Postgraduate Course: Outdoor and Environmental Education Praxis (EDUA11452)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education and Sport |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course focuses on outdoor environmental education praxis (theory-practice nexus) in a range of spaces and environments (outdoor, indoor, online), through an exploration of sayings, doings, relatings and emancipation. Through directed and self-directed personal critical reflection, critical issues of outdoor environmental education and personal philosophies are interrogated. |
| Course description |
Course description Outdoor and Environmental Education Praxis explores historical and contemporary approaches to outdoor and environmental education practice through a critical theoretical lens, in practice. The academic courses in your programme introduce theoretical ideas in relation to, and through, lived experiences. Field courses specifically provide opportunities to explore key ideas/theories/models in direct experience with the outdoors and develop some personal competence in work commonly associated with outdoor and environmental education. This course introduces you to the growing body of experiential education literature, and gives you the tools with which to both critically analyse your practice in relation to other pedagogical approaches. You will engage with learning about the non-human dimensions of the location of individual academic/field courses, consider the layers of human culture that have been laid down over the location, affordances of place(s) and develop your personal competency in the educational activities being undertaken. This all takes place within the context of critical personal reflection and facilitated discussion drawing on, and making links with, the theoretical content covered in the academic courses. Outdoor and Environmental Education Praxis explores contemporary issues of practice through a critical theoretical lens with a focus on sayings, doings, relatings and emancipation. The wider programme introduces a range of theoretical ideas in relation to, and through lived experiences in a range of contexts (outdoors, indoors, online). Field based courses specifically provide opportunities to explore key ideas/theories/models in direct experience with the outdoors and develop some personal competence in work commonly associated with outdoor and environmental education. This course introduces you to the growing body of contemporary outdoor and environmental education literature and beyond, and provides you the tools with which to both critically analyse your practice in relation to a range of pedagogical approaches. You will engage with learning about the non-human dimensions of place, consider the layers of human culture that have been laid down over the location, affordances of place(s), engage with intersectionality, equality and justice, and develop your personal philosophy of outdoor and environmental education. This all takes place within the context of critical personal reflection and facilitated discussion drawing on, and making links with, the theoretical content covered across the academic courses.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
12/01/2026 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Fieldwork Hours 40,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
126 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Task 1- Reflective Writing - 2000 words (50%)
Task 2 - Essay - 2000 words (50%)
Students write an essay in response to one of the provided prompts and/or write their own prompt with approval sought from CO.
A final grade will be calculated as an average of the two submissions. Both submissions required to meet learning outcomes.
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| Feedback |
Feedforward for Task 2 - 500 word draft submitted 1 month prior to submission due date. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Take responsibility and demonstrate initiative in meeting learning outcomes for all core field courses for their degree programme.
- Work cooperatively and efficiently with peers to accomplish common goals, while accounting for individual needs, ideas and abilities.
- Engage in and critically evaluate processes of Outdoor and Environmental Education by reflecting on the importance of field courses in light of theory presented in the academic programme, and sourced beyond.
- Critically self-evaluate and communicate effectively your personal understanding of outdoor and environmental education praxis
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Reading List
Breunig, M. (2005). Turning Experiential Education and Critical Pedagogy Theory into Praxis. Journal of Experiential Education, 28(2), 106 122. https://doi.org/10.1177/105382590502800205
Kemmis, S., & Smith.T.J. (Eds.). (2008). Enabling praxis: Challenges for education. Sense.
Mahon, K., & Smith, H. (2019). Moving beyond methodising theory in preparing for the profession. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 1-12. doi:10.1080/14729679.2019.1686039
O'Connell, T. S., Dyment, J. E., & Smith, H. (2015). Students' appropriation, rejection and perceptions of creativity in reflective journals. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 27(1), 1-13.
Roberts, J. (2012). Beyond learning by doing: Theoretical currents in experiential education. New York: Routledge.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
With its focus on reflection, the course offers multiple opportunities for developing a wide range of graduate attributes in both the areas of mindset and skills. The course makes specific contributions in the areas of developing:
- curiosity for learning that makes a positive difference
- courage to expand and fulfil their potential
- critical and reflective thinkers
- skilled communicators |
| Keywords | outdoor,environmental,education,praxis |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Heidi Smith
Tel:
Email: Heidi.Smith@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Melania Chaverri Coto
Tel:
Email: mchaverr@ed.ac.uk |
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