Outdoor Learning - Education Scotland
Outdoor Learning
Practical guidance, ideas and support for teachers and practitioners in Scotland
.uk
2
Contents
Section 1: Introduction4
Outdoor learning within the curriculum
5
The benefits of outdoor learning
7
What the research says
7
Section 2:
Making connections across the curriculum
14
A whole-school approach
15
Early years outdoors
16
The health & wellbeing of children and young people
20
Sustainable development education and outdoor learning
26
Fostering creativity through learning outdoors
30
Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work
34
Informal outdoor learning opportunities for children and
young people during and beyond the school day
36
Bridging the Gap outdoors for young people
39
ICT and digital technologies
40
Interdisciplinary learning
43
Examples of interdisciplinary work
43
Section 3:
Making connections to the curriculum
45
Contributions to curriculum areas
46
Developing learning through the planning process
57
Section 4:
Places to learn outdoors: school and centre grounds
61
Section 5:
Places to learn outdoors: using the local area and community
including day visits by foot or using transport
73
Section 6:
Places to learn outdoors: outdoor residential experiences
81
Outdoor Learning: PRACTICAL GUIDANCE, IDEAS AND SUPPORT
Section 7:
Places to learn outdoors: going abroad
89
Section 8:
CPD framework and planning tools
93
An outdoor tea break
94
The taste of chocolate
95
Personal outdoor experiences
96
What the research says
97
Getting started
98
Where do we begin
99
The added value of natural materials
100
Problems and solutions
101
Review and the next steps
102
Appendix 1:
Resources and web links
103
Outdoor learning research websites
103
Organisations offering award-bearing courses
104
Curriculum links
104
Developing school grounds
106
Health and safety
107
Organisations that support early years outdoor play
108
Play organisations
108
Appendix 2:
Myth busting
109
The relationship between outdoor learning, adventure activities,
environmental education and place-based learning
109
Forest Schools and woods for learning
109
Health and Safety and risk assessment
110
Costs110
4
Section 1: Introduction
It is possible, through international comparisons, to recognise Scotland as an emerging leader in the field of outdoor learning. Scotland has a long history of engaging children and young people with the outdoors and the value placed on outdoor learning within Curriculum for Excellence is encouragement to continue, and build upon, that history. Indeed, Scotland is one of only a handful of countries which now explicitly includes the use of the outdoor environment as a necessary approach and context for delivering its education curriculum. Just as Scotland is being recognised as an innovative forerunner in curriculum reform at a time of exponential change, so it is beginning to be recognised as a leader in the use of outdoor learning.
By capitalising on the potential of the full spectrum of outdoor learning experiences, from simple learning activities close to schools and settings through to residential experiences and beyond, practitioners can contribute positively to the learning journey of Scotland's children and young people.
The purpose of this resource is to provide practical, accessible and straightforward advice for teachers, childhood practitioners, youth workers and others working with children and young people on how to engage children and young people with learning outdoors. It is part of achieving a wider objective of supporting the implementation of the guidance document Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning.
This resource introduces practitioners who are not familiar with outdoor learning to exploring ways of taking children outside. It provides a route into continuing professional development and suggestions for embedding outdoor learning as a whole-school approach. It serves to illustrate the potential of outdoor learning as an effective approach to learning and teaching within the context of Curriculum for Excellence.
It should be noted that this resource is not a definitive guide to outdoor learning in Scotland and that there are many ways of taking learning outdoors that will not be covered in detail.
Further support and guidance are available on the Education Scotland website and through Glow. There are also many partner organisations and individuals throughout Scotland who produce materials and provide first-hand support to enable practitioners to facilitate quality learning outdoors for children and young people.
Please visit .uk/outdoorlearning for more information.
5
Outdoor learning within the curriculum
`We are not saying `good bye' to our classrooms; we are opening them up.'
Simon Beames, Outdoor Education Lecturer, Edinburgh University
Learning outdoors is about engaging children and young people in many different ways. Practitioners frequently act as facilitators, using multi-sensory and experiential approaches. This encourages children and young people to become involved in emotional, physical, aesthetic, spiritual and cognitive experiences as part of their learning. The place or context in which learning takes place is an integral part of the learning process, as illustrated in Figure 1. The relationships between the people involved, the activities undertaken and the place where the learning happens require thought and consideration to maximise the learning opportunities and to meet the needs and aspirations of children and young people. Figure 1: The learning process.1
People
Time
Activity Place
1Adapted from Higgins, P (1995), Outdoor education provision at Moray House Institute of Education, Scottish Journal of Physical Education, 23(3), 4?11. See also Beames, S, Higgins, P, and Nicol, R (2011), Learning Outside the Classroom: Theory and guidelines for practice, New York: Routledge.
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