In Poland, we have been hearing more and more about Outdoor Education . The mission of this type of education is to spend as much time as possible with children outdoors. Experiments are conducted outdoors and children have the opportunity to build their own opinions based on the observations made.
Outdoor Education is a combination of 3 ingredients:
- Outdoor activities.
- Environmental education.
- Personal and social development.
Children can explore, observe or touch the objects of their investigations themselves. By doing so, they form their own observations, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the learning process. It is worth remembering that what we experience with all our senses remains in our memory for a very long time.
History.
Confucius already defined the core of Outdoor Education in the 5th century BC. He put the whole point of the learning process in 3 simple sentences:
“Tell and I will forget; show and I will remember; let me experience and I will understand”.
Experience-based learning is the best way to extend knowledge. The more we “show” children, the better they will understand the subject.
The best background for this kind of experience is nature. The connection to the natural environment is extremely important because:
- It provides opportunities for independent observation.
- Provides a conducive atmosphere for exploration and knowledge acquisition.
- It is based on experience.
- Gives an informal character to the process so that children approach learning more freely.
- Gives a goal-oriented focus.
Summary.
Let’s sum it up. What is Outdoor Education all about?
- There is a safe atmosphere (not only physical safety, but also emotional and social safety must be taken care of).
- The learner acquires most of the knowledge themselves, rather than being taught.
- Working in groups makes the learning process more effective and easier.
- There is no obligation. Participation is based on the willingness of the learner.
- Knowledge based on conducted experience is easier to relate to in real-life examples.
- More important than assessment is feedback from the teacher. Classical grading is inadvisable.
- The teacher does not pass on knowledge, but helps to acquire it.
There is no one right educational method. It is worth looking for and trying out new solutions
