Emeritus Professor and member the research group 'Human Nature Relations' for the Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas in the Institute for Science, Environment and Outdoor Studies.
Navigation using maps has been a ‘core skill’ of outdoor learning since it’s early days. I heard ... more Navigation using maps has been a ‘core skill’ of outdoor learning since it’s early days. I heard myself saying ‘I’d be lost without a map’ at a conference in Australia in conversation with local practitioners including an aboriginal national park ranger. He laughed saying ‘I always know here I am’. A Finn, an Australian and I decided in that moment to experiment. What kind of experiences could we facilitate in the wild travelling without maps? The Finn let his students undertake a self-reliant journey across the tundra in winter. They thought it could be done in five days, might take ten and planned on fifteen. In the end it took twelve days. Using natural navigation such as the sun, stars, wind direction and river valleys as guides and staying in camp when it was a blizzard or no visibility, they headed east until they reached a catch feature, a north south road, where they were picked up. The Australian let his students loose in the bush with the rule that they must always stay on...
Abenteuer, Erlebnisse und die Pädagogik, Apr 5, 2007
Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must confo... more Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must conform to the following fair usage guidelines. Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria's institutional repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activities provided that • the authors, title and full bibliographic details of the item are cited clearly when any part of the work is referred to verbally or in the written form The full policy can be found here.
Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must confo... more Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must conform to the following fair usage guidelines. Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria's institutional repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activities provided that • the authors, title and full bibliographic details of the item are cited clearly when any part of the work is referred to verbally or in the written form • a hyperlink/URL to the original Insight record of that item is included in any citations of the work • the content is not changed in any way • all files required for usage of the item are kept together with the main item file. You may not • sell any part of an item • refer to any part of an item without citation • amend any item or contextualise it in a way that will impugn the creator's reputation • remove or alter the copyright statement on an item. The full policy can be found here.
Examples of best practice for promoting inclusion of all young people in real learning opportunit... more Examples of best practice for promoting inclusion of all young people in real learning opportunities in school grounds and outdoor environmental centres. This chapter argues that all young people need access to nature and that this would have a beneficial effect on society and its environmental values. An innovative educational proposal to reconnect young people with the natural world was unveiled by the UK Sustainable Development Commission as a potential “Breakthrough for the 21st Century” in June 2009. This was one of 19 best ideas, selected from 300, to really inspire and motivate policy makers and others to catalyse change and accelerate the pace of progress on sustainable development over the next 3 to 5 years. Promoting outdoor experiences in school curricula to support changes in society’s values were selected by SDC as one of the 19 best ideas which could transform the UK into a sustainable society. The SDC’s Breakthroughs project set out to identify the ideas with the most...
This paper discusses the results of a survey of 210 English, Welsh and Scottish schools carried o... more This paper discusses the results of a survey of 210 English, Welsh and Scottish schools carried out in Spring 2009 by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF). It is further informed by the PHF Learning Away Evaluation Report (Kendall and Rodgers 2015). This reports on the findings of a five-year study of the benefits of residential experiences for young people in school undertaken with 63 schools. (Learning Away; 2015). These schools also took part in the larger survey. The purpose of the survey was to identify ‘next’ practice in residential education as perceived by school staff.
Many individuals freely opt to take part in outdoor adventure activities. A high proportion of th... more Many individuals freely opt to take part in outdoor adventure activities. A high proportion of these first encountered such activities as a consequence of a school or youth group initially offering them an introductory ‘taster’. This chapter concentrates on facilitated interventions that offer outdoor adventure experiences explicitly for developmental purposes. Like Roberts (2012), the author makes a distinction between ‘learning by doing’, that is developing skills and knowledge in order to learn a subject or craft, and ‘experiential education’ that Roberts notes is concerned with the emerging identities of young people, their relations with others and the world around them, and their trajectory as they negotiate a place in the adult world. Whilst learning the skills and knowledge of an outdoor adventure (OA) activity is a necessary and beneficial aspect of outdoor adventure education (OAE) it is the broader purpose these new skills are used for and what this means to young people that lies at the core of OAE.
