Course Objectives

The course will provide knowledge of the main characteristics, intrinsic qualities and basic theoretical perspectives on outdoor life and education, and form a basis for pedagogic work within the field. Students will develop the ability to analyse their own and others’ contributions within the sphere of outdoor life and education. In conjunction with other courses, the course will provide the basic knowledge and values for acquiring skills as a guide. Central concepts in this subject are the value and potential opportunities of outdoor life, and the problems and opportunities related to realising these in outdoor education.

Course Description

- The group as a social-psychological phenomenon and as a working method. The norms and structures of groups. Groups in the context of outdoor life - do they share any particular common characteristics? Group dynamics and developmental processes in outdoor life groups. The development of companionship, the development of groups. The group under pressure. Attitudes, dissonance theory, attribution, conflicts and maturation.

- Leadership in outdoor life. Types of leadership and various leadership roles. ‘Leadership characteristics’. Traditional forms of leadership in the sphere of outdoor life: the trip leader, the guide and the instructor. Distributive leadership. The leader’s tasks and functions in outdoor activities - what constitutes leadership, and which functions should it fulfil? Responsibilities, tasks and challenges.

- Learning in outdoor life as a process, and process-oriented leadership. Problem orientation / project orientation / process orientation. Situational learning, situational leadership. Inherent pedagogy, unintended learning, hidden learning and confluent pedagogy.

- Guidance methodology. To discover, shape, define and exploit learning situations. Working techniques, the ‘tricks’ and methods involved. The phases of a learning process. Safety, trip standards and procedures. Planning versus improvisation.

- The development of the leadership role in outdoor life. Leadership as self-education. Demands and prerequisites for leadership in outdoor life. Value orientation and self-reflection. Evaluation and self-evaluation. The stages and phases in the development of competence and ability. Ambivalences, paradoxes and problems related to the leader-role in outdoor life. Execution and evaluation of pedagogical programmes in outdoor life. Active research.

- Outdoor life and the pedagogic traditions of the subject. The problematic areas of pedagogy, ambitions and pretensions and inherent pedagogy. Social interpretations, views of humanity, views of nature and knowledge. Pedagogy in relation to values.

- Pedagogical values and potential opportunities in the tradition of outdoor life. Outdoor life as a humanising factor. Inherent pedagogy. Physical/sensual recognition, actions and understanding of concepts. Ideologies and validation in outdoor life.

- Knowledge as a social phenomenon. Modernity as representing changes in knowledge-regimes and the subsequent consequences for the individual, society and culture. Knowledge and learning in the pre-industrial society. Patterned cultural responses and knowledge. The concept of socialisation. Pedagogy’s struggle to expose and/or build upon ‘natural learning’.

The concept of knowledge. To know and understand. The interplay between the body, feelings and reason. Knowledge, action and change. ‘Silent’ knowledge, action-dependent knowledge. Mastering, situation and context-dependent competence. Pattern-recognition learning. ‘Episteme, techne and pronesis’.

- Outdoor life, identity and personal development. Views on personal development; change and development in Nordic and continental traditions concerning outdoor life. Psychological and ecosophical perspectives on the significance of nature for personality development. Outdoor life as a form of therapy.

- Outdoor life as an educational method, especially in schools. Experience and practice, and various efforts to create theories: the concept of motivation; ‘silent’ learning – unintentional learning – inherent pedagogy; the ‘situation’ concept. The goal/means question: confluent pedagogy; experience and knowledge. How to advance from experience to knowledge and reflected recognition?

- Practice period. Students are responsible for finding their own practice placement, which must be approved by the subject teacher. On the basis of their period of practice, students will submit a memo/abstract which should be submitted at the obligatory practice seminar.

Students choose in addition one of the following three specialisations: mountains/glaciers – sailing or waterways.

Coast - sailing, specialisation III, skills and knowledge:

• Further knowledge of pedagogical and didactic problems in connection with guiding using traditional work boats along the coast, including didactics: trip norms, procedures, organisation and leadership.
• Further knowledge with regard to sailing a boat along the coast, including: Choice of area, safety, weather, wind, currents, trip planning, rescuing members of the group and first aid.
• Further skills in the use of open square sail boats ( råriggede båter), including precise manoeuvring in difficult harbours and navigation under difficult conditions.
• Further skills in the maintenance of boats and equipment, rigging and sails.
• Further knowledge of coast nature and culture.

Mountains/glaciers, specialisation II, skills and knowledge:

• Further insight into pedagogical and didactic problems in connection to guiding in the high mountains, including didactics: trip norms, procedures, organisation, and leadership.
• Further knowledge of alpine skiing and mountain climbing, including choice of area, safety, weather, wind, avalanches, trip planning, rescuing members of the group and first aid. Further skills in alpine skiing and mountain climbing, including orientation and choice of routes, safety in the mountains and on steep snow slopes, skiing technique.

Waterways, specialisation III, skills and knowledge:

• Further insight into pedagogical and didactic problems related to guiding with canoes on rivers up to level II+ and III-, including didactics: trip norms, procedures, organisation, supervision and leadership.
• Further knowledge of using canoes on rivers, including choice of area, safety, weather, wind and currents, planning trips, rescuing members of the group and first aid. Further skills in solo and double canoe paddling.
• Further knowledge of the nature and culture of waterways.

Learning Methods

The course is taught in the spring semester.

Teaching and learning methods include independent work, lectures, seminars, study groups, practice (10 days), instruction and practical / problem-orientated guiding in connection with trips in an optional physical environment. The trips consist of 7 days in the chosen physical environment. The trips, practice and seminars are obligatory.

Assessment Methods

Individual written home examination. Graded marks. In order to receive a diploma students must first have participated actively in all the obligatory trips and seminars, successfully completed their practice period, submitted approved practice reports and approved portfolios in their chosen specialisation.

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