Recontextualizing the role of the facilitator in group interaction in the outdoor classroom

Short- and Long-term Retention of Challenge Course Outcomes: A Classroom-based Longitudinal Study

“…Similar to determining the right programing for a group, adding follow-up activities should depend on the needs of the participants and the logistical constraints of the CC staff (e.g., time, availability, accessible resources, etc.). An additional strategy could be training a member of the group to be a facilitator for the group throughout the semester, which could help strengthen the learning outcomes (Stan, 2009). However, this study is not without limitations.…”

Analysing attempts to support outdoor learning in Scottish schools

“…The conclusion the local authority stakeholder drew from this episode was that supporting teachers by taking time to work collaboratively with them would often be necessary in developing pedagogical expertise and in providing teachers with the confidence to continue teaching outdoors. Stan (2009) researched the detail of group interaction in outdoor learning and contrasted the relative merits of different approaches to facilitation. A detached approach was criticised for its lack of focus on outcomes and support and empathy with learners, while a contrasting controlling approach was also considered ineffective due to its lack of flexibility and an overemphasis on achieving outcomes.…”

Learning outdoors and living well? Conceptual prospects for enhancing curriculum planning and pedagogical practices

“…This might include considerations such as whether it is acceptable to build in a place where the circle or cairn is likely to remain permanent, or whether it is better to build on a beach or part of the river where incoming tides and rising water levels ensure the 'work' only exists for a short time. This example highlights the high level of teacher expertise required in defining contingent and particular learning tasks, being able to predict pupils' responses and in being able to direct and redirect pupils' attention towards sequences of reasoning (Zagzebski, 1996) which help pupils to experience the outdoors and develop positive relationships with others at one and the same time (Stan, 2009;Thomas, 2008).…”