Access to outdoor adventure in the UK has a long history of power struggles between social classe... more Access to outdoor adventure in the UK has a long history of power struggles between social classes. In the late nineteenth century, the working classes were increasingly able to travel on the cheap railways and were gaining the right to have weekends off and take paid holidays. Some of the middle classes attempted to prevent them reaching places such as the Lake District by opposing the construction of the railways. They claimed that the working classes did not have the education with which to properly appreciate the sublime landscapes of the British coasts and mountains (Williams, 2002). The upper classes had an even more effective strategy, as they owned much of the land and excluded others from it. This led to the mass trespass movements of the 1930s (Glyptis, 1991). It was only in 2000 that the law commonly known as the right to roam restored the right of access for all to open country in England and Wales (Pearlman Hougie & Dickinson, 2000). In Scotland, the ‘right to roam’ was...
The UK has a long tradition of expeditions, a strong cultural idea that has become a common eleme... more The UK has a long tradition of expeditions, a strong cultural idea that has become a common element of non-formal education. According to the Young Explorers Trust (Young Explorers Trust, 2009), over 600 youth expeditions leave the UK each year. At home, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award groups, Scouts and Guides, among many other youth organisations, account for innumerable journeys. The expedition idea also contributes towards the UK version of the gap year. The numbers involved increase considerably if recreational trips and their associated informal educational benefits are added to the list. Expeditions have sea-faring as well as land-based traditions. The Sail Training Association and Ocean Youth Trusts, along with a fleet of other “tall ships” built specifically for youth, take thousands to sea each year. The iconic re-creation of the historical voyages of Drake from 1978–1980 and Raleigh from 1984-1988 have also left a legacy of expeditions, now largely on land, both at home and abroad. The word “expedition” is important. “Expedition” conjures up something specific that is somehow different from “journey”, “trip” “travelling”, “touring”, “backpacking” or “voyage”. It also feels different from related words used in other cultures, such as “wanderlust”, “tramping”, “trail walking”, “walkabout” or “safari”. For some, “expedition” implies a wilderness setting. For others, it means contrasting cultures and landscapes.
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 2020
Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must confo... more Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must conform to the following fair usage guidelines. Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria's institutional repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activities provided that
Using a comparative mixed methods approach, this study examines the impact of residential experie... more Using a comparative mixed methods approach, this study examines the impact of residential experiences on pupil cognitive and non-cognitive development in year six in England. SAT's results and termly progress data in numeracy and literacy were collected. In addition, a ROPELOC survey, focus groups and interviews were used to assess non-cognitive outcomes. Progress and attainment data were found to be invalid for the purposes of this study partly due to the coarseness of the categories. The ROPELOC survey evidenced significant impact of the residentials in all but two of the fifteen categories and highly significant impact in seven areas. The findings add further support to the Learning Away learning pathway linking a range of non-cognitive outcomes developed through residential experiences with cognitive gains.
Background: Outdoor Experiential Education (OEE) in the United Kingdom is steeped in tradition. E... more Background: Outdoor Experiential Education (OEE) in the United Kingdom is steeped in tradition. Established practices limit the ability of outdoor professionals to respond to the global challenges of the modern world through locally relevant ways. Internationally, Higher Education (HE) is also currently subject to considerable challenges and its continued relevance can be gauged through its ability to become meaningful in a rapidly changing and pluralistic world. Purpose: We examine the impact of our pedagogical approach to working with international students, developing professional practice informed by one place, set within the context of the needs of the world and framed by the question “what kind of outdoor educator do you want to become?” Methodology/Approach: The authors used Dewey’s concept of occupations as an organizing principle for the curriculum. Four excursions involving 86 students were facilitated and reviewed. Findings/Conclusions: The norms of traditional OEE practi...
