Developing sustainability-literate citizens through outdoor learning: possibilities for outdoor education in Higher Education

Abstract

UNESCO's challenge to Higher Education institutions to provide educational leadership in sustainable development, provides an impetus to develop innovative, interdisciplinary curricula and pedagogy. Whereas Higher Education curricula in sustainability and sustainable development have tended to come from the environmental sciences, recent studies have highlighted the need for more holistic, experiential, interdisciplinary approaches. As a pedagogical approach, outdoor learning may have something to offer since it lends itself to holistic and experiential learning and enables integration of knowledge and skills from a range of discipline areas. Outdoor and environmental education research suggests that educational experiences in outdoor settings can be significant in developing environmental sensitivity and knowledge. Such knowledge and attitudes are components of ecological literacy and, more recently, sustainability literacy. This paper considers how outdoor experiential pedagogy might contribute to the current sustainability education agenda. It focuses on Higher Education since this sector has the obligation and the capability of instigating a ‘ripple’ effect' in developing sustainability-literate citizens. It discusses possibilities and issues arising from a review of outdoor, environmental and sustainability education literature, particularly, but not exclusively, from the UK. The paper is a precursor to an empirical study into how outdoor learning might contribute to the development of sustainability-literate graduates.

Keywords:

• Sustainability
• Environment
• Higher Education
• Pedagogy
• Outdoor Education

Notes

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

This concept is explained later in the paper, p. 6–7.

This term is used where there are specific references to it in the literature.

However the development of SE in Initial Teacher Education programmes may improve after the publication of the Learning for our future Action Plan.

The extent to which these programmes are oriented towards sustainability goals varies considerably.

These three dimensions are often referred to as the ‘triple bottom line’ or ‘three-legged stool’ model of sustainable development.

The degree of ‘naturalness’ varies considerably but is usually outside urban settings.

This refers to learning about nature or particular environmental features through outdoor experiences.

At The University of Ballarat.

La Trobe University Bendigo.

This observation is limited to English language literature.