Into the outdoor classrooms - adaption of new subj..
Into the outdoor classrooms - adaption of new subject-related approaches in outdoor learning
Most of the outdoor practice in the primary and lower secondary school systems (PLSS) tends to focus on environmental, social and personal development aspects in the pupils general education and it is limited to school subjects related logically to the outdoor such as sports and wild life nature activities. Outdoor learning (ODL) is much more than that! ODL is also traditional academic learning activities such as subjects like math, science and language. Instead of the subjects being taught inside the classroom, they are taught in authentic settings outside: The classroom without walls. ODL means working with applied knowledge through practical experience. It makes the relevance of the subject clearer, which is a crucial aspect in a learning process. People learn in different ways and the European school systems must reflect this reality by offering a wide range of innovative teaching approaches such as ODL. Despite its didactic potential, the approach is still only sporadically applied in European educational systems because of a lack of competencies among teachers and educators from the informal learning sector. The aim of this project has been to qualify a dual target group: teachers in PLSS and educators (professional guides, rangers etc.) in the non-formal learning sector, by developing their skills and competences in order to integrate outdoor learning environments into the learning processes of children at primary and lower secondary level. Furthermore, the project aims at bringing the dual target group together by providing a common ground, knowledge and understanding of each other's professionalism in order to establish the best possible interaction and ensure qualified and innovative teaching in the schools. The project has resulted in an intensive foundation course in outdoor learning didactics and methodology as well as a subject-related course module. The complete course package is downloadable from the project's website.
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