Jou r n al of G e o g r a p hy in Hi g h e r E d u c a tio n, 4 1 (4). p p. 5 3 2-5 4 8. Do w nlo... more Jou r n al of G e o g r a p hy in Hi g h e r E d u c a tio n, 4 1 (4). p p. 5 3 2-5 4 8. Do w nlo a d e d fro m: h t t p://i n si g h t. c u m b ri a. a c. u k/i d/ e p ri n t/ 2 9 7 2/ U s a g e o f a n y i t e m s f r o m t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C u m b r i a' s i n s t i t u t i o n a l r e p o s i t o r y 'I n s i g h t' m u s t c o n f o r m t o t h e f o l l o w i n g f a i r u s a g e g u i d e l i n e s .
The article emphasizes the importance of the place, which acquires profound significance in the m... more The article emphasizes the importance of the place, which acquires profound significance in the mind of the group, influencing moods and emotions. The space itself, and 'neutral, while the place and' a cultural landscape on which are projected and constructed meanings. The trainers, through experience, using the effects of nature on the body and mind, and outdoor experiential learning by helping people find their way.
Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must confo... more Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must conform to the following fair usage guidelines. Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria's institutional repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activities provided that Loynes, C. (1999) Once Upon a Time.
Navigation using maps has been a ‘core skill’ of outdoor learning since it’s early days. I heard ... more Navigation using maps has been a ‘core skill’ of outdoor learning since it’s early days. I heard myself saying ‘I’d be lost without a map’ at a conference in Australia in conversation with local practitioners including an aboriginal national park ranger. He laughed saying ‘I always know here I am’. A Finn, an Australian and I decided in that moment to experiment. What kind of experiences could we facilitate in the wild travelling without maps? The Finn let his students undertake a self-reliant journey across the tundra in winter. They thought it could be done in five days, might take ten and planned on fifteen. In the end it took twelve days. Using natural navigation such as the sun, stars, wind direction and river valleys as guides and staying in camp when it was a blizzard or no visibility, they headed east until they reached a catch feature, a north south road, where they were picked up. The Australian let his students loose in the bush with the rule that they must always stay on...
Abenteuer, Erlebnisse und die Pädagogik, Apr 5, 2007
Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must confo... more Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must conform to the following fair usage guidelines. Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria's institutional repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activities provided that • the authors, title and full bibliographic details of the item are cited clearly when any part of the work is referred to verbally or in the written form The full policy can be found here.
Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must confo... more Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must conform to the following fair usage guidelines. Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria's institutional repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activities provided that • the authors, title and full bibliographic details of the item are cited clearly when any part of the work is referred to verbally or in the written form • a hyperlink/URL to the original Insight record of that item is included in any citations of the work • the content is not changed in any way • all files required for usage of the item are kept together with the main item file. You may not • sell any part of an item • refer to any part of an item without citation • amend any item or contextualise it in a way that will impugn the creator's reputation • remove or alter the copyright statement on an item. The full policy can be found here.
Examples of best practice for promoting inclusion of all young people in real learning opportunit... more Examples of best practice for promoting inclusion of all young people in real learning opportunities in school grounds and outdoor environmental centres. This chapter argues that all young people need access to nature and that this would have a beneficial effect on society and its environmental values. An innovative educational proposal to reconnect young people with the natural world was unveiled by the UK Sustainable Development Commission as a potential “Breakthrough for the 21st Century” in June 2009. This was one of 19 best ideas, selected from 300, to really inspire and motivate policy makers and others to catalyse change and accelerate the pace of progress on sustainable development over the next 3 to 5 years. Promoting outdoor experiences in school curricula to support changes in society’s values were selected by SDC as one of the 19 best ideas which could transform the UK into a sustainable society. The SDC’s Breakthroughs project set out to identify the ideas with the most...
This paper discusses the results of a survey of 210 English, Welsh and Scottish schools carried o... more This paper discusses the results of a survey of 210 English, Welsh and Scottish schools carried out in Spring 2009 by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF). It is further informed by the PHF Learning Away Evaluation Report (Kendall and Rodgers 2015). This reports on the findings of a five-year study of the benefits of residential experiences for young people in school undertaken with 63 schools. (Learning Away; 2015). These schools also took part in the larger survey. The purpose of the survey was to identify ‘next’ practice in residential education as perceived by school staff.
