Outdoor Education Commons^™

Where’S The E In Oe? A Critical Analysis Of Irish Outdoor Education, John Pierce, Simon Beames

Publications

Very little empirical research has been conducted on Irish outdoor education practice(s). This inquiry aims to critically explore outdoor education practices in public Outdoor Education and Training Centres in the Republic of Ireland. First, an overview of the development of Irish outdoor education from the mid-twentieth century onwards is provided to locate the study within its unique cultural and historical background. Data were generated through document analysis, participant observation, and informal conversation with practitioners and management through multiple field visits. Creative non-fiction was used as a method to organise and present the data in a coherent and anonymised manner. Thematic …

Learning In The Natural Environment: Taking Education Outdoors, Alisa Kahle

M.Ed. Literature Reviews

This research explores the benefits, challenges, and barriers of outdoor education in elementary school students. Three themes were identified: barriers and challenges, effects of learning outdoors, and risks and consequences of outdoor education. The paper examines how research in this area can align with the practices at a Washington State elementary school in the West Puget Sound area. Furthermore, the paper explores implications for future research in this domain. This paper highlights many strategies for educators to increase learning opportunities in nature.

The Benefits Of Outdoor Education For Students With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Annabelle Winking

University Honors Theses

ADHD diagnoses and pharmaceutical treatment have increased dramatically within this century. However, non-pharmaceutical treatments have not reflected this increase. One area where those diagnosed often struggle the most is within academic settings. This study argues for the benefit of outdoor education for students with ADHD, and suggests the importance of future research on this topic. In this study I examine the recent history of ADHD and evaluate trends in treatment, particularly green space as a form of treatment. These studies show both immediate and long-term benefits within a variety of settings. Within these studies, I identified a research gap in …

From Mcdonaldization To Place-Based Experience: Revitalizing Outdoor Education In Ireland, John Pierce, John Telford

Publications

Outdoor education in Ireland, as in many countries, takes place in a variety of physical locations ranging from urban to wilder, minimally human influenced environments. Irish public outdoor education providers have traditionally placed little emphasis on cultural understandings of the places where learning occurs. Moreover, outdoor education commonly demonstrates characteristics of a McDonaldized experience as opposed to a place-based experience. This paper explores two topics that may help to explain why place is not to the fore in teaching and learning in Irish outdoor education practice: historico-cultural relationships with the land, and the impact of the rationalisation of place on …

Where’S The E In Oe? The Mcdonaldization Of Irish Outdoor Education, John Pierce, Simon Beames

Publications

This paper presents key findings from a study that aimed to critically examine the practice of outdoor education in the Republic of Ireland. It consisted of 10 months of fieldwork across four public Outdoor Education and Training Centres (OETCs). Data were generated through participant observation, informal conversation, as well as centre websites. Findings from the thematic analysis are presented in the form of a creative non-fiction story—principally to protect the identities and centres involved. The findings were then interpreted through the theoretical lens of McDonaldization. Considering the dearth of outdoor education research in Ireland, McDonaldization provided a lens through which …

Outdoor Pursuits And Outdoor Learning At Rural Maine Schools: A Positive Outlier Approach, Lauren E. Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the barriers and facilitators to outdoor learning and outdoor pursuits (OPs) in some of the most rural isolated K-12 schools in Maine. The purpose was to understand why some of these schools incorporate a lot of OPs and outdoor learning into their curriculum while other schools do not. Outdoor pursuits and outdoor learning in school settings are worthy of study because they provide students with opportunities to increase physical activity, benefit from time in nature, and make important connections to local culture (Lim et al., 2017; Schafft, 2016; Trembley et al., 2015).

This study employed a comparative …

Get The Arts Outdoors: Merging Arts And Nature In Outdoor Education At The Ymca, Puneet Dhaliwal

SASAH 4th Year Capstone and Other Projects: Publications

As part of my SASAH experiential learning requirement, I worked at the YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre during the Fall/Winter term of 2021/22. Although I had previously worked at the outdoor centre as an educator teaching groups, this year was a different experience due to the new responsibilities and unique learning opportunities presented by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the year, I was responsible for the creation of lesson plans merging the arts and sciences in an outdoor setting according to the curriculum requirements of Ontario’s Ministry of Education. Moreover, I implemented inclusive learning options for each unit …

The Role And Impact Of The Environment In Shaping The Decisions Of Parents And Alternative Educators In Early Education, Mia Hopkinson

