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OutdoorEducation:DefinitionandPhilosophy(Ford,1986)

ERICIdentifier:ED267941
PublicationDate:19860300
Author:Ford,Phyllis
Source:ERICClearinghouseonRuralEducationandSmallSchoolsLasCrucesNM.

OutdoorEducation:DefinitionandPhilosophy
Thereisnonationallystandardizedoutdooreducationcurriculumandnonationallystandardized
measureofoutdooreducationcompetencyorknowledge.Outdooreducationprogramsaresponsored
byelementaryandsecondaryschools,collegesanduniversities,youthcamps,municipalrecreation
departments,andprivateentrepreneurs.Theyexistineverygeographiclocationandareadministered
bypeopleofwidelyvariedbackgrounds.Thereisnosinglebodyofoutdoorprofessionalsinoutdoor
educationbecausethefieldtranscendsschoolboundariesintorecreationdepartments,youthserving
agencies,conservationorganizations,resourcemanagementagencies,andmanyotherfacetsof
society.Asaresult,outdooreducationisviewedfromdifferentperspectives.
WHATISASUGGESTEDDEFINITIONOFOUTDOOREDUCATION?
Whiletherearemanydefinitionsofoutdooreducation,themostcomprehensiveoneseemstobe,
"Outdooreducationiseducation'in','about',and'for'theoutofdoors."
Thisdefinitiontellstheplace,thetopic,andthepurposeofoutdooreducation.'In'tellsusthatoutdoor
educationcanoccurinanyoutdoorsettingfromaschoolyardinanindustrialneighborhoodtoa
remotewildernesssetting,inswamps,meadows,forests,shores,lakes,prairies,deserts,estuaries,and
allotherbiomes.Outdooreducationoftentakesplaceonawalkaroundtheblock,oronavisittoa
cemetery,agravelpit,oranurbanrenewalproject.Itcanhappenontheconcreteofaplayground,in
theweedsofavacantlot,onthefringeofasewagetreatmentplant,atacityzoo,onaforesttrail,or
inanationalpark.Thesekindsoflocationsareconducivetofirsthandexperiences,todirectcontact
withthetopic,andtoparticipantinteractionandsocialization.
'About'explainsthatthetopicistheoutdoorsitselfandtheculturalaspectsrelatedtothenatural
environment.Youmayteachaboutmathematics,biology,geology,communication,history,political
science,art,physicalskills,orendurance,butlearningoccursthroughthecontextoftheoutdoors.
Soil,water,animals,andplantsmakeupthebasicareasofstudy,butstudentsmaylearnandpractice
theoutdooractivitiespeoplepursueduringleisuretime,ormayinvestigatehumanalterationsofan
ecosystemnevertheless,theeducationaltopicisrelatedtothenaturalenvironment.Inthebroadest
terms,thetopicistheinterrelationshipofthehumanbeingandthenaturalresourcesuponwhich
societiesdepend,withthegoalofstewardshipinmind.
Culturalaspectsincludelearningsocialmovementsandhistorythroughdiscoveringabandonedfarms
ormills,byanalyzingdatesandinscriptionsontombstonesandidentifyingtherocksfromwhichthey
werequarried,orbycomparingnativeplantswiththoseintroducedfromtheOldWorldaslandscape
orgardenspeciesaroundoldhomes.
Studentscanlearntheinfluenceofnativepeopleontheland,followthetrailsandriversofexplorers
andsettlers,anddevelopknowledgeandappreciationforculturalheritageasitrelatestotheland.
Culturealsoincludessocialissuesanddecisionsthatalterordetermineutilizationofnatural
resources.
'For'tellsusthatthepurposeofoutdooreducationisrelatedtoimplementingthecognitive,psycho
motor,andaffectivedomainsoflearningforthesakeoftheecosystemitself.Itmeansunderstanding,
using,andappreciatingthenaturalresourcesfortheirperpetuation.
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WHATOTHERTERMSAREUSEDINSTEADOF"OUTDOOREDUCATION,"ANDHOWDO
THEYDIFFERINMEANINGFROMOUTDOOREDUCATION?
Amongthetermsandtheirusesarethefollowing:
'EnvironmentalEducation'referstoeducationaboutthetotalenvironment,includingpopulation
growth,pollution,resourceuseandmisuse,urbanandruralplanning,andmoderntechnologywithits
demandsuponnaturalresources.Environmentaleducationisallencompassing,whileoutdoor
educationisseenbysometorelatetonaturalresourcesandnottoincludethewidesenseoftheworld
environment.Manypeople,however,thinkofoutdooreducationinitsbroadestsenseandpreferthe
termoutdoor/environmentaleducation.