Many individuals freely opt to take part in outdoor adventure activities. A high proportion of th... more Many individuals freely opt to take part in outdoor adventure activities. A high proportion of these first encountered such activities as a consequence of a school or youth group initially offering them an introductory ‘taster’. This chapter concentrates on facilitated interventions that offer outdoor adventure experiences explicitly for developmental purposes. Like Roberts (2012), the author makes a distinction between ‘learning by doing’, that is developing skills and knowledge in order to learn a subject or craft, and ‘experiential education’ that Roberts notes is concerned with the emerging identities of young people, their relations with others and the world around them, and their trajectory as they negotiate a place in the adult world. Whilst learning the skills and knowledge of an outdoor adventure (OA) activity is a necessary and beneficial aspect of outdoor adventure education (OAE) it is the broader purpose these new skills are used for and what this means to young people that lies at the core of OAE.
Access to outdoor adventure in the UK has a long history of power struggles between social classe... more Access to outdoor adventure in the UK has a long history of power struggles between social classes. In the late nineteenth century, the working classes were increasingly able to travel on the cheap railways and were gaining the right to have weekends off and take paid holidays. Some of the middle classes attempted to prevent them reaching places such as the Lake District by opposing the construction of the railways. They claimed that the working classes did not have the education with which to properly appreciate the sublime landscapes of the British coasts and mountains (Williams, 2002). The upper classes had an even more effective strategy, as they owned much of the land and excluded others from it. This led to the mass trespass movements of the 1930s (Glyptis, 1991). It was only in 2000 that the law commonly known as the right to roam restored the right of access for all to open country in England and Wales (Pearlman Hougie & Dickinson, 2000). In Scotland, the ‘right to roam’ was...
The UK has a long tradition of expeditions, a strong cultural idea that has become a common eleme... more The UK has a long tradition of expeditions, a strong cultural idea that has become a common element of non-formal education. According to the Young Explorers Trust (Young Explorers Trust, 2009), over 600 youth expeditions leave the UK each year. At home, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award groups, Scouts and Guides, among many other youth organisations, account for innumerable journeys. The expedition idea also contributes towards the UK version of the gap year. The numbers involved increase considerably if recreational trips and their associated informal educational benefits are added to the list. Expeditions have sea-faring as well as land-based traditions. The Sail Training Association and Ocean Youth Trusts, along with a fleet of other “tall ships” built specifically for youth, take thousands to sea each year. The iconic re-creation of the historical voyages of Drake from 1978–1980 and Raleigh from 1984-1988 have also left a legacy of expeditions, now largely on land, both at home and abroad. The word “expedition” is important. “Expedition” conjures up something specific that is somehow different from “journey”, “trip” “travelling”, “touring”, “backpacking” or “voyage”. It also feels different from related words used in other cultures, such as “wanderlust”, “tramping”, “trail walking”, “walkabout” or “safari”. For some, “expedition” implies a wilderness setting. For others, it means contrasting cultures and landscapes.
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 2020
Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must confo... more Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must conform to the following fair usage guidelines. Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria's institutional repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activities provided that
Using a comparative mixed methods approach, this study examines the impact of residential experie... more Using a comparative mixed methods approach, this study examines the impact of residential experiences on pupil cognitive and non-cognitive development in year six in England. SAT's results and termly progress data in numeracy and literacy were collected. In addition, a ROPELOC survey, focus groups and interviews were used to assess non-cognitive outcomes. Progress and attainment data were found to be invalid for the purposes of this study partly due to the coarseness of the categories. The ROPELOC survey evidenced significant impact of the residentials in all but two of the fifteen categories and highly significant impact in seven areas. The findings add further support to the Learning Away learning pathway linking a range of non-cognitive outcomes developed through residential experiences with cognitive gains.
