Showing papers in "Journal of Outdoor Education in 2004"

Outdoor adventure in Australian outdoor education: is it a case of roast for Christmas dinner?

Abstract: Outdoor adventure activities, typically originating from other countries, form the basis of most Australian outdoor education programs. Research on adventure-based outdoor education in Australia and elsewhere has tended to focus on determining the benefits of participating in such programs. Less attention has been paid to a critical examination of the educational rationale for the use of adventure activities in outdoor education contexts. This paper draws on contemporary outdoor education literature, particularly socially and culturally critical perspectives, to highlight educational issues and questions about the nature and role of adventure activities in outdoor education. It draws particular attention to issues related to social justice and environmental education objectives and suggests a need for further scrutiny of the congruence between theory and practice. ********* I recall many Christmases in Victoria, Australia, where, on hot, 30+C days, our family sat down to a large roast dinner followed by plum pudding. By the time we had finished eating all this hot food we could hardly move and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting around digesting it. This always seemed a strange practice to me and on questioning my mother about it I usually received the explanation that it was tradition, or that this is what we do at Christmas. She wasn't at all enthused about my suggestion that we change this tradition to eat lighter, 'summer' foods for Christmas dinner. I always wondered why we persisted with a practice that seemed so inappropriate in the Australian context, and why it was so difficult to change something as simple as the lunch menu? I have similar questions about some outdoor education practice. Why, for example, do we structure many of our programs around activities that involve driving for hours to access particular environments? Why do we do cross-country skiing or whitewater paddling in the flattest, driest continent (apart from Antarctica) in the world? Why do we seek out cliffs for abseiling or climbing? What are people learning from these experiences? Why doesn't more outdoor education occur in or near the areas where we live? Why are most of our programs shaped around particular adventure activities rather than other outdoor activities? Are Australian outdoor education programs shaped mainly by British and northern hemisphere 'traditions', like Christmas dinner, or are there more robust educational rationales for conducting such activities? These are the kinds of questions explored in this paper. The intention is to consider educational issues relating to the use of outdoor adventure activities in Australian outdoor education by drawing on literature that critiques such practice. The paper does not attempt to examine literature relating to adventure education outcomes or to the use of outdoor adventure for recreational, developmental or therapeutic purposes. This paper poses questions rather than answers in the hope that it will engender further discussion, and perhaps research, on this topic. Outdoor adventure in outdoor education To adventure in the natural environment is consciously to take up a challenge that will demand the best of our capabilities--physically, mentally and emotionally. It is a state of mind that will initially accept unpleasant feelings of fear, uncertainty and discomfort, and the need for luck, because we instinctively know that if we are successful, these will be counterbalanced by opposite feelings of exhilaration and joy (Mortlock, 1987, p. 19). Aspects of Mortlock's definition of adventure may be questionable. For example, does outdoor adventure necessarily demand the best of our capabilities and, to what degree is luck necessary or desirable? However, this definition resonates with others such as Priest's (1999a) where the common elements are uncertainty due to some level of risk and the challenge of applying one's competence to overcome the risk and uncertainty. …

Making connections with nature: bridging the theory--practice gap in outdoor and environmental education

Abstract: In this paper I describe my experience in attempting to assist tertiary students connect with the natural environment through outdoor and environmental education experiences The paper addresses research conducted with students undertaking an outdoor and environmental education degree and focuses on the pedagogical methods employed in this context I argue that outdoor and environmental education practitioners may benefit from moving away from a mode of teaching based upon 'generic' methods and look instead to a more local, specific and contextual form of education By describing an outdoor and environmental education journey in a local, 'ordinary' place and students' experiences in unearthing the stories embedded in this place, I aim to provide some practical strategies to engage young people in a direct and meaningful way The intention is to broaden the pedagogical possibilities related to facilitating experiences in natural environments and thus contribute to bridging the rhetoric/reality gap in outdoor education

Pedagogy of connections: Findings of a collaborative action research project in outdoor and environmental education

Abstract: Improving human-nature relationships is often a stated aim of outdoor education, yet this aim is not always made explicit in practice. This paper reflects on a pedagogical intervention which aims to find ways to explicitly develop students' connections with natural places through a tertiary outdoor and environmental education program. It describes the intervention process, which is guided by principles of collaborative action research. Furthermore, the intervention uses a multi-pronged teaching approach incorporating repeated visits to natural places utilizing different 'ways of knowing', weekly readings, journal writing, collaborative discussions, and others. We summarize the key findings of the research project and report that repeated visits to a natural place using different ways of knowing (e.g., historical, scientific, ecological, artistic, experiential, etc.) are influential in improving connections. We conclude with a discussion of the opportunities and dilemmas of using action research as a form of pedagogy.

Outdoor Education Fatalities in Australia 1960-2002. Part 3. Environmental Circumstances.

Abstract: This article, the third in a series, examines 114 outdoor education related fatalities in Australia in the period 1960-2002. It reviews the environmental circumstances in which fatalities have occurred, and the extent to which environmental circumstances contributed to fatal incidents. All of the accidental deaths (104) could be linked to particular environmental circumstances. The paper reviews the patterns of environmental circumstances that have been associated with fatal incidents. It concludes that in outdoor education knowledge of particular environments is more important for fatality prevention than knowledge of outdoor recreation activities (although the latter may imply the former in some cases). At least one third of the accidental (non motor vehicle) deaths appeared preventable given specific local knowledge. The study shows that there is a geography of fatality risk, and that improved prevention requires more attention to regional or local considerations. The study provides no support for the contention that more general approaches to fatality prevention (national rather than state or regional) would be intrinsically more effective than more local approaches; the opposite appears true.

Doing Adventure Education the 'Right' Way

Abstract: This paper examines the intrinsic morality contained in leader-student dialogue in adventure education facilitation sessions. It is argued that the leader's response to student contributions demonstrates how a moral order is constructed through social interaction. Explicating the moral nature of leader-student interaction has implications for adventure educators as it questions underlying assumptions concerning the role of the leader in these sessions. It is argued that the leader is not a neutral figure and that they have an influential role in articulating a moral order that is interwoven in the talk. An examination of how moral order is built underlines the leader's influential role and adds to our understanding of the process of facilitation and leadership.