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to research parents’ and alternative educators’ perspectives on the role of the educational environment in early education and how this impacts their pedagogical beliefs. The qualitative study explored the following research questions: What do traditional school parents and outdoor alternative parents seek in their child’s early education environment? What shapes parents' decisions on their child’s educational and learning experiences? How do alternative educational leaders and educators understand the role of the alternative environment? How does this impact how they think about education? Interviews were conducted with two traditional parents, two alternative parents and four …

“We Can Do This At Our School!” Place-Based Education, Literacy, & Learning, Erica R. Hamilton, Janet Staal, Jessica Vander Ark

Michigan Reading Journal

This article highlights the power of using place-based education (PBE) in a K-8 school to support and extend students' literacy and learning. Through PBE, teachers learn to use their local places such as playgrounds, neighborhoods, parks, streams, forests, and urban centers as contexts to make connections and facilitate learning. Moreover, as seen in the examples provided throughout this article, PBE empowers teachers and students to study and read the world, integrate knowledge across disciplines, write for authentic purposes and audiences, create and share narratives connected to local places, and engage in and share research. As a result, students’ excitement for …

Leave No Trace Education: A Case Study On The Educational Methods Utilized By The Leave No Trace Center For Outdoor Ethics, Cole C. Ross

Experience Industry Management

Leave No Trace (LNT) is imperative in the field of outdoor recreation to protect natural spaces and preserve them for generations to come. Exposure to LNT is pivotal in the development of environmental stewardship in children and adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the educational methods utilized by the LNT Center for Outdoor Ethics to determine the best practices to cultivate and instill the principles of LNT. The research was conducted using a best practices instrument, developed by the researcher, to evaluate the attributes present in LNT educational methods by the LNT Center. This study found that …

Connection Between Camps And Social Emotional Learning In Middle School, Annie Lochridge

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project examines how outdoor educational experiences can improve social emotional learning in middle school students (grades 4-9). Questions to be addressed include: How can outdoor education field trips meet middle grade social emotional standards in Ohio?; What are the gains and pains for teachers involved in such opportunities?; What are the gains and pains for middle school students (grades 6-8) involved in outdoor educational opportunities?; What recommendations can be made for outdoor educational field trips to increase student social emotional learning? Initial research will be conducted using a literature review of place-based education, environmental education, field trips. and social …

Indigenous Wisdom, Storytelling, And Language Renewal Ꭰꮒᏸꭺꭹ, Ꭰꮒᏼꮻꮿ Ꭰꭷꮩꭵꭿꮝꮧ Ꭴꮒꭽ, Ꭰꮴꭿꮠꮧᏹ Ꭶꮼꮒꭿꮝꮧ, Arlo Starr

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Abstract ᎧᏃᎮᏍᎩ

Language, cultural immersion, and intergenerational land-based education have shown the potential to vastly improve dire health issues that Indigenous people face. What is the most effective way to produce a large number of second language learners who speak at a basic level in order to improve Indigenous health?

Relationship is a vital part of Indigenous cosmology. Rather than promoting the consumption of words as things, acquisition will be more readily integrated into relationship-based thought when also interacting with them in context through story, and cultural activities that are fun, understandable, and engage community. Many successful language immersion models …

Hands Of The Future, Inc.: Connecting Children To Nature, Rebecca Busse

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Rebecca Busse is the project coordinator for the Nature of Teaching Extension Program. This provides K–5 teachers with standards-based lesson plans related to wildlife, food waste, and health and wellness. She has been volunteering with Hands of the Future, Inc., for three years. In this article, she describes the organization and her experiences with it.

(Un)Packing The Natural: Exploring Tactics Of Empowerment For Girls Through Outdoor Education, Avalon Blue Qian

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

Learning With Street Trees, Sigrun Wolff Saphire

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Learning With Street Trees is an original curriculum for fourth and fifth grade students written by Sigrun Wolff Saphire. The curriculum's eight lessons span the school year from fall to early summer. In each season, fall, winter, spring, and early summer, students work with a number of street trees near their school. They engage in nature observation and drawing, data collection, and interpretation. They practice critical thinking, problem-solving, cooperation, and communication. Throughout the curriculum, the development of science-inquiry skills combines with art making and hands-on tree stewardship. The curriculum culminates in student-initiated community projects.

Front Matter, Julie A. Carlson

The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States

Cover and dedication for the book The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States.

Chapter 1 - Introduction, Julie A. Carlson

The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States

Chapter 1 of the book The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement contains introductory materials on L.B. Sharp.

