Harnessing the power
 of outdoors

Seeing the National Trust, RSPB and NHS all come together under the banner of The Wild Network points to changes in understanding. The potential societal benefits of engaging children with nature are significant. They include increased awareness of conservation and sustainable development, opportunities to form commitments to outdoor activities that support a healthy active life style, stimulants for curiosity and creativity. The trends of the so called ‘cotton wool’ society of a decade ago, have definitely been reversed. Legislation, the courts and advisors all point to the need for a balanced approach to children and the outdoors. If you need convincing I recommend picking up a copy of Nothing Ventured... Balancing Risks and Benefits in the Outdoors by Tim Gill.
    
In my role at the Institute for Outdoor Learning I’ve seen a steady increase in interest in how to harness the power of outdoor learning amongst teachers, instructors, youth workers and coaches over the past few years. This is happening at a time when many of the outdoor learning resources acquired or created by local authorities in preceding decades are being questioned. This is not the time to drop outdoor education as an expensive option but to recognise the role it can play in a rounded education.

Long term benefits
I think it is fair to say that many education professionals appreciate the value of high quality outdoor learning. The outcomes that can be achieved by effective outdoor learning are certainly worth pursuing. A young person who has experienced effective outdoor learning should demonstrate self reliance and a positive attitude to challenge, resulting in a keenness to participate in further challenges. They will have greater personal confidence and enhanced social skills, leading to greater trust in others.

Outdoor learning also encourages fitness, and pupils come to appreciate the benefits that a healthy, active lifestyle can bring, and this spirit of motivation has been shown to transfer over to the classroom; there is an observable increased appetite for learning which contributes to rising levels of attainment in all subjects. These outcomes were recognised by the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel in the publication High Quality Outdoor Education.
    
So, what are some of the features of the evolving landscape of outdoor learning? What differentiates high quality outdoor learning? Is it simply about how much time and money are invested?

A progressive model
Outdoor learning needs to be planned against a progressive model to reflect the medium’s ability to continue to provide challenge and support development. The more impactful journey for a young person will see them build on the outcomes of their previous experience. This may result in a primary school child exploring the grounds of their school or local copse, before undertaking an outdoor based residential, leading to a self planned outdoor experience such as Duke of Edinburgh’s award, in turn supporting progression into an international expedition, for example. Though there can be value ‘escaping’ the school environment to the same outdoor experience there is danger that the opportunity for progression is missed unless more responsibility and increased challenge is part of the experience.

Building confidence
Outdoor learning doesn’t always need specialists. At its simplest outdoor learning is tweaking a classroom based lesson so that it can be run outdoors and all can benefit from a changed environment. I’ve found that many teachers lack the confidence to use their well developed skills in facilitating learning when they move into an environment they perceive to be the domain of specialists. This position is not helped by the very low profile outdoor learning tends to have in initial teacher training. I have come across NQTs who have spent less than an hour considering outdoor learning as part of their route to  qualification.
    
Many full time outdoor learning practitioners appreciate the value of working with a young person who has already started to explore the natural environment and experienced some outdoor experiential learning. Not only does this mean the young person is likely to ‘journey further’ with the specialist, it also provides more scope for the teacher to build the experience with the specialist into an ongoing programme of teaching and learning.

Dealing with risk
Young people should participate in risk management. Simply putting young people through a tightly controlled experience with no opportunity for them to understand inherent risk or to contribute towards the safety of an experience is a missed opportunity. Asking young people to plan out and take responsibility for elements of their safety should be built into outdoor learning experiences wherever possible. Judith Hackett CBE, chair of the Health and Safety Executive, says: Helping young people to experience and handle risk is part of preparing them for adult life and the world of work. Young people can gain this experience from participating in challenging and exciting outdoor events made possible by organisations prepared to adopt a common sense and proportionate approach that balances benefits and risk.

Engaging pupils
Outdoor learning can engage children not engaged by classroom based activity. Though there is a limited amount of quality research relating to this dynamic there are many case studies and anecdotes that teachers can point to. Some difficult to engage primary school children can be transformed by part of their school week involving the freedom and stimulus of the outdoors.

There is an increasing trend for schools to develop their own outdoor learning areas in their grounds providing teachers with easy access options to use the medium. These range for expensive structures designed by external consultants  to simply created areas with space for exercises and discussion.
    
Outdoor learning provides stimulus to support class room based learning and can be effectively integrated. The development of outdoor learning in delivering elements of the national curriculum is a growing force. This is a philosophy that has existed in Scotland for a while where outdoor learning has been a key component of The Curriculum for Excellence.

Whether it is explore trigonometry or providing stimulus for creative writing there are many opportunities to integrate outdoor learning into the national curriculum. This integrated approach has also been recognised by OFSTED.

Residential trips
Residential outdoor learning is particularly powerful. Recent research funded by The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has brought increased support to what people who have run residential learning experiences have expounded for a while. The dynamic of a residential experience increasing the depth and sustainability of learning should be used with outdoor learning as much as any other area. The most productive residential involve a period of preparation prior to the visit such as the young person planning what they are going to take with them, to increase ownership. Some residential providers will provide an instructor to visit the school to increase the impact of this. Use of a medium such as a logbook or picture diary will support effective follow‑up.
    
Engaging with outdoor learning stimulates teachers’ reflective practices and creativity. It is not only the young person that can benefit from exposure to outdoor learning. The stimulus of exploring how outdoor learning can support their teaching practice can be a particularly powerful piece of CPD for many teachers. I am aware of some schools even using outdoor learning as catalyst in changing the predominant teaching culture in the school.

Value for money
Finally the issue of funding is never far from the decision making process in considering outdoor learning. Though some school ‑based use of outdoor learning can be comparatively low cost, driven by motivated staff and access to school grounds or local outdoor environments, outdoor residential excursions and expeditions can be a different level cost.
    
Cost management and value for money can be achieved by considering booking events outside the ‘warm and dry’ months – many of the best providers offer discounted rates outside the peak season. Sharing the event with another school can also spread the overheads.

Further information
www.outdoor-learning.org