Course Description

Divided into three parts:

• Coastline outdoor life – pedagogy and culture
• Coastline outdoor life, ocean kayaking and introduction to smakkejolle (jolly boat) technique and safety when using an ocean kayak
• Pedagogical perspectives on the guiding role and Danish outdoor life

Theory seminar on the development of Danish outdoor life

• Historical perspectives
• Political and administrative perspectives
• Cultural and sociological perspectives

Travelling through the cultural landscape

• Independent trips in groups through open cultural landscape
• An examination of Danish outdoor life and the Danes relation to nature
• Instruction and debate as well as supervision on term paper writing

The coastline and outdoor life

Kayaking represents both a traditional form of outdoor activity and a modern trend in Denmark. The kayak has been used in both sporting and outdoor contexts over the last 100 years in Denmark. In a Danish context, there is a tradition and cultural history concerning the use of the kayak for both hunting and transport, primarily in Greenland. Within the last 20-30 years there has been a great increase in interest in ocean kayaking in an outdoor education context. The use of the kayak can thus also be considered as a modern trend in outdoor life, not least because of the new ways of using the kayak which have been developed, such as kayak polo and kayak surfing! The development of ocean kayak use can be considered in the organised and educational outdoor contexts as well as the unorganised ‘spontaneous’ outdoor activities.
The course provides an introduction to the ocean kayak, trip preparation, techniques, safety and pedagogy / instruction; this is followed by a trip, as well as a follow-up phase.
The course is structured so as to follow the guidelines for the education of ocean kayak instructors (according to guidelines laid down by Havkajakksamrådet. cf. www.havkajakksamraad.dk).

Outdoor life in the open cultural landscape

The Danish landscape is primarily a cultural landscape. Therefore outdoor life in the cultural landscape represents a tradition, a condition and a challenge. Student practice consists of travelling through the Danish countryside on a bicycle experiencing Danish culture and nature. The bicycle is in part a traditional form of transport in Danish outdoor life, and has been popular since the beginning of the twentieth century. However, it also represents new perspectives in the form of the opportunities it presents today for various activities, and its use is promoted by the authorities as part of a public health policy strategy. On the bicycling trip the groups work with a self-chosen smaller assignment within the theme ‘Danish outdoor life and relation to nature’. The assignment will be presented in plenum and may also form the basis for the term paper which must be submitted.

Theory seminar

The seminar will consider historical, cultural and sociological and administrative aspects of Danish outdoor life. Traditions and trends in Danish outdoor life
Themes:

• The historical development of outdoor life in Denmark, for instance, considered in relation to the development of sport
• Sociological investigations concerning participation and motives in Danish outdoor life
• Newer trends in Danish outdoor life such as adventure racing
• Organisations and institutions of importance for nature - the management of Danish nature (considered in historical and current/future perspectives)
• Access debate – rules for rights of access to the countryside
• The final days of the theory seminar will be concerned with the preparation for the bicycling trip and the writing of the term paper. This will be concerned with framework, ideas, and method as well as group work and plenary activities. At the end of the course in Denmark all the student groups should have drafted a problem and a work plan so as to be ready for further work.
  will be discussed.

Assessment Methods

The students will write a term paper on the basis of the joint seminar and the practical part of the course. They will work in groups of 3 or 4, preferably one from each country in each group.
The term paper is graded by an external examiner in Denmark.

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