Chapter 3 - Extending Education (Newsletter Of Life Camps), Julie A. Carlson

The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States

Chapter 3 of the book The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement contains information on Extending Education, the newsletter of Life Camps.

Chapter 4 - Broadcasts And Interviews, Julie A. Carlson

The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States

Chapter 4 of the book The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement contains broadcasts and interviews of L.B. Sharp.

Chapter 5 - Speeches And Lectures, Julie A. Carlson

The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States

Chapter 5 of the book The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement contains speeches and lectures by L.B. Sharp.

Chapter 6 - Films, Julie A. Carlson

The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States

Chapter 6 of the book The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement contains films on L.B. Sharp.

Chapter 8 - Epilogue, Julie A. Carlson

The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States

Chapter 8 of the book The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement contains the epilogue.

Chapter 7 - Poems And Prayers, Julie A. Carlson

The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States

Chapter 7 of the book The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement contains the poems and prayers of L.B. Sharp.

Chapter 2 - Publications In Journals, Books, Reports, Julie A. Carlson

The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement in the United States

Chapter 2 of the book The Collective Works of Lloyd Burgess Sharp: Pioneer of the Outdoor Education Movement contains publications of L.B. Sharp found in journals, books, and reports.

Rethinking The Adventure Education Experience: An Inquiry Of Meanings, Culture And Educational Virtue, Benjamin Charles Ingman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an investigation of the adventure education (AE) experience with particular attention to what happens during the AE experience, the meanings participants ascribe to the experience, how personal backgrounds and institutional cultures coalesce in AE, and the significance of the AE experience for schooling. These topics are explored through observing and interviewing participants of adventure education programs under the qualitative framework of educational connoisseurship and criticism. The experiences at the three sites of study—an outdoor challenge course, a wilderness backpacking expedition and a summer adventure program—are described in detail and illustrated through the qualities of the experience (celebratory …

Developing A Support Group For Adolescents With Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus Using An Outdoor Adventure Educational Modality, Tara Lynch

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study details the group process aspects of creating an outdoor adventure based support group for adolescents living with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). A review of previous outdoor adventure programs is included, followed by a rationale for the new material. The developmental assessment of teens living with IDDM identifies a need for greater self-confidence, increased independence, and social support. To meet this need, a program that includes aspects of team building, personal challenge, and problem-solving has been created.

Instructor Field Manual For Camp Highland Outdoor Science School, Maleah Lynne Mcpherson

Theses Digitization Project

This project was designed to help instructors at Camp Highland Outdoor Science School in Cherry Valley, California. The camp is drsinged for fifth and sixth grade students. The manual would be a useful tool for instructors to reference information to assist in lession planning and activities. It would familiarize them with the local natual history in the area including geology, climate, plants and Native Americans.

The Nature Of Trust And Its Impact On The Relationship Between Facilitator And Participant In An Outdoor Education Experience, T. Grant Lewis Jr.

The Corinthian

This study is based on a research study that examined the concept of trust as a critical characteristic in the relationship between facilitator and participant in an outdoor education experience. Data was collected from 35 graduate and undergraduate students in an outdoor education academic program at a small university in the southeast. Participants completed a 14 question survey that combined Likert scale response items with several open-ended short answer questions. Survey questions explored the characteristics necessary for a facilitator to possess in order to create a relationship of trust with participants, as well as defining the concepts of trust and …

Going Beyong The Third Grade Science Kit: An Integrated Thematic Approach, Michele D. Wiederspohn

All Graduate Projects

A project has been developed to aid in the design of a third grade science program and/or to be used as a supplement to any existing third grade science curriculum. The project has been organized into fourteen lesson plans. Each lesson plan includes an overview of the lesson, student learning objectives matched to the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements, activities, a list of required materials, an outline of instruction, and the name of a trade book to compliment the lesson. Current literature and research regarding the topic of integrated curriculum were explored.

A Guide For Extending Nature Lessons At The Yakima Arboretum, Kathleen D. Brown

All Graduate Projects

The importance of providing a hands on natural environment curriculum was examined. Sources from 1938-1996 were found supporting the importance of such a curriculum. A search was conducted on the availability of a natural habitat curriculum that used a local resource. The search discovered the Yakima Arboretum had seven areas of interest along with a packet of brief lesson suggestions. These lessons were extended to include classroom activities that would provide students with background knowledge prior to a field trip to the Arboretum.