Affordances of out-of-Classroom and Outdoor Learning
An affordance allows someone to do something that they might not have been able to without it (Torquati & Ernst, 2013). Fiskim and Jacobsen (2013) revealed that affordances can act as an encouragement to do something and that there are lots of affordances in the natural environment for creativity and discovery that are not available within a classroom or in a school. The natural environment has many affordances for all areas of the curriculum including autonomy, enjoyment, different expectations, relevance, collaborative, and physical. In essence, affordances are those things that outdoor learning provides that allows for and encourages the positive impacts identified in this paper.
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Flexible
“Natural environments are flexible, active, and responsive to the children and teachers who use them” (Torquati & Ernst, 2013, p. 193). Maynard, Waters, and Clement (2013a) found that teachers allow students more freedom and autonomy in the outdoors and have a different relationship with their students with less need for control or telling them to behave. While in the classroom, activities are more likely to be teacher directed and driven as compared to outdoor learning which is more likely to be student-driven which results in increased choice and engagement. Fiskum and Jacobsen (2013) indicated that the outdoor varies so much in its “solidity” (p. 78) that there are lots of options or affordances as compared to the indoors or the built environment which tends to be more homogenous.
Differentiation
The opportunities for choice in outdoor learning encourages the development of responsibility as compared to typical classroom activities which often do not involve choice (Son, Mackenzie, Eitel, & Luvaas, 2017). Outdoor learning allows students to “learn at their own pace, in a more flexible sequence” (Dyment, 2005, p. 22) and in their way of learning more easily than in the regular classroom. OL activities tend to naturally differentiate and be more inclusive to students of all ability and behavior levels to fully participate and find success (Dismore & Bailey, 2005; Smith & Sobel, 2010).
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Freedom
Fiskum and Jacobsen (2013) shared that the affordances in the outdoors have a more significant impact on the brain since it is more liberating, and a student does not have to spend their time controlling their impulses. They just cut loose on the available opportunities. They explained that it is not that there are few affordances indoors, but that a student has to waste time and energy controlling themselves. Maynard et al. (2013a) expressed that OL has more “freedom and space” (p. 215) for students. They identified that one of the flexibilities and affordances of OL as compared to the indoor classroom is that it is easier to leave a frustrating situation and move away from awkward situations in the outdoors.
Memorable and Enjoyable
Maynard et al. (2013a) explained that part of what is happening might be because the classroom is a place that students and teachers may have a negative history with as compared to the outdoors where the history is more likely to be positive, enjoyable and filled with fond memories. In other words, outdoor learning increases the possibilities for positive shared personal experiences on behalf of the students and staff (Fägerstam, 2014). The outdoor environment makes learning and school enjoyable (OFSTED, 2008). Breunig, Murtell, and Russell (2015) indicated that outdoor learning is “memorable” (p. 271) as it was experiential and connected to a notable event. Students felt that being a working contributor to the learning, having a holistic experience, enjoying the experience, working with others, being emotionally involved, and challenged all contributed to the quality and depth and enduring memory of the outdoor learning (Waite, 2007). Mannion, Mattu, and Wilson (2015) found that students found outdoor education and learning to be more enjoyable and satisfyingly challenging which increased engagement.
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Respite and Relationships
The outdoors provides a calming and more laid-back context which led to better student-teacher relationships and makes it easier to assist students who need it without being obvious about it which positively affects teacher’s feelings towards their job (Fägerstam, 2014). Conlon, Wilson, Gaffney, and Stoker (2018) indicated that for the students in their study, being in an outdoor environment and separate from their home lives allowed them a respite from their daily problems and provided a much-needed break. The success that students experienced in outdoor learning wore away at the constant feeling of failure they experienced in the classroom and developed new beliefs and new habits (Ruiz-Gallardo, Verde, & Valdés, 2013). Outdoor learning activities also result in the teachers gaining increased knowledge about their students (Fägerstam, 2014). Maynard, Waters, and Clement (2013b) suggested that the outdoors led to “more open, flexible and child-initiated / centred approaches” (p. 294) of educational practice and that teachers had different expectations when outside which resulted in more active and social work and more cooperative play.
Relevant and Realistic
Outdoor learning provides a more real environment and context for learning (Beames, Higgins & Nicol, 2012; Gilbertson, Bates, Ewert, & McLaughlin, 2006). Smith and Sobel (2010) pointed out that the focus in outdoor learning is on “real-world learning experiences” (p. 23). Students saw more relevance and purpose in their education when it was outdoors and viewed it as more valuable than textbook learning (McInerney, Smyth, & Down (2011). The more outdoor education that students experienced, the more likely they were to be engaged and positive towards school as they felt it was more real (Torquati & Ernst, 2013). Breunig et al. (2015) shared that because students perceived OL as being relevant and connected to the real world, they felt that it provided opportunities to learn and use skills that they will be able to use in the future and the real world. Powers (2004) explained that because the community was involved and cared about the work and the students and the work was relevant to the students and the community, the students were more likely to be motivated to do the work, be engaged, and pay attention to the learning and teaching.
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Fieldwork skills
Mygind (2007) described how OL requires fieldwork that resulted in improvements in memory, social skills, and providing higher and deeper learning. The fieldwork in outdoor learning has been shown to improve skills specific and literacy and academic achievement (Scott, Boyd, & Colquhoun, 2013). Mannion et al. (2015) distinguished between fieldwork and field trips. They explained that OL fieldwork exists when there is a purpose, project, or product that results from the trip and that the students are actively involved in planning the trip and the activities with a goal in mind. Ballantyne, Anderson, and Packer (2010) also felt that the positive impacts of outdoor learning were more likely when it was fieldwork and experiential and hands-on, holistic and engaged all the senses, and relevant in comparison to the more traditional “teacher-directed” (p. 48) activities. Endreny (2010) made it clear that fieldwork resulted in increased participation and engagement on the part of the students.
Relational
Ord and Leather (2018) specified that it is challenging to participate in OL activities without relatively constant and successful social interaction which gives plenty of opportunities for practice and development of the myriad of skills necessary for successful relational work including communication, mediation, and compromise. Mannion et al. (2015) agreed that OL activities naturally set up conversations and collaboration. With outdoor learning’s focus on collaboration, students develop better abilities to work well with others including communication, desire to work with others, understanding of the necessity of working with others, and how to foster community (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998). These outdoor experiences that improved social and personal skills resulted in an improvement in dealing with conflict, self-confidence and collaborative skills (Skoutajan, 2012).
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Collaborative
Fägerstam (2014) shared that students improved their communication skills due to more opportunities to talk, a decrease in the separations and distinctions between students and the fact that they got to show another side of themselves. Outdoor education is by nature collaborative and creates excellent opportunities for positive relationship development as working together creates a supportive learning environment that engages students. (Ballantyne et al., 2010; Scott et al., 2013; Son et al., 2017). Fägerstam (2014) found that outdoor education led to an increase in collaboration and active participation which in turn, led to improved academic achievement. He also found that it enhanced students’ relationships with each other, possibly due to the increase in help that students provided to each other.
Physically Active
Hartig, Mitchell, De Vries, and Frumkin (2014) asserted that the outdoors naturally encourages a person to be physically active more naturally. A natural outdoor environment provides many opportunities for a person to be physically active, creative and socially successful (Fiskum & Jacobsen, 2013; Torquati & Ernst, 2013). It allows the learner to experience the learning physically as well as mentally and connects the learning to real life (Harun & Salamuddin, 2013). Loynes (2018) specified that it is difficult to participate in the outdoors without involving your body.
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