The European Institute for Outdoor Adventure Education and Experiential Learning identifies outdoor education as comprising outdoor activities, environmental education and personal and social development.
At MCAST, the sports department tries to pursue learning outcomes through adventurous activities. These adventurous activities include kayaking, trekking, camping, climbing, abseiling, sailing, mountain biking, diving and shooting.
Outdoor leadership educators are finding an increasing number and range of exciting opportunities in the field of adventure programming. More and more people are discovering benefits from participating in outdoor experiences. Outdoor activity organisers report a growing interest in adventure recreational activities.
We can see this to be the case in the media: we are regularly hearing about groups climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, individuals sailing solo round the world, rock climbing routes are being defined, mountain biking becoming more popular, and so on.
Increasing public participation in outdoor pursuits and adventure activities appears to be a future trend. Educational opportunities devised to enjoy the outdoor experience are plentiful.
Outdoor education follows the experiential philosophy of learning by doing. It takes place mainly through involvement with the natural environment. In outdoor education, the emphasis for learning is placed on relationships concerning people and natural resources.
Adventure education is the branch of outdoor education concerned primarily with interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. Adventure education uses adventurous activities that provide a group or an individual with compelling tasks to accomplish.
By responding to difficult tasks, participants often learn to overcome self-imposed perceptions of their ability to succeed. They turn limitations into abilities and as a result they learn a great deal about themselves and how to relate to others.
Environmental education is the branch of outdoor education concerned primarily with ecosystemic relationships. Neglecting the environmental side of outdoor education threatens the very naturalness and solitude you seek outdoors.
Adventure programmes can lead to cognitive, physical or affective benefits. There may be development of individuals through improved intrapersonal relationships (emotional development) and development of groups through enhanced interpersonal relationships (social development). The product of most adventure programmes is people who understand themselves more fully and relate to others more effectively.
Any subject can be taught outside the classroom, not just sports, and in fact some learning is better suited outdoors. There are good educational reasons for identifying and capitalising on these opportunities.
In this way class-based learning can be integrated with outdoor learning. This is very much in the tradition of integrated holistic education as it was suggested by Comenius himself.
Outdoor adventure education has a close relationship with experiential learning. All experience must take place within a framework of safety. Appropriate decision-making and the discrete maintenance of a safe environment within which outdoor experiences take place are a hallmark of professionalism. Adventure experiences should also encourage a 'mastery' approach rather than a 'performance' approach.
At MCAST, when our students are taken camping, we are providing an environment where they can explore ideas relating to individual and group identity. The creative teacher/instructor has an abundance of opportunities to help young people think about themselves in relation to their past, present and future.
When camping students learn about the environment around them and how to leave it as they have found it, they enhance their skills in outdoor activities, like trekking, games, orienteering, sailing, canoeing and whatever sport activities are organised for them, they learn how to cope out in the open, how to light a fire, cook, erect a tent, etc.
They learn how to manage their food intake, personal hygiene, personal belongings and so on. They learn how to be creative in creating games, they learn how different people can be when you live with them; students learn about first aid and much more.
Our students also get the opportunity to attend national and international sport events happening on our islands, and this is a great way to develop an interdisciplinary and holistic education for our students.
For example, every year our students are informed about and taken to see the Rolex Middle Sea Race preparations and start, the most prestigious sporting event that happens in our waters, an international event.
So many subjects can be taught out in the open just by using the Middle Sea Race as an example. Physics - the use of wind energy and the mechanisms on board a boat; Home Economics and Nutrition - sailors' food intake; Physical Education - getting to know more about yachting and the fitness required for it; Art - one can get students to draw, photograph boats or discuss boat design; Languages - students may speak to foreign sailors; Management - race management and logistics; Biology - they can learn about marine life; Physiology - of the sailors and what is needed for peak performance; Psychology - the mental toughness and concentration skills necessary for sailors taking part in such a race; Personal and Social Development - awareness of the importance of getting on with others - teamwork on board; Geography - locations boats pass through; Chemistry - the chemicals that may be used to purify sea water for use on board; Medicine/First Aid - how to deal with any possible illnesses/injuries on board; History - of yachting; Mechanics - repairing damages on board; Electronics - tracking devices used; Business/Accounts - financing of such an event; Needlework - sewing sails; Woodwork - boat models; Spirituality - feelings of a sailor on board and so much more.
I have just returned from a Comenuis course on outdoor environmental education, which was held in Scotland. Here we learned that Sweden has a very strong culture of taking students out in the open for lessons, as it is believed that students learn faster when doing practical things. We all know that students are unable to keep their concentration for long in the classroom so this may be a good way to enhance their learning.
The Blairvadach Education Centre, Helensburgh, where we stayed, featured facilities for a huge number of activities and schools from all over Scotland. Lessons are taught through various media and the centre is equipped with lecture rooms, games rooms, laboratory, climbing room as well as a totem pole and huge 60-metre climbing tree outside, a sailing and kayak centre, a ropes course, orienteering equipment, residential facilities, storage room with bicycles, waterproof clothing etc. that may be used.
During the course we learnt how to use adventure equipment for lessons out in the open, we also got the opportunity to go trekking as well as looking for plant and animal life in the sea and lake which we then had a look at under the microscope.
This was great fun and so much more interesting than learning about plant and animal life out of a book. There were a range of games associated with such teaching which made our days even more enjoyable.
One can learn to use the landscape for both outdoor activities as well as for environmental education and personal and social education. In terms of the curriculum one can reach a lot of targets and at the same time students are attentive and have great fun.
The outdoors is a place for opportunity, we need to take that opportunity.
Adele Muscat, B.Psy, M.Sc., SES (Manch.), is sports co-ordinator/sports lecturer at MCAST