Learning outcome

After successfully completing the course, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence.

Knowledge

In relation to an academic-didactic perspective, the candidate has knowledge, can give an account of, discuss and reflect upon the following key areas:

• Play and learning related to outdoor activities in school
• Adapted teaching related to choosing the means of travel, camping types and the natural environment for outdoor activities in schools
• Disciplinary and interdisciplinary work related to outdoor recreation and outdoor education in schools
• Youth culture and heritage of simple outdoor life related to outdoor activities in schools

Skills

The candidate can plan, implement and evaluate learning activities in outdoor life subjects in a professional-didactic manner within and across the following key areas:

• Play and learning related to outdoor activities in school
• Adapted teaching related to choosing the means of travel, camping types and the natural environment for outdoor activities in schools
• Disciplinary and interdisciplinary work related to outdoor recreation and outdoor education in schools
• Youth culture and heritage of simple outdoor life related to outdoor activities in schools

General competence

The candidate:

• Can apply knowledge and show the correlation between the subject area and the school’s values ​​and academic-didactic practice
• Can demonstrate an understanding of the school’s general educational aims in a learning and social perspective
• Can facilitate collaboration between home, school and the local community, and has an understanding of the role as academic, cultural and values mediator in a multi-common-cultural society
• Has professional competence and can apply it in relationships with pupils, parents and colleagues

Course Description

Outdoor recreation is a cultural phenomenon based on the natural environment. Ideals such as hiking without leaving traces and taking trips according to one’s ability provide a foundation of values for environmentally friendly and safe travel in accordance with humanistic basic values.

Human life and nature are central to the understanding of the distinctive features of our history. Understanding of outdoor life activities is founded on long and proud traditions related to national identity, public health and environmental protection. Outdoor activities in schools have moved from the private sphere to the school’s educational activities and profession-based education and learning. Outdoor activities are organised as a central theme in the physical education subject in public primary and secondary schools, and as a subject field in a variety of education programs in different types of schools. Private leisure outdoor activities, and outdoor activities as an educational subject in schools, have several common features and points of contact. However, while private outdoor life activities are based on private initiative, selection, assessment and expertise, outdoor life activities in schools are linked closely to the school’s mandate, educational goals and guidelines in the national curriculum, teachers’ academic and pedagogical skills and teacher-led didactic learning activities.

The teaching of outdoor activities in schools should manage, clarify and specify the values ​​the Norwegian school is based on. The inclusive school is obliged to meet each pupil with an understanding of his/her needs, abilities and individual personality. Equal opportunity education in accordance with the principle of the comprehensive school, the joy of mastering, interaction and closeness to nature represent the fulcrum of learning activities related to outdoor activities in school. At the same time, outdoor life in Norway builds on a fundament of values with a clear potential for good learning processes and arenas for learning. Amongst others, this involves emphasising the importance of the following: interaction rather than competitive performance, experiential learning, creative learning in specific situations and meaningful contexts, learning good skills, learning and understanding in the meeting with the natural environment and a fundamental recognition of the importance of a balanced interaction between culture and nature – in local, national and global contexts.

Outdoor activities in schools should represent a good and inclusive meeting place that encourages interaction in good relations, good individual learning processes characterised by zeal and creative activity. It is a subject field in the educational learning activities that functions in the didactic meeting between the pupils’ abilities, social-educational and outdoor professional goals.

The objectives, target areas, organisation, meetings, teaching and learning methods and assessment methods will be in accordance with the above perspective on outdoor life activities in schools.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The course focuses on the following four target areas:

• Play and learning related to outdoor activities in schools
• Adapted teaching related to choosing the means of travel, camping types and the natural environment for outdoor activities in schools
• Disciplinary and interdisciplinary work related to outdoor recreation and outdoor education in schools
• Youth culture and heritage of simple outdoor life related to outdoor activities in schools

Each target area is intended to form a basis for subject specialisation, theoretical and practical approaches and individual studies.

Each of the target areas corresponds to 6 ECTS. In addition, students will submit four assignments, one for each of the target areas; two reflection notes and two academic articles. The academic articles will be assessed with a graded mark and comprise 3 ECTS each. The student assignments are individual submissions.

The course requires a high degree of student participation. If we are serious in our claim that teaching requires active initiative, then we must assume that the students will also become actively engaged. The course assignments are a fundamental part of the course. The approach known as problem-based learning (PBL) will inform our working methods. Together we will discuss questions, and gain experience in the process. This will require, among other things, that students participate in drafting assignments within a given framework; that there is dialogue rather than monologue; and that supervision and seminars will predominate over ordinary lectures. This also implies that some of the syllabus texts will be chosen in advance and that other syllabus texts will be selected by the students in connection with their academic articles and reflection notes.