'ConservationEducation'isthewiseuseofnaturalresources.Itisnotusuallyconcernedwith
preservation,recreation,orhumanrelationsandassuchismorenarrowthanoutdooreducation.The
useofthistermhasdecreasedsincethe1960s.
'ResidentOutdoorSchool'istheprocessoftakingchildrentoaresidentialcampduringschooltime
foraperiodofusually3to5daysforthepurposeofextendingthecurriculumthroughlearninginthe
outdoors.Thisprocesswasoriginallycalledcampingeducation.
'OutdoorEducation'meansabroadspectrumofoutdooractivitiesparticipatedinduringleisuretime
purelyforpleasureorsomeotherintrinsicvalue.Includedarehiking,swimming,boating,winter
sports,cycling,andcamping.
'OutdoorPursuits'aregenerallynonmechanized,outdoorrecreationactivitiesdoneinareasremote
fromtheamenitiesoftelephone,emergencyhelp,andurbancomforts.
'AdventureEducation'referstoactivitiesintowhicharepurposelybuiltelementsperceivedbythe
participantsasbeingdangerous.Adventureactivitiesincludesuchthingsasropecourses,whitewater
rafting,mountaineering,androckclimbing(underqualifiedinstruction).
'ExperientialEducation'referstolearningbydoingorexperience.Manyexperientialeducation
activitiesaresynonymouswithadventureactivitiesandoutdoorpursuitshowever,experiential
educationcanalsomeananyformofpragmaticeducationalexperience.
'EnvironmentalInterpretation'isatermusuallyassociatedwithvisitorcentersadministeredby
nationalparksorforestservicecenters.Thetermreferstoatechniqueusedtohelpvisitorsunderstand
themeaningsofthephenomenaondisplay,whilesimmultaneouslywhettingthecuriosityformore
information.
'NatureEducation'and'NatureRecreation'arelearningorleisureactivitiesrelatedtonatural
resources.Thetermswereusedfromthe1920stothe1950sandwereusuallyisolated,individual
activitiesusingnaturalresourcesforequipmentandfacilities,andinvolvingknowledgeofnature.
WHATISARECOMMENDEDPHILOSOPHYOFOUTDOOREDUCATION?
Whenanalyzed,thephilosophyforoutdooreducationmaybebasedonfourpremises:
1.Aprimegoalofoutdooreducationistoteachacommitmenttohumanresponsibilityfor
stewardshiporcareoftheland,totreatthelandandallitsresourceswithrespectatalltimesandon
alloccasions.2.Relatedtothegoalofalandethicorcommitmenttostewardshipmustbethebeliefin
theimportanceofknowingcertainfactsorconcepts.Thecognitivepurposeofoutdooreducationmust
bethatoftheinterrelationshipofallfacetsoftheecosystem.Theunderstandingofbasicecological,
sociological,andculturalprinciplesisprerequisitetothecommitmenttoanethicoflandstewardship.
Concurrently,outdooreducationdoesnotmandatespecificchoicesinecologicalethics.Itteaches
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peoplehowtomakechoicesbasedonfacts.Itrecognizesthedifficultyinmakingchoicesrelativeto
ecologicalmatters,andpreparespeopletochoosecarefullyafterweighingtheimpactoftheactionon
theenvironment,culture,andhumanity.3.Thethirdaspectofoutdooreducationphilosophyrelatesto
theperspectiveofthehumanbeingintheoutdoorenvironment.Notonlydoweneedtoknowthe
naturalenvironmentforthesurvivalofthespecies,weneedtoknowitasamediumthroughwhichwe
spendmanyhoursofleisure.Thatleisureisenhancedwhenthequalityoftheoutdoorrecreation
experienceisdirectlyrelatedtothequantityoftheknowledgeabouttheoutofdoors.4.Afourth
philosophicalbeliefisthatoutdooreducationisacontinualeducationalexperience.Itisnotjustone
fieldtrip,oneweekatoutdoorschool,orevenaonceayearevent.Itmustbetaughtatalllevelsand
pursuedthroughoutlife.
WHERECANOUTDOOREDUCATIONPROGRAMSBEFOUND?
Programsinlearningabouttheoutdoorsoccuratalllevelsintheeducationalsystem,althoughthey
aremostfrequentlyfoundinelementaryschools.Theremaybeshortorlongfieldtrips,orfifthand
sixthgradersmayspend5daysataresidentoutdoorschool.Someschoolsownandoperategardens,
minifarms,orwoodlots.Highschoolcurriculamayincludenaturalresourceorientedprograms,or
programsinvolvinguseoftheoutdoorsforleisurepursuitsadministeredthroughphysicaleducation
departments.
