The Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL) is the awarding body for a suite of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) modules entitled ‘Delivering Experiential Learning in the Outdoors’. These modules have been designed to support the IOL accreditation scheme (especially Registered Practitioner (RPIOL) and Approved Practitioner (APIOL) awards), but their experiential nature means that all practitioners will gain from them no matter what their level of experience or area of outdoor learning expertise.
Modules can be undertaken together or separately. All modules are run face to face, are experiential, person centred, experimental in nature, and have practicality & fun at their heart. They are a chance to try out new ideas and test the theory behind them. Let’s take a look at the course modules...
Module 1: Facilitation of Experiential Learning in the Outdoors
This module takes 2 days (16 hours) to complete. By the end of this module, participants will:
- Have explored their beliefs about how learning takes place.
- Know about the main approaches to learning and how to facilitate them.
- Understand the term ‘experiential learning’ and have critically examined Kolb’s learning cycle as a model for this.
- Have experimented with different aspects of facilitation including techniques for: learning names and getting to know groups; needs analysis and goal setting; framing and front-loading; varying briefing styles; creating optimum levels of challenge; mood shifting; reviewing and transfer of learning.
- Understand facilitation as a mindset.
- Understand the concepts of ‘learning styles’ and ‘personality types’ and how these can impact learning.
- Tried out different approaches to managing behavioural issues.
- Had a chance to network.
- Enjoyed themselves.
Places are limited to 12 participants per course.
Initially designed by Heather Brown and Elspeth Mason (Mere Mountains) for the IOL and later modified by Eluned (Lun) Roberts (ER Outdoors) based on feedback gained from participants.
Module 2: Fostering a Connection
This one-day (8-hour) module offers the opportunity to try out games, quizzes and other activities designed to help foster clients’ connection to the environment, to discuss these ideas with fellow practitioners and to develop new ones.
Connection can take place on many levels (intellectually, practically, emotionally, spiritually, through our senses and through our creativity) and the activities on offer reflect this diversity. The module is not aimed at trying to teach field studies or asking people to become walking encyclopedias of flora and fauna. Instead, it offers activities which can be fitted seamlessly into existing outdoor courses.
By the end of this module, participants will:
- Understand the importance of people feeling connected to nature.
- Have experiment with techniques for fostering that connection.
- Looked at ways of adapting facilitation techniques such as name games, icebreakers, goal setting, and reviewing to foster clients’ connection with nature.
- Feel confident in making use of the ideas in the accompanying e-manual to engage people with nature intellectually, emotionally, practically and through their senses and creativity.
- Have created an action plan for making their practice more sustainable and looked at how they might help their clients’ make similar plans.
- Thought about how these ideas and techniques can be integrated into their existing schemes of work or combine to form a new ‘Fostering Connection’ course
Places are limited to 12 participants per course.
This course was designed specifically for outdoor learning providers by Joe Roberts (Natural Resources Wales), Eluned (Lun) Roberts (ER Outdoors) and Jim Langley (Nature’s Work) in response to an IOL initiative and has since been developed by Lun in line with feedback from participants.
Module 3: Reflective Practice for Outdoor Learning Providers
This 2 hour module will be especially useful for people embarked on the RPIOL and APIOL award schemes, but also aims to make reflection an interesting and fun part of life for anyone who wants to get more out of their experiences (reflection is so much more than a box ticking work activity). This modules offers the opportunity to try out a range of different ways of reflecting, many without using the written word. Participants will have the opportunity to try out a new IOL reflective practice e-journal and help develop it as a resource to support this module.
By the end of this module, participants will have:
- Enjoyed reflecting with other practitioners.
- Understand the theory behind reflective practice.
- Tried out a range of techniques for reflection.
- Experimented with adapting techniques to suit themselves.
- Become more aware of their ‘inner compass’.
- Practiced contemplation.
- Discovered ways of making reflection an integral part of their life.
- Exchanged ideas, developed new ones, and had fun trying them out.
- Looked at resources they might find useful.
- Put their sub-conscious to work.
This module was designed specifically for outdoor learning providers by Eluned (Lun) Roberts (ER Outdoors) based on practical experience of mentoring, assessing, moderating and quality assuring the IOL accreditation scheme.
All 3 Modules are recognised as CPD for members of the Mountain Training Association and the Association of Mountaineering Instructors.