the impact of our pedagogical approach to working with international students, developing professional practice informed by one place, set within the context of the needs of the world and framed by the question “what kind of outdoor educator do you want to become?” Methodology/approach: The authors utilize Dewey’s concept of occupations as an organizing principle for the curriculum. Four excursions involving 86 students were facilitated. Findings/conclusions: The norms of traditional OEE practices were predominantly overcome and innovative ways of co-creating knowledge emerged. Implications: If outdoor educators develop their own occupation in the context of wider needs, they can become place-responsive as well as continuously open to change

Finding new ways: developing a time and place responsive approach to outdoor learning

Place responsiveness in international outdoor education is a ‘hot’ topic that came to the fore for staff at the University when we were faced with an international cohort of masters students. The last thing we wanted to be accused of was a neo-colonial teaching of the British ‘way’ leading to the emergence of a globalised practice in places as far-flung and as different in their landscapes and cultures as Columbia, Kazakhstan and the Philippines. Would it be possible to overcome all the traditions, training and expectations of the UK’s iconic outdoor education practices, from adventure activities to environmental sciences, in order to develop a practice largely inspired by the place itself

Co-creating an outdoor curriculum for the 21st century

This seminar explores action research we undertook that explored how to de-stabilise established knowledges about a profession and co-construct a new knowledge relevant to both a specific place and the future needs of society. The context was a field trip to a remote Lakeland valley where we used Dewey's idea of 'occupation' to invite students to consider the affordances of the valley, the needs of society and their own passion to develop a praxis that transformed rather than reproduced established professional expectations

Wild pedagogies: its potential for changing perceptions and experiences of nature

Chris Loynes presents at this event Nature Connection 2019, the 5th Nature Connection conference, entitled 'Beyond contact with nature to connection'. The conference aims to share the latest research evidence on the links between nature connectedness, wellbeing and pro-nature behaviours. Chris talks about wild pedagogy in relation to a 'Wild Ennerdale workshop'

Outdoor Learning and Place-based Curriculum Framework

This Framework was developed as a response to the request from teachers in Cumbria and Lancashire to provide an evidence base for an outdoor learning and place-based curriculum such as the Morecambe Bay Curriculum (Eden Project North). It should support teachers and educators in developing teaching and learning for children and young people in schools and other educational settings and to gain confidence and belief in the efficacy and vision of such a curriculum