Latest Publications / Research

01

Outdoor Learning, A Pathway to Transformational Learning?
Or Another Educational Gimmick?

Outdoor learning is one of the newest terminologies and implementations of using the outdoors as a part of education. This paper provides an in-depth overview to answer the question, is outdoor learning a pathway to transformational learning or another educational gimmick?

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Journal: International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education
ISSN:2042-6364
Volume:13
Issue:1
Page Range: 4600 - 4611

01

Outdoor learning in the Australian curriculum

Four walls, a roof and a door. For some teachers, this is all that stands between the controlled world of education and the unknown world of Outdoor Learning.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Journal:Interaction
ISSN:0310-7949
Volume:48
Issue:4
Page Range:42-43,45
Source:Interaction, Vol. 48, No. 4, 42-43, 45

01

Outdoor learning in the Australian curriculum

Four walls, a roof and a door. For some teachers, this is all that stands between the controlled world of education and the unknown world of Outdoor Learning.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Journal:Interaction
ISSN:0310-7949
Volume:48
Issue:4
Page Range:42-43,45
Source:Interaction, Vol. 48, No. 4, 42-43, 45

Outdoor learning in the Australian curriculum

Four walls, a roof and a door. For some teachers, this is all that stands between the controlled world of education and the unknown world of Outdoor Learning.

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Journal:Interaction
ISSN:0310-7949
Volume:48
Issue:4
Page Range:42-43,45
Source:Interaction, Vol. 48, No. 4, 42-43, 45

01

Outdoor Learning - Introduction to Secondary Education

This Teacher Toolkit is offered as a framework for developing your own curriculum-specific ideas and activities for Outdoor Learning. It is quite flexible and should be adapted to suit your needs.

Remember to note the benefits of Outdoor Learning in your teaching area, and to provide tips wherever you can for embedding Outdoor Learning into the curriculum.

Include relevant research, case studies and examples that might assist teachers. Teacher Toolkit 1 Benefits of Outdoor Learning presents research that will help you argue the case for taking students out of the classroom.

02

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Geography in Secondary Education

The outdoor area is a vital learning environment for students. Outdoor and fieldwork learning provides students with opportunities to engage with peers, apply theoretical knowledge, and practice key geographical skills. In the field, students can engage with real issues that are relevant to their lives, using an inquiry approach to encourage curiosity and exploration. Given geography is the study of the world and its processes and interconnections, it is difficult to gain a full understanding of key skills and knowledge without spending time outside.

Visiting environments further away from the school can foster in students an awareness of their own community, build a local sense of belonging and identity, encourage concern and respect for their local area and encourage participation in sustainable practices.

03

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Physical Education in Secondary Education

The outdoors and physical education come hand in hand together, yet this does not discount the possibilities that exist with embedding physical education activities in the outdoor environment in secondary schools.

Embedded within this toolkit you will find a range of activities that can be a guiding point into embedding curriculum-aligned outdoor learning activities across various year levels and student groups.

04

Outdoor Learning - Introduction to Primary / Elementary Education

This Teacher Toolkit is offered as a framework for developing your own curriculum-specific ideas and activities for Outdoor Learning. It is quite flexible and should be adapted to suit your needs.

Toolkit 1 Benefits of Outdoor Learning presents research that will help you argue the case for taking students out of the classroom.

05

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into the Primary / Elementary school playground

This teacher toolkit looks at opportunities to integrate Outdoor Learning into your everyday activities without leaving the school ground. We show a range of 13 activities with minimal and inexpensive equipment.

This toolkit will help you develop knowledge of practical ways to include Outdoor Learning into your class and create your own exciting activities and experiences

06

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into water-based environments in Primary / Elementary Education

This Teacher Toolkit is offered as a framework for developing your own curriculum-specific ideas and activities for Outdoor Learning. It is quite flexible and should be adapted to suit your needs. Toolkit 1 Benefits of Outdoor Learning presents research that will help you argue the case for taking students out of the classroom.

07

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Physical Education in Primary / Elementary school

This teacher toolkit looks at opportunities to integrate Outdoor Learning into your everyday activities without leaving the school ground. We show a range of 13 activities with minimal and inexpensive equipment.

This toolkit will help you develop knowledge of practical ways to include Outdoor Learning into your class and create your own exciting activities and experiences

08

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Art Education in Primary / Elementary schools

This Teacher Toolkit is offered as a framework for developing your own curriculum-specific ideas and activities for Outdoor Learning. It is quite flexible and should be adapted to suit your needs. Toolkit 1 Benefits of Outdoor Learning presents research that will help you argue the case for taking students out of the classroom.

