Unit rationale, description and aim
Outdoor education is experiential learning in, for, or about the outdoors. In the primary school context, outdoor education can be used as both content and medium relating to many aspects of the Australian Curriculum.
In this unit, pre-service teachers will learn to utilise outdoor education to explore specific curriculum, with a focus on sustainability and stewardship of creation. Pre-service teachers will develop skills in a variety of outdoor education settings by engaging in and evaluating outdoor activities, from both problem-solving and interaction perspectives. In addition, they will survey curriculum materials and resources in recreation and outdoor education for use with primary school children. Pre-service teachers will gain knowledge and skills to create school-based outdoor education programs and engage in appropriate evaluation procedures.
The aim of this unit is to provide pre-service teachers with real-world experiences and learning opportunities the knowledge, understanding and skills to plan for, integrate, and conduct outdoor education safely within and beyond a primary school context.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain the potential of the outdoor classroom and...
Learning Outcome 01
Interpret the outdoor experience as a medium for t...
Learning Outcome 02
Implement skills and shared ideas for worthwhile a...
Learning Outcome 03
Generate plans for engaging outdoor experiences th...
Learning Outcome 04
Reflect on your outdoor learning experiences and c...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- Introduction to recreation and outdoor education
- Australian Curriculum, outdoor education and cross-curriculum priorities: learning outcomes and assessment
- Recreation planning and programming
- Legal liability and outdoor education
- Initiative activities and problem solving
- Art and craft activities utilising the environment
- Outdoor education and nature activities
- Environmental studies and sustainability
- Wilderness and minimal impact
- Nature and camp-craft games
- Recreation opportunities for the disabled
- Major game activities, for example, archery, golf, lawn bowls.
Assessment strategy and rationale
Assessment in this unit is designed to allow students to demonstrate that they have the required knowledge and understanding of the potential of outdoor education to meet a variety of curriculum requirements and student needs (task one- essay). The assessment also provides the opportunity to measure students’ ability to implement their knowledge acquired in task one to plan appropriately for outdoor education in accordance with relevant policies and conduct risk assessment (task two- activity handout and risk assessment). The final task requires that students demonstrate their ability to critically reflect to process outdoor education experiences, made relevant by processing their own experiences.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome.
In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit all assessment tasks and achieve a cumulative mark of more than 50%.
Electronic Submission, Marking and Return
Written assignments will be submitted and returned via TurnItIn.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1 1,200 word essay (individual t...
Assessment Task 1
1,200 word essay (individual task)
30%
Assessment Task 2 Activity Handout and risk asse...
Assessment Task 2
Activity Handout and risk assessment (group assignment)
30%
Assessment Task 3 Outdoor Education Experiences ...
Assessment Task 3
Outdoor Education Experiences Media Clip (individual task)
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
In this unit pre-service teachers will undertake a range of teaching and learning strategies, due to the nature and external demands of the unit. These will include lectures, individual and group work, workshops, problem-solving, from both a school and university perspective. Off-campus activities will be a feature of this unit, including an overnight camp, aquatic and land activities, and independent excursions, whereby pre-service teachers will be able to put into practice outdoor education philosophies learnt on campus.
The unit is specifically designed to provide reflective learning experiences for pre-service teachers to construct their own understandings of effective pedagogy meeting students’ needs, underpinning the learning required to complete the assessment tasks and meet the learning outcomes of the unit. There will be some choice in the activities to further experience in areas of interest.
This is a 10 credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the teaching period, comprising of directed tasks and self-study. An emphasis is placed on pre-service teachers as adult learners with responsibility for their own learning and problem solving. The learning in this unit is inquiry-based, learner-focused and student-centred.
Technology Enhanced Learning
Technology will be used throughout the unit. Lectures will be recorded and accessible for review via Canvas. Practical workshops and tutorials are not possible to record.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
Australian Curriculum https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Australian Curriculum – Health and Physical Education https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/health-and-physical-education/
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) www.acara.edu.au
Relevant State and Territory curriculum documents.
Recommended references
Brown, M., & Dyson, B. P. (2006). Pursing HPE outcomes through outdoor education. In R. Tinning, L. McCuaig, & lisahunter (Eds.), Teaching Health and Physical Education in Australian Schools. (pp.180-191). Frenchs Forest: Pearson.
Cosgriff, M. (2016). The reconceptualization of outdoor education in the primary school classroom in Aotearoa New Zealand: how might we do it? Education 3-13, 44(3), 339-352.
Gray, T., & Dickson, T. (2012). Risk management in the outdoors. Cambridge University Press.
Humberstone, B., Prince, H. & Henderson, K.A. (2016). Routledge international handbook of outdoor studies. New York: Routledge.
McMaster, N. (2019). Teaching health and physical education in early childhood and the primary years. Australia: Oxford University Press.
Meldrum, K., & Peters, J. (2012). Learning to teach health and physical education: The student, the teacher and the curriculum. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Appropriate Journals and Websites
Outdoor Education Australia website https://outdooreducationaustralia.org.au/