EDER 689.12 Curricular Integration of Outdoor Education
This course will explore how Outdoor Education can be integrated across many disciplines and lead to a greater appreciation of how the subject, as an interdisciplinary area, can enhance environmental learning without reducing the "meaningfulness" of the field of Outdoor Pursuits & Outdoor Education. Environmental stewardship and sustainable practice will be identified as key pillars in the development of such programs.
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Unit Plan - Click Here - Lesson Resources
Research Support
Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium. (2013). Cross-curricular competencies. Retrieved from: http://erlc.ca/resources/resources/cross_curricular_competencies_overview/documents/cross_curricular_comptencies_overview.pdf
Gladwell, V. F., Brown, D. K., Wood, C., Sandercock, G. R., & Barton, J. L. (2013). The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all. Extreme physiology & medicine, 2(1), 1.
Skelly, S. M., & Zajicek, J. M. (1998). The effect of an interdisciplinary garden program on the environmental attitudes of elementary school students.HortTechnology, 8(4), 579-583. Retrieved from: http://horttech.ashspublications.org/content/8/4/579.full.pdf
Swiderski, M. (1987). Soft and conceptual skills: the often overlooked components of outdoor leadership. Bradford Papers Annual, Bradford Woods Outdoor Education Center, Indiana University, (2), 29-36. Retrieved from: http://www.eurekamag.com/001/001685547.pdf
Thompson, G. & Arlidge, S. 2002. Five Minute Field Trips - Teaching About Nature in Your Schoolyard. Global, Environmental and Outdoor Education Council.
Waite, S. (2007). ‘Memories are made of this’: Some reflections on outdoor learning and recall. Education 3–13, 35(4), 333-347. Retrieved from: http://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/doi/pdf/10.1080/03004270701602459
- Sense of place is lauded as critical to developing an environmentally conscious and responsive citizenry. Calls for place-based education have often arisen from an emotional plea to reconnect to the land, become rooted, and conserve natural places.
Ardoin, N.M. (2006). Toward an interdisciplinary understanding of place: Lessons for environmental education. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education. 11(1), 112-126.
-A recent United Nations’ report claims that nearly two-thirds of the Earth’s natural systems are unhealthy or failing, and many point to education—environmental education, education for sustainable development, or sustainability education—as a key means of addressing these issues.
Barrett, M.J., (2006). Education for the environment: Action competence, becoming, and story. Environmental Education Research. 12(3/4), 503-511
- six major categories that emerged included: learning is relevant and has ‘real world’ applications; experiential learning is memorable; benefits to ESP participation are primarily related to a sense of belonging and working together towards a shared goal or interest; the program created a safe space for genuine dialogue and critical reflection; changes in environmental attitudes and behaviors occurred in students and also influenced family and friends; and outside perceptions about the program incited critical thinking rather than dampened ESP participants’ experiences.
Breunig,M., Murtell, J., & Russell, C., (2015) Students’ experiences with/in integrated Environmental Studies Programs in Ontario, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 15:4, 267-283, DOI:10.1080/14729679.2014.955354
- Orr (2004) argues that, in order to understand current environmental issues, all university graduates should have a basic knowledge of the principles of: thermodynamics, ecology, energetics, sustainable agriculture and forestry, limits of technology, steady-state economics and environmental ethics, and the practical skills to enable the ‘art of living well’ (Orr, 2004, p. 14). In order to develop such literacies Orr (2004) argues that interdisciplinary learning in natural environments is essential since there is an ontological connection between discipline-based learning and human exploitation of ‘nature.'
Lugg, A. (2007) Developing sustainability-literate citizens through outdoor learning: possibilities for outdoor education in Higher Education, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 7:2, 97-112, DOI: 10.1080/14729670701609456
Gladwell, V. F., Brown, D. K., Wood, C., Sandercock, G. R., & Barton, J. L. (2013). The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all. Extreme physiology & medicine, 2(1), 1.
Skelly, S. M., & Zajicek, J. M. (1998). The effect of an interdisciplinary garden program on the environmental attitudes of elementary school students.HortTechnology, 8(4), 579-583. Retrieved from: http://horttech.ashspublications.org/content/8/4/579.full.pdf
Swiderski, M. (1987). Soft and conceptual skills: the often overlooked components of outdoor leadership. Bradford Papers Annual, Bradford Woods Outdoor Education Center, Indiana University, (2), 29-36. Retrieved from: http://www.eurekamag.com/001/001685547.pdf
Thompson, G. & Arlidge, S. 2002. Five Minute Field Trips - Teaching About Nature in Your Schoolyard. Global, Environmental and Outdoor Education Council.
Waite, S. (2007). ‘Memories are made of this’: Some reflections on outdoor learning and recall. Education 3–13, 35(4), 333-347. Retrieved from: http://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/doi/pdf/10.1080/03004270701602459
- Sense of place is lauded as critical to developing an environmentally conscious and responsive citizenry. Calls for place-based education have often arisen from an emotional plea to reconnect to the land, become rooted, and conserve natural places.
Ardoin, N.M. (2006). Toward an interdisciplinary understanding of place: Lessons for environmental education. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education. 11(1), 112-126.
-A recent United Nations’ report claims that nearly two-thirds of the Earth’s natural systems are unhealthy or failing, and many point to education—environmental education, education for sustainable development, or sustainability education—as a key means of addressing these issues.
Barrett, M.J., (2006). Education for the environment: Action competence, becoming, and story. Environmental Education Research. 12(3/4), 503-511
- six major categories that emerged included: learning is relevant and has ‘real world’ applications; experiential learning is memorable; benefits to ESP participation are primarily related to a sense of belonging and working together towards a shared goal or interest; the program created a safe space for genuine dialogue and critical reflection; changes in environmental attitudes and behaviors occurred in students and also influenced family and friends; and outside perceptions about the program incited critical thinking rather than dampened ESP participants’ experiences.
Breunig,M., Murtell, J., & Russell, C., (2015) Students’ experiences with/in integrated Environmental Studies Programs in Ontario, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 15:4, 267-283, DOI:10.1080/14729679.2014.955354
- Orr (2004) argues that, in order to understand current environmental issues, all university graduates should have a basic knowledge of the principles of: thermodynamics, ecology, energetics, sustainable agriculture and forestry, limits of technology, steady-state economics and environmental ethics, and the practical skills to enable the ‘art of living well’ (Orr, 2004, p. 14). In order to develop such literacies Orr (2004) argues that interdisciplinary learning in natural environments is essential since there is an ontological connection between discipline-based learning and human exploitation of ‘nature.'
Lugg, A. (2007) Developing sustainability-literate citizens through outdoor learning: possibilities for outdoor education in Higher Education, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 7:2, 97-112, DOI: 10.1080/14729670701609456