history of outdoor education as a curriculum area in victoria

OEEDU5001 Concepts in Outdoor Education

Week two

What are the origins of OEE?

When did OEE begin in schools and in what form?

When did it become part of the:

•Curriculum?

•VCE?

What are the origins of OEE?

How does OE’s history influence how it is conducted today?

What is professionalism in OE?

Four main components of curriculum

Content = what is taught.

Process = how it is taught.

Context = the circumstances in which it is taught.

Outcomes = what is learned.

Processes of learning = methods

– the how of teaching.

OE often thought of and written about as experiential learning.

(especially in Nth America).

Process

Most common model of process in OE is the

experiential learning cycle (David Kolb 1984)

Process

Contested? Simplistic? Linked to learning styles? Time frames?

Processes can be applied to a very wide range of outcomes.

Context

Outdoor education can deliberately change context – the settings in which teaching and learning occur.

(It might be the only thing it does!)

Context

Deliberately constructing alternate worlds (what?)

Enabling critical reflection (why critical?)

Looking back…

Outcomes?

…are what students come away learning – understanding,

doing, feeling…

(Sometimes “outcome” is used to describe aims or goals. Eg. On the VCE OES design)

In OE, outcomes have been traditionally described as

being:

• about the self;• about the community or others and; • about the natural world or nature.

(technical outdoor skills)(promote, enhance academic learning. USA, NZ EOTC.)

What outcomes do you hold to be most important for you

at this point?

Content?

…is the material that you might teach or introduce to

students… the subject matter

History of Outdoor Education as a curriculum area in

Victoria

Curriculum development 101

Curriculum reflects social concern.

As concerns change, schooling is often charged with “fixing” social problems.

Curriculum development 101

The problems or issues given most space, are those that are most important at any time.

Importance is determined by those holding power.

Curriculum development 101

Power and concerns shift

Outdoor recreation is the basis for outdoor education

in schools

1930’s

Enthusiastic teachers take students on extended

bushwalks (Otways, Wilsons Prom.)

1940’s

Expeditions in Tas.

(eg.,Geelong College)

Late 1940’s

Wesley & Caulfield Grammar establish camps

1952

Geelong Grammar

establish Timbertop. Based on character building principles

1950’s – 1960’s

Expanded school curricula include extra-curricular

adventure activities.

1959

Somers camp established (DoE)

1960’s

Outward Bound - 26 day programs

1970’s

Schools begin to integrateOEd into core curriculum

1971

Bogong School Camp established

1972

Fatality on Cradle Mtn.(Footscray Tech.)

1973

School Camps Branchestablished to monitor school

outdoor activities

1970’s

Education Department puts$’s into training & support

1975

Safety in Adventure Activities published

1970’s

Core outcomes remain personal and group

development, based on pushing comfort zones and

character building exercises.

1978

Rubicon School Camp established

1980’s

Belt tightening by ministry

1981

Victorian Outdoor Education

Association (VOEA) established

1982

School Camps Branch

disbanded. Individual regions appoint OE curriculum

consultants.

1983

OEd included in Personal

Devt. area of school curriculum.

1984

OEd accepted by VISE as a Group 2 Yr 12 subject

1988

Report of the Ministerial Review of OEd.

Acknowledged OE as process of learning in addition to…

1989

The Personal Development Framework published

(incl. OEd. as a unique curric. area)

Outdoor Education gets green

• Squeeze on subjects at yr 12.• Growing public concern over

environmental issues. • Search for distinctive contributions

for OE

1992

VCE OEd fully established as human development and

HNR.

1996

Curriculum StandardsFramework Course Advice for

OEd (P-10)

2000

VCE Outdoor & Environmental Studies merged OE and

Enviro Studies

2000

VET Outdoor Recreationcreated from national training

package. Separated outdoor education from outdoor

recreation.

2000+

Revised CSF into VELS

Today

Outdoor Ed Outdoor Rec

University degree TAFE RTO certificate

Teacher educator Leader instructor

Government Commercial

HNR & other ed. outcomes.

Activity skills and ???

Mainly schools Mainly schools

2009

National curriculum debateson inclusion of OE three foci,personal outdoor experience

(place), H.N.R. critique, management of

risk/outdoor skills.

2010

Labor state gov. pledgesAlternate year 9 experience with

OE as central pillar (70% support) – Loses election!

(Resilience)

2012

National curriculum scopingpaper sets out HPE curriculum

for next decade. OE??? Not there????

Mapping the field(Where are we at?)

The traditional base of all outdoor education today is

outdoor recreation.

• UK import? • Australian bushman (sic) • Journey based • Human effort • Self sufficiency

Mapping the Field

Outdoor recreationOutdoor

recreationOutdoor

educationOutdoor

education

Corporate training

Corporate training

Adventure therapy

Adventure therapy Evolved to

seek differing educational goals

Mapping the Field

Seeks primarily to increase opportunities for recreation and leisure through skill mastery, socialisation, relaxation or intellectual stimulation

Outdoor recreationOutdoor

recreation

Mapping the Field

Corporate training

Corporate training

Concerned with enabling work groups to improve functional communication and vocationally related productivity outcomes

Mapping the Field

Seeks to “change dysfunctional behaviour patterns, using adventure experiences forms of habilitation and rehabilitation” (Priest and Gass 1997, p.24).

Adventure therapy

Adventure therapy

Mapping the Field

Critical outdoor education is concerned with humanity’s relationship with nature. It “is aimed at examining outdoor recreation and environmental issues in light of the dominant social order” (Martin 1999, p.464)

Outdoor educationOutdoor

education

Mapping the Field

Outdoor recreationOutdoor

recreationOutdoor

educationOutdoor

education

Corporate training

Corporate training

Adventure therapy

Adventure therapy

More like traditional outdoor recreation

More like traditional outdoor recreation

More like critical outdoor educationMore like critical

outdoor education

More like adventure

therapy

More like adventure

therapy

More like personal

development

More like personal

development

More like group

development (community)

More like group

development (community)

Connections(common ground)

Connections(common ground)

Connections(common ground)

Outdoor experiencesActivity skillsExperiential learningEnvironmental issuesSocial & cultural justiceLeadership & teachingQuality & research

Connections(common ground)

Outdoor experiencesActivity skillsExperiential learningEnvironmental issuesSocial & cultural justiceLeadership & teachingQuality & research