Learning and Teaching in an Experiential Context (P01110)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : EDU-P-ED0563

As well as providing opportunities to learn a wide range of physical skills, outdoor activities are recognised as playing a meaningful part in the personal and social development of the individual. An experiential approach to Outdoor Education acknowledges that participants learn in different modes. The notion of students being responsible for their own learning has real significance and acknowledges that what is taught is not necessarily what is learned.

Experience-based methods of learning require teachers and leaders to demonstrate a range of strategies that are designed primarily to facilitate learning. Implicit in such approaches is the acceptance that the teacher/leader copes with the risks of not being fully in control of the learning process.

This course is designed to examine the requirements for effective and safe teaching and learning in the outdoors. It seeks to extend course members understanding of the characteristics of learners and the implications of these for learning and consequently teaching. The ways in which people learn, the notion of improving the ability of individuals to learn and the role of the teacher as a facilitator in this respect will be explored and rationalised. A bias towards the development of motor skills in the outdoors reflects evidence that the challenge, satisfaction, and self-esteem derived from achievement in this area is highly significant in the process of personal growth and development. The core, theoretical content of this course will be developed and contextualised during the directed practice element where course members will be given the opportunity through practice and observation, to develop appropriate teaching methods

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : No prior requirements. One of the early (Semester 1) courses in the programme

? Costs : Additional cost for access to local venues. Entry to one venue £5.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Education, (The Moray House School of Education, Schedule C)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 20 hour(s) per week for 1 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
18/04/2007	12:00	:

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course students will:
1. have an understanding of significant individual differences between learners and the impact on learning;
2. have examined the factors that affect learning in an experiential context;
3. have considered a range of intervention strategies that are necessary for effective teaching and leading in experiential situations;
4. have demonstrated an understanding of the concept of skill, the manner in which perceptual motor skills are learned and the variety of factors that affect performance in outdoor activities;
5. be acquainted with a number of pedagogical underpinnings and processes that are applicable to the concept of skill improvement;
6. understand the processes involved in designing, implementing and evaluating appropriate, productive outdoor sessions with due regard to the prevailing conditions and target group.

Assessment Information

Assessment will be in the form of a written assignment of 2000 words. This may form part of a combined assignment with other courses as validated.
In addition the student will construct one observation schedule based on teacher intervention and student performance:
a) Intervention: schedule to investigate communication styles
b) Performance: schedule to investigate and analyse performance
Design, implement and evaluate an on-site experiential episode