Background: Outdoor Experiential Education (OEE) in the United Kingdom is steeped in tradition. E... more Background: Outdoor Experiential Education (OEE) in the United Kingdom is steeped in tradition. Established practices limit the ability of outdoor professionals to respond to the global challenges of the modern world through locally relevant ways. Internationally, Higher Education (HE) is also currently subject to considerable challenges and its continued relevance can be gauged through its ability to become meaningful in a rapidly changing and pluralistic world. Purpose: We examine the impact of our pedagogical approach to working with international students, developing professional practice informed by one place, set within the context of the needs of the world and framed by the question “what kind of outdoor educator do you want to become?” Methodology/Approach: The authors used Dewey’s concept of occupations as an organizing principle for the curriculum. Four excursions involving 86 students were facilitated and reviewed. Findings/Conclusions: The norms of traditional OEE practi...
Jou r n al of G e o g r a p hy in Hi g h e r E d u c a tio n, 4 1 (4). p p. 5 3 2-5 4 8. Do w nlo... more Jou r n al of G e o g r a p hy in Hi g h e r E d u c a tio n, 4 1 (4). p p. 5 3 2-5 4 8. Do w nlo a d e d fro m: h t t p://i n si g h t. c u m b ri a. a c. u k/i d/ e p ri n t/ 2 9 7 2/ U s a g e o f a n y i t e m s f r o m t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C u m b r i a' s i n s t i t u t i o n a l r e p o s i t o r y 'I n s i g h t' m u s t c o n f o r m t o t h e f o l l o w i n g f a i r u s a g e g u i d e l i n e s .
The article emphasizes the importance of the place, which acquires profound significance in the m... more The article emphasizes the importance of the place, which acquires profound significance in the mind of the group, influencing moods and emotions. The space itself, and 'neutral, while the place and' a cultural landscape on which are projected and constructed meanings. The trainers, through experience, using the effects of nature on the body and mind, and outdoor experiential learning by helping people find their way.
Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must confo... more Usage of any items from the University of Cumbria's institutional repository 'Insight' must conform to the following fair usage guidelines. Any item and its associated metadata held in the University of Cumbria's institutional repository Insight (unless stated otherwise on the metadata record) may be copied, displayed or performed, and stored in line with the JISC fair dealing guidelines (available here) for educational and not-for-profit activities provided that Loynes, C. (1999) Once Upon a Time.
A science-art-community project bringing Bolton Fell Moss to Life
The ‘Moss of Many Layers’ was ... more A science-art-community project bringing Bolton Fell Moss to Life
The ‘Moss of Many Layers’ was an art-science-community and research project focussed on an extraordinary expanse of lowland bog at Bolton Fell Moss, north of Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria. Working with people in the local area, the project used art and the sharing of science to make closer connections between people and Bolton Fell Moss. The project was funded by NERC (National Environment Research Council) and run by the PLACE Collective in partnership with Natural England, the University of Cumbria and peat restoration specialists Barker and Bland Limited.
The first level at which I would like to discuss this title is the relationship between maps and ... more The first level at which I would like to discuss this title is the relationship between maps and the art of navigation. I think this relationship is important because the way in which a navigator finds his or her way makes a difference to how he or she encounters the places he or she is exploring. Actually, what I really want to do is put the map away rather than throw it away. It does still have some uses!
This thought piece compares some psychological understandings of the oral telling of myths and fa... more This thought piece compares some psychological understandings of the oral telling of myths and fairy tales with the modern practice of outdoor adventurous journeys. I suggest that the narrative structure is similar. Despite the one key difference that the modern experience is 'real' and not fantasy I conclude that adventure education can be usefully understood through the lens of the hero's journey, rites of passage and the narrative structure of myths. This also implies that the landscape for these experiences is understood by the participants as a fantasy space.
Access to outdoor adventure in the UK has a long history of power struggles between social classe... more Access to outdoor adventure in the UK has a long history of power struggles between social classes. In the late nineteenth century, the working classes were increasingly able to travel on the cheap railways and were gaining the right to have weekends off and take paid holidays. Some of the middle classes attempted to prevent them reaching places such as the Lake District by opposing the construction of the railways. They claimed that the working classes did not have the education with which to properly appreciate the sublime landscapes of the British coasts and mountains (Williams, 2002). The upper classes had an even more effective strategy, as they owned much of the land and excluded others from it. This led to the mass trespass movements of the 1930s (Glyptis, 1991). It was only in 2000 that the law commonly known as the right to roam restored the right of access for all to open country in England and Wales (Pearlman Hougie & Dickinson, 2000). In Scotland, the ‘right to roam’ was never lost, but was bitterly fought over, nonetheless. Struggles to access land are still not fully resolved, as access to rivers and coastline continues to be a contentious issue.