Students’ work

Each of the four target areas includes student assignments. This includes obligatory academic articles, a reflection note submission, subject didactics training assignments in the periods of teaching practice and the academic seminar.

Students taking 30 ECTS Outdoor Life Didactics must complete two academic articles that focus on two of the four target areas. In the other target areas, they must submit reflection notes that do not have the same stringent academic requirements as the academic article. The scope of the two written submissions is approximately 3000 words each. The academic articles and the reflection papers should include didactic problem formulations and perspectives related to outdoor activities in schools.

Academic article / reflection note

Theme 1: Play and learning - related to outdoor activities in school

Alternative 1: Students formulate an assignment question and then complete the assignment.

Alternative 2: Consider a competence aim and select a year level in the Curriculum (LK-06), and discuss from a play and learning perspective related to outdoor activities and nature. Formulate a research question in relation to this.

Alternative 3: Discuss the play element in outdoor life and relate this to outdoor life didactics.

Theme 2: Adapted teaching related to choosing the means of travel, camping types and the natural environment for outdoor activities in schools

Alternative 1: Students formulate an assignment question and then complete the assignment.

Alternative 2: Select a year level in primary or lower secondary school. Discuss the basis for good learning processes in relation to pupils’ individual needs and abilities, and choosing the means of travel, types of camping and natural environment for outdoor activities for pupils at that year level.

Alternative 3: Describe characteristics of open and closed camping types and discuss the camping types’ importance for group dynamic processes and an inclusive community relating to outdoor activities in schools.

Theme 3: Disciplinary and interdisciplinary work related to outdoor recreation and outdoor education in schools

Alternative 1: Students formulate an assignment question and then complete the assignment.

Alternative 2: Discuss the opportunities for interdisciplinary work in accordance with the curriculum LK -06 and where the discipline outdoor life is strengthened through interaction with other disciplines.

Alternative 3: Discuss the importance and potential of outdoor education in upper secondary schools.

Theme 4: Youth culture and heritage of simple outdoor life related to outdoor activities in schools.

Alternative 1: Students formulate an assignment question and then complete the assignment.

Alternative 2: Discuss the relationship between global outdoor youth culture and Norwegian heritage based on the simple outdoor life from an outdoor life didactics’ perspective.

Alternative 3: Describe a nature-oriented youth culture involving a large degree of movement and discuss the relationship between such a movement culture and professional and educational goals that are normative for outdoor activities in school.

Subject didactics training assignment:

Each of the target areas includes a subject didactics training assignment which the student will complete in relation to the mandatory teaching practice in schools. The assignments are: 1) Theme: Play and learning: Plan, implement and evaluate a teaching session with play in the natural environment as the main theme for the appropriate target group. 2) Theme: Adapted teaching related to choosing the means of travel, camping type and natural environment: Plan, implement and evaluate a professional didactic task in which adapted teaching is related to choosing the means of travel, camping type and natural environment. 3) Theme: Disciplinary and interdisciplinary work related to outdoor recreation and outdoor education in schools: Plan, implement and evaluate an interdisciplinary task involving outdoor recreation in an outdoor education perspective with teachers in various subjects related closely to the mandatory teaching practice. 4) Theme: Youth culture and heritage in relation to simple outdoor life in the context of outdoor activities in school: Plan, implement and evaluate learning activities in which global youth culture is related to national heritage associated with the simple outdoor life. Students will complete the subject didactics training assignments in collaboration with their mentor and teaching practice school.

Academic seminar

All the students will participate in presentation activities at the academic seminar for PPU-Outdoor Life. Students will select one of four target areas for the presentation theme at the academic seminar. Students will prepare presentations for the seminar related to a theme. The presentation may be related to one of the student’s academic articles/reflection papers. The time limit for each presentation is 15 min. The academic seminars will be organised as a combination of academic papers and discussions. Attendance at the seminar is compulsory and will be assessed on a pass/fail basis.

Assessment Methods

A final individual grade will be awarded, where the continual assessment counts for 40% and the final examination, 60%. The final examination is a 3-day individual written home examination that will be assessed with a grade.

Continuous assessment will be carried out on the basis of the submitted academic articles, which will be assessed with a grade.

The teaching practice, seminar and reflection paper will be assessed with a pass/fail mark.

Attendance at the course teaching is compulsory.

All coursework must be submitted/completed and assessed as passed before the student will be allowed to sit the examination.

A single grade is entered on the diploma, graded from A to F, where A represents the highest grade, and E the lowest passing grade. Each part of the assessment must receive a passing grade in order for the candidate to receive a final passing grade for the course.

Please refer to Telemark University College’s examination regulations for further information.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean