Adventure, experiential learning and education in the outdoors provides a fantastically unique medium for learning.
The connection between adventure and education is a vital component in the physical, social, mental and emotional growth and development of young people (and they’re pretty important for those not so young too!).
Outdoor education is described as many things - adventure-based, experiential learning, nature play, outdoor immersion, technology detox... However we name it, it’s important to appreciate that it isn't about creating experiences on the basis that it’ll be fun and ‘that’s what we’ve always done in the past’. It’s about facilitating a learning experience that can transform lives. In fact, I’ve come to learn that the fun comes reflecting on the times that in the moment may not seem all that fun!
A simple Google search will showcase academics speaking about the benefits of outdoor education - its ability to enhance student’s academic learning (agency), fast-forward personal development (direction) and promote physical and emotional wellbeing, regardless of gender, ethnicity or socio-economic barriers (identity).
It’s common for many to see outdoor education, like many other forms of education as the teaching of hard skills (eg. how to paddle in a kayak). Sure... this happens, because it’s important for safety, but it’s the extended learning and personal transformation that we should be focused on (eg. how are we growing our capabilities through this paddling journey).
Adventure-learning allows young (and older) people to embark on a journey of change, discovering and learning to apply each individual's strengths and increase their wellbeing.
It’s this unique opportunity of learning and transformation that I advocate for outdoor education as an essential and productive component of every school curriculum.
Program Design
Recognising that all students (young and old) learn in different ways, adventure-based learning is able to be custom designed. Depending on the aspired outcomes of the organisation, staff and students, adaptions can be made to ultimately ensure a safe and memorable learning experience.
Many people struggle with putting themselves out of their comfort zone and embracing adventure and the unknown. For some people, this comes naturally, but for the majority, adventures are an uncomfortable place to be. This is where outdoor education really comes into play with developing skills and personal capability. Adventure-based learning doesn't exclude because of identity, ability or background. It's not competitive, nor is it about high-level performance. It’s simply about moving young people out of their comfort zones, through their fear zones and into their growth and development zone.
Outdoor learning experiences are best when designed not to teach young people what to think, say, do in the face of challenges... but more importantly, supports them to work out how to think, say, do for themselves when faced with challenges. It's through this approach that we can help people connect, reflect on their lives and explore change.
Adventure-based learning works because people learn best when they have agency in their own learning, by challenging them and giving them opportunities to:
Set goals
Build relationships
Push outside comfort zones
Reflect on personal choices, journey
Develop capabilities
Consider and practice positive behaviour
Learn to manage their personal feelings and behaviour.
A challenge for staff in adventure learning (as is in all forms of learning) is to maintain a healthy balance of being hands-off. To constantly respond by asking yourself how you can help the young person do this themselves, instead of doing it for them. In the same way we wouldn’t write a young person’s essay for them, we also shouldn’t set up or pack down their tent for them.
I’ve always been of the belief that the only time for a staff member to become immediately and/or directly involved is when a young person’s physical or psychological safety is being compromised.
Links to Curriculum
We know that the best learning happens in the real world, when student‘s are hands on. It’s a shame that many struggle to understand how learning which doesn’t occur within the parameters of school buildings/property can connect to curriculum. Yet... it does, in a huge way, to multiple areas of the curriculum.
The Australian Curriculum website states,
‘The outdoor learning connection provides a framework for students to experience guided, integrated learning across the curriculum in natural environments. Students have the opportunity to gain unique and specific benefits from outdoor learning. They develop skills and understandings while valuing a positive relationship with natural environments and promoting the sustainable use of these environments.’
Outdoor learning is able to meet four key areas of the curriculum:
Skills and knowledge
Human-nature relationships
Conservation and sustainability
Health and wellbeing
Outdoor Learning is also able to address cross-curriculum priorities of Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability and Sustainability.
Positive Change & Wellbeing
I’ve been privileged to witness how adventure-based learning can help to change a young person’s attitude toward learning, themselves and the world around them.
Time spent in the outdoors, engaging in either structured or informal adventures can easily embrace and support Martin Seligman's PERMA wellbeing model of Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments.
Young people learn to think about personal actions and use this information to make better decisions in the future. They find themselves in an environment where being part of a team is necessary, communication is critical to thrive and anti-social behaviour is challenged.
