BLH3270 Play, movement, nature and outdoor education – Nordic Childhoods Course description

The Nordic countries have a long tradition of outdoor education. This course focuses on play and movement, and experimental work related to a variety of environments in educational contexts. The course will have a theoretical and practical approach to the topics. The students’ own experiences from acting, moving and living in nature are a key element in the course. Field trips and hiking tours are embedded in the course.

The course content is based on the two disciplines natural science and physical education. With kindergartens and schools as the target area, the course seeks to provide insight into and competency in outdoor education, play and movement and how to organise didactic courses and activities for children. Furthermore, the students will compare the knowledge they acquire with the pedagogical traditions in their own country. The pedagogical project has a problem-based focus on play, movement, nature and/or outdoor education.

Joint events with the other Nordic Childhoods courses are integrated as overnight trips and outdoor excursions. The courses focus on play, learning by doing, experience and workshops and also visits to schools, kindergartens and other institutions.

The language of all teaching and supervision is English, and the students should therefore have a working knowledge of both spoken and written English.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has developed knowledge of

• outdoor activities and environmental ethics in different aspects of pedagogical work
• physical literacy
• motor development and learning
• different approaches to outdoor didactics
• sustainable development
• food literacy

Skills

The student has developed

• basic skills in outdoor life (friluftsliv)
• practical skills in (working with different approaches to) outdoor didactics
• skills in working with play and bodily movement in different environments

General competence

The student has developed

• an awareness of and reflections on education and child welfare - values and practices in a Nordic and comparative perspective
• competencies to analyse and communicate gender-related professional issues related to outdoor education
• knowledge about cultural and comparative pedagogical approaches in different educational programmes

Different teaching methods will be used, such as lectures, dialogue in the classroom, activities, and hands-on training, reflective practice, self-directed work in groups, individual work, text reading, field study, paper writing and presentations. English is the language of instruction in lectures.

The following coursework requirements must be met before the student can sit the exam:

• Carry out a one-day hike or overnight stay in the forest and an oral presentation of experiences from the hike.
• Group work (four to six participants): A written paper based on a subject addressed in the course in agreement with the teacher (1,500- 1,900 words).
• Make a poster in groups (four to six participants) on a selected topic in agreement with the teacher. The poster will be presented at a presentation day with the class. Each group has to give a presentation of the poster to the class (approx. 10 minutes).

Coursework requirements must be met by the deadlines. Coursework requirements are evaluated as pass/fail. Valid absence documented by a medical certificate or similar is not an excuse for not meeting the coursework requirements. Students who, due to illness or other valid and documented reasons, do not meet the coursework requirements by the deadlines, may be given longer deadlines. A new deadline for meeting the coursework requirements is agreed with the relevant teacher in each case.

Coursework requirements are evaluated with a pass/fail. Students who meet the coursework requirements by the deadline, but are awarded a fail grade, shall be given another attempt to meet the coursework requirements. A new deadline for meeting the coursework requirements is agreed with the relevant teacher in each case.

Final assessment:

Individual oral examination (approximately 30 minutes). Each student has to prepare an individually presentation from one of the listed topics (maximum 12 minutes).

New/rescheduled exam

Resit/rescheduled exams shall take place within reasonable time after the ordinary exam. The regulations on sitting a resit/rescheduled exam are set out in the ‘Regulations relating to studies and examinations at Oslo Metropolitan University’. The student is responsible for registering for a resit/rescheduled exam.

None

The grade scale will be in accordance with the ECTS grading scale, with A - E as pass grades and F as a fail grade.

The assessment is evaluated by two internal examiners.