The colonization and possession of the land by one class to the exclusion of others affected the development of many outdoor activities. In the late twentieth century and early twenty first century, access to outdoor adventure is again becoming increasingly controlled, but this time, I will argue, it is by aspects of the commercialization of the activities and the locations in which they take place. The impact of these trends on the quality of outdoor experiences and who has access to them is worth understanding, and is thought by some to represent a new struggle as the market attempts its own ‘colonization’ of the outdoors (Bonnett, 2004). As recently as 2011, protestors challenged the way privatization and charging money for access, in their view, excludes some people from the land and creates a barrier to participation in a range of outdoor activities. They also defended the concept of public land and the right to a freedom of access for all.
Despite reassurances from government agencies, the protestors stuck to their arguments and were successful at retaining the public status of the forests. History suggests that they were right to be skeptical. The National Trust, a charity and one of the biggest landowners in the country owning or leasing vast areas in perpetuity on behalf of the nation, has, in the past, also considered charging for access in order to pay for the costs of maintaining the land. The plans were only abandoned because of the impracticality of collecting the fees. However, the question remains as to whether these lands should be understood as national assets managed by the public or charitable sector, and supported from national taxation revenue and charitable giving. Alternatively, should they be funded on the ‘user pays’ principle, and managed by voluntary and increasingly commercial organizations? This remains a political question about which the public has strong feelings.
Market forces are also at work in a different way within outdoor education. The right to choose the school your children attend and the league tables and reports that help parents to make this choice have created a market in education. Schools are driven to compete on their standards of attainment, which is important, but is not the sole purpose of education. Outdoor education has been drawn into this trend as professionals and providers are increasingly asked to justify their contribution in relation to how it enhances this attainment.
This chapter will examine the background to commercialization in society. In particular I will use the ideas of commodification, McDonaldization and globalization to consider some of the trends in the outdoor adventure field and their impacts on both recreational and educational forms of outdoor adventure.
This paper explores an ethnographic study using participative enquiry as a method. The purpose of... more This paper explores an ethnographic study using participative enquiry as a method. The purpose of the case study was to consider the role of narrative as a pedagogic devise in outdoor adventure courses. Recent discussions of the use of metaphor, semiotic devises and symbolic devises in outdoor adventure education are reviewed. The case study that set out to explore the role of the hero's journey meta-narrative as a symbolic pedagogic device is then summarised. The discussion considers the benefits and ethical matters that arose from reflection on the approach. Metaphor, semiotics and symbol I am not the first in our field to make connections between outdoor adventure experiences and the meaning and value embedded in certain personal and social narratives of the world. Bacon (1983) saw Outward Bound as a metaphor for life in which individuals could reconcile their personal potential with social roles in the community and at work. Priest and Gass (1997) recognised the way in which our minds comprehend our experience in rich, metaphoric and many layered processes. They developed activities and a facilitation style (Gass, 1995) aimed at enhancing the transfer of learning from experiential education programmes to other contexts. Metaphor is understood by these authors as a devise for making sense of one experience in the context of another. Bacon and Gass offer a form of practice in which much of the meaning can be embedded by the facilitator in the developmental experience as a metaphor. This metaphor acts as a reflection for what has been determined by the client or, often, other interested parties as the story in everyday home, community or working life. The role of the participants is to see the connections and decide on their responses in a way that takes the story forward. Pinkard (1996) questions the apparent directive style of this approach and highlights the potential of metaphor in outdoor adventure experiences to be emergent. He suggests that both the story itself and the meaning it has can be created by the participants or co-created with the facilitator. In his view this applies to both the everyday context and the metaphors reflecting that context in the outdoor adventure world. Hodgkin (1976) understood ideas of adventure, outdoor tasks and features of the landscape as objects that he called semiotic devises. He thought that the offering of such devises was the central role of the educator during the teenage and adult years of the student. By a semiotic devise he meant an object, part metaphor, part symbol, abstract or concrete, that seemed mysterious but intriguing to the student. The teacher, he believed, should follow this interest by accompanying the students in order to help them make their own sense of the object. The titles of his books, 'Born Curious' and 'Playing and Exploring', indicate the student centred and naturalistic approach he proposed for this process. Like Bacon and Gass, Hodgkin thought the teacher chose the object of the
Using a comparative mixed methods approach, this study examines the impact of residential experie... more Using a comparative mixed methods approach, this study examines the impact of residential experiences on pupil cognitive and non-cognitive development in year six in England. SAT’s results and termly progress data in numeracy and literacy were collected. In addition, a ROPELOC survey, focus groups and interviews were used to assess non-cognitive outcomes. Progress and attainment data were found to be invalid for the purposes of this study partly due to the coarseness of the categories. The ROPELOC survey evidenced significant impact of the residentials in all but two of the fifteen categories and highly significant impact in seven areas. The findings add further support to the Learning Away learning pathway linking a range of non-cognitive outcomes developed through residential experiences with cognitive gains.