It encourages:
Trust
Care for others
Resilience
Independence
A willingness to give and accept support
A sense of responsibility and self-reliance
It is hoped that through each outdoor experience, young people have the chance to find and/or affirm their ‘true north’. Through overcoming challenges, they feel grounded and share increases in confidence, identity, clarity, purpose, passion and a sense of accomplishment.
Outdoor Adventure-Based Learning experiences which can facilitate growth and development can include:
Group-Based Experiential Learning
Restorative Practice
Motivational Interviewing
Person-Centred Approach
Reflective Practice
The critical piece is to create spaces before, during and after each experience for each young person to reflect and transfer their growth and development into other areas of their life.
Safety & Staffing
One of the three key principles I stand by in outdoor leadership is that priority #1 is always the collective physical and psychological safety of the entire team.
It’s crucial that the outdoor programs we provide are safe and meaningful - if they’re not, I don’t run them.
It’s imperative that every person with a duty of care (as well as those under a duty of care), work very hard to mitigate the risks while allowing the opportunity for everyone to appropriately engage with challenges of an outdoor environment.
I believe that safety starts with bringing teams of great staff together, who aren’t just skilled and/or qualified specific to the outdoor activities, but who also have an ability to relate and build relationship with young people. My role as the leader is then to develop and then embody trust, and support the team to be themselves and to make solid, safe decisions every single day.
Activity types
Outdoor activities for adventure based learning should be chosen based on a few key factors:
The nature of the challenge they create
High level of group interaction and collaboration
Respectful of local communities and environments.
This includes activities like:
Bushwalking
Mountain Biking
Camping
Paddling
Obstacle Courses
Navigation
Native Vegetation Rehabilitation
Abseiling / Rock Climbing
Orienteering
Nature Art / Journalling
Clean Up of Communities
Cultural Immersion
There’s also a place for both single day and multi day activities.
A key benefit to multi-day journeys is that they provide a comprehensive platform for Bruce Tuckman's Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing model of teamwork to be experienced.
Multi-Day (Overnight) Journeys
Multi-day journeys also provide the opportunity for camping, whether it be in a dorm, swag, tent or bivvy. I’ve come to learn that nothing creates a setting for conversation and community, like camping does.
There is something special that happens when a group of people leave their normal routine and spend time camping. The time spent sharing meals together, separated from everyday luxuries, participating in activities as a team, sleeping on the ground under the stars and having lots of opportunity for conversations and getting to know one-another. It all equates to creating an environment for strong relationships to be formed and life-altering experiences to be remembered.
Camping is also different. Young people find themselves in an unfamiliar but safe situation, where they are challenged to take responsibility for themselves in a way they never have and asked to confront social dynamics they might never have worked through before.
Lifelong Value
Going on outdoor adventures enables young people to try a range of different activities to see what other options there are that they may enjoy for outdoor recreation.
Many of the activities are ones that the young people may not have tried before and it may encourage them in their health and wellbeing journey as they continue to grow up.
It also helps young people to reconsider how big the world around them is, and where their opportunities for growth, development and impact may be.
Benefits of Outdoor Learning
We know from research that people benefit from outdoor learning in all areas of life.
The benefits to outdoor learning can be summarised through outlining effective ways of addressing some of society’s key challenges:
At a global level - adventure-based learning fosters a connection that leads to respect and care for the natural world, an appreciation of biodiversity and sustainability, and pro-environmental behaviours.
At the societal level - adventure-based learning develops a sense of place leading to greater engagement with the community and an appreciation of the opportunities available to live, learn and work in the local area.
At the interpersonal level - adventure-based learning provides a safe and supportive setting to enhance social skills, appreciate and value difference. Encouraging loving and meaningful relationships across generations that foster tolerance, respect and kindness.
At the intrapersonal level - adventure-based learning engages with nature, trails and the environment for health, wellbeing and nature connection, leading to lifelong participation and outdoor competence. Developing character, resilience, positive risk taking.
Summing Up...
From a formal education perspective, outdoor education contributes hugely to the Australian Education Curriculum’s required outcomes, addresses many of the student learning outcomes and can facilitate many educational benefits for young people.
As well as aligning with curriculum, outdoor education also helps to develop student’s essential personal skills and capabilities which benefits the individual, their communities and the environment. The development of these skills and capabilities, along with the growth of their strengths and talents are vital in developing our young people for our future.
Further Reading