Nature and I

Name partner organisation: University of Iceland

Description of the course: Outdoor Education, nature and experience.

Students will become competent in organizing outdoor activities for people of all ages in both summer and winter. Emphasis is on the value of outdoor and adventure  education and how it can be used as an important and successful tool in working with people, theories about outdoor education and experiential learning, group processes, personal and social growth and development. Focus is on connection to nature, group work and cooperation, team building and improving self-esteem and self-image. Also on practical matters, such as clothing, finding your way in the outdoors and environmental and safety issues.

Aim of testing project:

The testing project is about a journey that is a part of the course Outdoor Education, nature and experience. Objectives and learning outcomes of the course are guided but special emphasis is placed on:

• Creating opportunities for students to experience a variety of learning and teaching is related outdoor learning.
• Creating a common experience that can foster personal develop of students and support a positive group development.
• Integrated into the program reflection and inputs about science related outdoor learning (including discussion of curiosity, roles and responsibilities, challenges, “comfort zone” and group dynamics).
• Students learn through play, reflection and everyday tasks

Date(s) of the testing project: 7^th – 9^th of October 2015.

Target group: second year BA students in Leisure studies and Social pedagogy              

Number of participants: 43

Nationality of the participants: Icelandic

Sex of the participants: females­­­­­­­­­­: 30  man:­­­ 13

Age of the participants: 21 to 47

Amount of meetings with the learners: Three whole days

43

(< 20 people)

43

(> 20 people)

43

X

X diary

X

X as part of the evaluation process

Finding a space in nature to describe “who am I”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtglU0WNHNQ

Video recording by facilitators

X

X

X Evaluation at the end of the course

https://youtu.be/X0cgYJ-lyKw

How did you organize your testing project (or to put it differently: as this is a testing project for experimenting, what will be different comparing to the same course you run the previous time)?

The focus was on slowing down the process and to put more focus on reflection so it is helpful for the students; leaving our role’s behind in the beginning of the trip with a ritual, biking trip, cooking outside, canoing, camp-fire, being with oneself in nature. We also focused on creating a supportive atmosphere; going to a new setting, discussed trust and collaborative responsibility, create time for reflection, freedom to choose a place for reflection, cooking outside, camp-fire, sleeping in tents, groups responsible for meals, problem solving (flóknir samstarfsleikir, working with physical connection, feelings, caring and emotions; spending individual time to find place that represents who they are.

We were also looking at team-work of the educators involved in the project and how we can foster refection in the course with emphasis on personal/professional development but also making it an enjoyable process.

Working on who am I and what do I want to stand for as a person/professional, camp-fire, Lakeswimming, going to a place that supports adventure,

In general, how do you look at the results of your testing project?

Educators’ view: Group dynamics were important, both between students and between teachers and students. Being away  from everyday life created an opportunity for students to get to know each other.  Creating collaborative responsibility gave opportunities for students to approach challenges in a positive, supportive way (Sunna and another girl making pancakes, tent groups, dealing with nature and weather). Many theoretical seeds were planed but we still feel tension between trying to impose academic emphasis (touching on many concepts) on students instead of cultivating it from within. We have to work on how we can continue to harvest the seed after the trip and through the semester.  Enjoyable process.

Náðum mörgun fram. Jákvætt viðhorf til ígrundar. Upplifun tengt strerkt við tilfinningar. Náðum að hægja aðeins á en ekki eins mikið og við vildum.

Augnablik það sem hægt var á: Hjóla ein, einvera í náttúru, ….

Við að reyna að ná miklu fram – klemma… akademiska klemma. Setja inn mörg hugtök. Njóta … syngja og borða saman. Stöðvavinnan góð.

Þegar við unnum í minni hópum var rólegra …

Student’s perspective:

What moments meaningful:

–          Bicycle journey (most important

–          Cooking outside

–          Care/touching – workshops

–          Solitude in nature (most important)

–          Karen workshop, thinking about: whom are I

–          Swimming in the lake

–          Educators are role models

–          The group

–          Úlfljótsvatn – the place

–          Spider web game

Why meaningful?

–          Time to sum it up – look over your notes, and wonder how it fits into your personality/persona

–          Supportive at atmosphere

–          Atmosphere of honesty, openness and ready to tell their story. Courage, nearness and feeling of harmony.

–          The spider web game was a way to sum op the day. We where close and I remember that moment

–

What was happening?

–          Change to look at myself in new light and wonder: What am I doing, where am I going and what I want to do

–          Fun and a good atmosphere

–          The place was a good venue for us to create a group dynamics – not just lectures, but a way to learning about life

–          We were playing a game that focused on physical strength and courage

X

Working with who am I and what do I want to stand for as a person/professional – finding place in nature that represents who they are.

X

Working with physical connection, expressing own view and ideas about themselves as individuals, creating opportunities for getting to know oneself/confronting oneself.

Trusting environment where individuals could raise issues of concern, hashtak

X

We trained to paid students’ attention to reflecting both on what happens inside them selves (thoughts, feelings, wanting’s), and on the outside