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Papers by Chris Loynes
The ‘Moss of Many Layers’ was an art-science-community and research project focussed on an extraordinary expanse of lowland bog at Bolton Fell Moss, north of Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria. Working with people in the local area, the project used art and the sharing of science to make closer connections between people and Bolton Fell Moss. The project was funded by NERC (National Environment Research Council) and run by the PLACE Collective in partnership with Natural England, the University of Cumbria and peat restoration specialists Barker and Bland Limited.
more effective strategy, as they owned much of the land and excluded others from it. This led to the mass trespass movements of the 1930s (Glyptis, 1991). It was only in 2000 that the law commonly known as the right to roam restored the right of access for all to open country in England and Wales (Pearlman Hougie & Dickinson, 2000). In Scotland, the ‘right to roam’ was never lost, but was bitterly fought over, nonetheless. Struggles to access land are still not fully resolved, as
access to rivers and coastline continues to be a contentious issue.
The colonization and possession of the land by one class to the exclusion of others affected the development of many outdoor activities. In the late twentieth century and early twenty first century, access to outdoor adventure is again becoming increasingly controlled, but this time, I will argue, it is by aspects of the commercialization of the activities and the locations in which they take place. The impact of these trends on the quality of outdoor experiences and who has access to them is worth understanding, and is thought by some to represent a new
struggle as the market attempts its own ‘colonization’ of the outdoors (Bonnett, 2004). As recently as 2011, protestors challenged the way privatization and charging money for access, in their view, excludes some people from the land and creates a barrier to participation in a range of outdoor activities. They also defended the concept of public land and the right to a freedom of access for all.
Despite reassurances from government agencies, the protestors stuck to their arguments and were successful at retaining the public status of the forests. History suggests that they were right to be skeptical. The National Trust, a charity and one of the biggest landowners in the country owning or leasing vast areas in perpetuity on behalf of the nation, has, in the past, also considered charging for access in
order to pay for the costs of maintaining the land. The plans were only abandoned because of the impracticality of collecting the fees. However, the question remains as to whether these lands should be understood as national assets managed by the public or charitable sector, and supported from national taxation revenue and charitable giving. Alternatively, should they be funded on the ‘user pays’ principle, and managed by voluntary and increasingly commercial organizations? This remains a political question about which the public has strong
feelings.
Market forces are also at work in a different way within outdoor education. The right to choose the school your children attend and the league tables and reports that help parents to make this choice have created a market in education. Schools are driven to compete on their standards of attainment, which is important, but is not the sole purpose of education. Outdoor education has been drawn into this trend as professionals and providers are increasingly asked to justify their
contribution in relation to how it enhances this attainment.
This chapter will examine the background to commercialization in society. In particular I will use the ideas of commodification, McDonaldization and globalization to consider some of the trends in the outdoor adventure field and their impacts on both recreational and educational forms of outdoor adventure.