09

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Geography Education in Primary / Elementary school

This teacher toolkit looks at opportunities to integrate Outdoor Learning into your everyday activities without leaving the school ground. We show a range of 13 activities with minimal and inexpensive equipment.

This toolkit will help you develop knowledge of practical ways to include Outdoor Learning into your class and create your own exciting activities and experiences

10

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Science Education in Primary / Elementary schools

This Teacher Toolkit is offered as a framework for developing your own curriculum-specific ideas and activities for Outdoor Learning in the science curriculum.

11

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Math Education in Primary / Elementary school

Maths and the outdoors are subjects that do not traditionally go hand in hand although many maths teachers use practical activities to provide a deeper level of learning to their students. It is important that everyone feels comfortable in integrating the outdoors into their lessons. This toolkit offers more than ten activities that can be used at any year level to promote outdoor learning in Maths.

12

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into the Urban Environment in Primary / Elementary schools

This Teacher Toolkit looks at the opportunities for integrating Outdoor Learning in Urban Environments. You will find a series of 10 activities that can be used across various year levels and student groups. In this Teaching Toolkit, we provide sample activities which use minimal equipment and have a quick setup time.

13

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Health Education in Primary / Elementary school

One of the key reasons why thousands of educators use Outdoor Learning as a teaching tool is due to the inherent nature of positive health and wellbeing impacts for students.

This toolkit will help you develop knowledge of practical ways to include Outdoor Learning into Health Education.

14

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Sustainability Education in Primary / Elementary schools

This toolkit will provide a range of activities that can be used to embed outdoor learning into teaching the area of sustainability. Throughout this toolkit, you will find 10 activities that are aligned with the Victorian curriculum and examples of how the effectiveness of teaching sustainability can be increased.

16

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into History Education in Primary / Elementary school

Using outdoor environments to teach historical knowledge and skills is an exciting challenge for primary teachers. It requires planning, innovative pedagogical practice and familiarity with the local history and environment. This toolkit offers practical and inexpensive activities for learning.

16

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Reading and Writing Education in Primary / Elementary schools

The teaching of English presents many and varied opportunities to engage in outdoor learning. Due to the breadth and size of the English curriculum, this curriculum area has been broken into 2 toolkits with varied focus areas. This toolkit looks at opportunities to embed Outdoor Learning in Reading and Writing activities.

16

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Speaking and Listening Education in Primary / Elementary school

Using outdoor environments to teach historical knowledge and skills is an exciting challenge for primary teachers. It requires planning, innovative pedagogical practice and familiarity with the local history and environment. This toolkit offers practical and inexpensive activities for learning.

16

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Music Education in Primary / Elementary schools

The teaching of English presents many and varied opportunities to engage in outdoor learning. Due to the breadth and size of the English curriculum, this curriculum area has been broken into 2 toolkits with varied focus areas. This toolkit looks at opportunities to embed Outdoor Learning in Reading and Writing activities.

16

Outdoor Learning - Introducing Outdoor Learning into Lote Education in Primary / Elementary school

Using outdoor environments to teach historical knowledge and skills is an exciting challenge for primary teachers. It requires planning, innovative pedagogical practice and familiarity with the local history and environment. This toolkit offers practical and inexpensive activities for learning.

Through DET’s Strategic Partnership Program funding (SPP), Outdoors Victoria as lead organisation in partnership with ACHPER Victoria (Australian Council Health Physical Education and Recreation), EEV (Environment Education Victoria), GTAV (Geography Teachers Association of Victoria), and Parks Victoria have created a series of Teacher Toolkit resources to encourage the use of using the outdoors within your everyday classes.

Across a four-calendar year program total of 17 Teacher Toolkit Documents were produced. These documents have been developed through extensive consultation with the broader schooling community and external teacher organisations over several years including but not limited to ALEA (Australian Literacy Educators Network), HTAV (History Teachers Association of Victoria) and 100+ Surveyed teachers to ensure developmentally and culturally sensitive activities have been used. Across this project, Luke Parker was the lead editor and Author although cannot thank his team and external partners noted above enough for their work in producing the following teacher toolkit

In Progress

01

Outdoor Learning in Upward Bound programs

This research study is investigating the use of Outdoor Learning as a part of the annual Upward Bound program conducted at the University of Kansas. This study is currently in the data collection phase.

02

Outdoor Education in Victoria, Australia

This research study is investigating the use of Outdoor Learning as a part of the annual Upward Bound program conducted at the University of Kansas. This study is currently in the data collection phase.