Municipalrecreationdepartmentsandyouthservingagenciesincludeoutdooreducationintheir
offerings,andmembershiporganizationssuchastheAudubonSocietyandNationalWildlife
Recreationadminister1dayto2weekprogramsforyouthandadults.Manycollegesofferoutdoor
educationcoursesthroughdepartmentsofeducation,orphysicaleducationandleisurestudies,while
resourcemanagerssponsorworkshopsorseminarsonnaturalresources.Thegovernmentthroughthe
U.S.ForestService,NationalParkService,andotheragenciessponsorsoutdooreducationprograms
forleadersandforyouth.
WHOCANPROFITFROMOUTDOOREDUCATION?
Likemostlearning,outdooreducationcanbealifelongendeavor.Allages,abilities,socioeconomic
sectorsallpeople,inshortcanbenefitfromoutdooreducation.Noonecanlearnallthereistoknow
abouttheworldaroundthem.Notonlythelearnerbutalsosocietybenefits.Theinformedvoterand
citizencanmakeabiggerimpactonsocialissuesinvolvingnaturalresourcesiftherehasbeencareful
education.Outdooreducationcanencompassmanysubjectsandvariedstylesoflearning.Through
exposuretoenvironmentalawarenesstechniques,therightbrainedlearnercanprofit.Through
learningecologicalprinciples,theleftbrainedlearnercanbenefit,andthroughcombiningthetwo,all
childrencanacquireaholisticlookatthesubjectutilizinglearningstylesofbothhemispheres.
WHATARESOMEEXAMPLESOFWHATPEOPLEDOINOUTDOOREDUCATION?
Inaprogressivemanner,thefollowingareafewoutdooreducationactivities:
Perceivingnaturethroughthefamiliar(color,shapes,patterns,lines)Usingallfivesensesto
becomeenvironmentallyalertandawareLearningecologicalprinciples(forexample,thatthesunis
thesourceofallenergy)andwheretheyaredemonstratedStudyingplants,animals,soil,water,air,
andtheirinterdependenceDecipheringthehistoryofapioneerfarmSolvingenvironmental
problems(forexample,"Howmanypeoplecanthisstreamserve?")Debatingenvironmental
decisions(forexample,"Whatisthebestuseforthisproperty?")Practicingminimumimpact
campingskillsPreparingtomeetbasichumansurvivalneedsBeingsensitivetoecological
carryingcapacityDevelopingselfrelianceUnderstandingclimate,weather,windchill,andsnow
structureUnderstandingtheimpactoftheinterrelatednessofculture,humanresources,andnatural
resources,andhowashiftinanyoneofthethreecanimpactontheothertwo:
Aculturebasedonuseofpetroleumproductsdependsuponadequate,availablefossilfuel,controlled
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byhumanswhodependuponanoilbasedcultureorInsectfreeagriculturalproduceisexpectedby
peopleuntiltheyrealizethatotherresourcesarenegativelyaffectedbytheproductusedtocontrolthe
insectsorModernsocietydependsuponmanufacturingwhichproducesacidrainthatinturncauses
problemstothepeopledemandingthemanufacturedproducts.
FORMOREINFORMATION
Disinger,JohnF."EnvironmentalEducationResearchNews."ENVIRONMENTALIST4(1984):
109112.
Fitzpatrick,ClintonN."PhilosophyandGoalsforOutdoorEducation."Doctoraldissertation,
ColoradoStateCollege,1968.
Ford,PhyllisM.PRINCIPLESANDPRACTICESOFOUTDOOR/ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION.NewYork:JohnWileyandSons,Publishers,1981.
Goodman,Joel,andCliffordE.Knapp."BeyondaPhilosophyofOutdoorEnvironmentalEducation."
JOURNALOFPHYSICALEDUCATIONANDRECREATION52(1981):2325.
Hammerman,Donald,WilliamHammerman,andElizabethHammerman.TEACHINGINTHE
OUTDOORS,3rdedition.Danville,IL:InterstatePrintersandPublishers,1985.
Park,C.C."TowardsaPhilosophyofEnvironmentalEducation."ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATIONANDINFORMATION3(1984):315.
Smith,Julian,ReynoldCarlson,GeorgeDonaldson,andHughMasters.OUTDOOREDUCATION,
2ndedition.EnglewoodCliffs,NJ:PrenticeHallPublishingCo.,1972.
Tanner,R.Thomas."ConceptualandInstructionalIssuesinEnvironmentalEducationToday."
JOURNALOFENVIRONMENTALEDUCATION5(1974):4853,74.

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