Course Objectives

The course will expand the pedagogical qualifications of students, with an emphasis on general leadership skills.

Course Description

- Guide training - trip norms, procedures, leader responsibilities, leader roles, development of leadership skills
- Practical specialisation in Coast II, Waterways II or Mountains/Glaciers II

- Teaching practice
- Guide practice advice given by the teacher before and after the practice period

Teaching practice:

During the period of teaching practice, students will design and execute teaching plans for various groups. Students will concentrate primarily on filling their roles as independent and responsible leaders, organising and carrying out a teaching plan with a group.

Guide practice:

During the academic year, guide practice will be carried out with a relevant target group. During part of this practice period, the individual student will be supervised by a subject teacher, who will advise the student prior to and following the practice period. The subject teacher will also provide a thorough evaluation of the student’s strong and weak points with respect to the guide practice. The assessment will be based on a general list of the qualities we should expect of a guide. This list is created in plenum. Students should expect to be assigned guide practice associated with the foundation programme Outdoor Life, Culture and Nature Guiding I or the specialisation programme Outdoor Activities.

The practice period is a minimum of 12 days duration. Written practice reports must be submitted.

Skills and Knowledge:

• How to use the waterways as educational environments to teach subjects such as natural science or culture to target groups from, for example, primary or secondary schools
• How to choose suitable trips, groups and areas according to the participants’ abilities
• How to plan and execute teaching plans and trips on lakes and waterways
• Trip planning, paddling trips in groups on rivers up to level II+ (III-), safety procedures and trip norms
• Trip procedures: didactics, organisation, working methods, guidance and leadership
• The various roles of the guide
• Safety, responsibility and consequence-analysis for paddling with canoes on lakes and waterways
• The improvement of skills, knowledge and competence at a high technical level within paddling in calm water and flowing water, in double and solo canoes, righting techniques, buddy-rescues, preliminary inspection of rapids, wading, orienteering and choice of routes, in connection with taking groups on canoe trips on lakes and waterways
• Specialisation in local area activities associated with streams, rivers and lakes
• Specialisation in equipment, maintenance and repair
• Specialisation around the theme of ‘people on waterways’ and the use of waterways in a cultural-historical perspective
• Specialisation around the theme of ‘the natural environment of waterways’

Learning Methods

The instruction takes place in the autumn and spring semesters.

The course includes lectures, group work, teaching practice (8 days) and guide practice (4 days) with three practice reports, an obligatory specialisation course with guide (14 days) and an obligatory independent trip (6 days). On the independent trip, students will work on self-chosen topics related to their area of specialisation.

NB! All introductions to trips and group exercises associated with trip planning are obligatory.

Assessment Methods

Guide certification on the basis of the student portfolio. In order to have the portfolio approved, the student must successfully complete the teaching practice, guide practice, submit 3 practice reports and have them approved, submit a self-evaluation report, participate in a specialisation course with a guide and carry out a trip independently.

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