Information about the Individuals · Web viewWord Count: 2179. Creativity is a valuable aspect of...
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OADH03: Critically discuss how creative approaches in outdoor learning may be applied within professional outdoor practice.
Dryad Oak 23/12/18 Outdoor Adventure Education
Word Count: 2179
Creativity is a valuable aspect of outdoor learning and in fact life in general. Yet the term
creativity is often misunderstood, the notion of what it is and its relevance misconstrued.
This critical discussion of creative approaches in professional outdoor practice focuses upon
a trip to the woods with a group of young adults that was planned and led in December
2018. The plan (see Appendix A) and the events of this 7-hour day will be referred to
throughout. Before continuing, it is necessary to explore the following terms: creativity,
outdoor learning and professional practice.
Different definitions can be found for creativity in education, psychology, government and
business (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2018, p. 411; Cropley, 2012, p. 96). Bateson and Martin
(2013) use the term ‘creativity’ “in the sense of generating novel actions or ideas,
particularly by recombining existing actions, ideas or thoughts in new ways or applying them
in new situations” (p. 55). Cropley (2012) suggests it not only involves novelty but
effectiveness “(it works, in the sense that it achieves some end – this may be aesthetic,
artistic or spiritual) … [and] ethicality (the term ‘creative’ is not usually used to describe
selfish or destructive behaviour)” (p. 6). However, the notion of effectiveness is problematic
due to its connotations of achieving and succeeding.
Robison (2011) defines creativity as, “imaginative processes with outcomes that are original
and of value [from the perspective of the indivdaul, community or human race]” (p. 118).
This idea of value opposed to effectiveness offers a nuance that better captivates creativity
because it diverts from the notion of ‘successfully producing’ to one of worth; the process
rather than product. It also implies that creativity does not necessarily need to be serious,
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which will be elaborated on in a later section that discusses creativity as being
fundamentally playful. Robison recognises that, “everyone has huge creative capacities. The
challenge is to develop them” (p. 3); it is not a privilege of a select few. He talks about three
synonyms as a process that helps shed light on the phases a creative approach should
consider:
“The first is imagination: the ability to bring to mind events and ideas that are not
present to our senses.
The second is creativity: the process of having original ideas that have value.
The third is innovation: the process of putting original ideas into practice” (p. 220).
Fundamentally, creativity is a process involving originality and worth that is subjective in
nature.
Outdoor Learning (OL) is distinct from outdoor education in that “learning is best considered
as the process of change that occurs in the individual; learning is an individual experience.
Education, on the other hand, is best considered as a transitive process between educator
and student” (Chickering, 1976 cited in Schwartz, 2010, p. 25). Both are supported by an
underpinning philosophy, experiential learning (EL). Simply EL involves ‘learning by doing’;
direct interaction with the phenomena and reflection upon the experience to guide future
learning (Kolb, 2014, p. 49; Gilbertson et al., 2006, p. 9).
The IOL regard OL “as a purposeful and planned experience in the outdoors” (2018). This
view of OL in professional practice offered by influential organisations such as the IOL poses
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an issue because it is contradictory to creativity which is often unplanned and spontaneous.
That is not to say you should not plan, but there is a place for free play and unstructured
experience as will be augured later in this paper. Perhaps this definition of OL is put forth in
an attempt to gain social credibility but in its seriousness, it neglects the value of messing
around. Defining OL is challenging because it “is an umbrella term which covers every type
of learning experience which happens outdoors” (Robertson, 2014, p. 2), this can include
anything from adventurous activities, environmental education, expeditions to walk in
nature. In this paper OL refers to structure and unstructured experience in nature supported
by EL.
Professional practice and the professionalism of outdoor education is discussed in greater
detail in a previous paper titled ‘a critically evaluate of personal attributes in relation to
professional outdoor practice and potential career pathway’. Adapted from Bimonthly
(2011) and Martin & McCullagh (2011) discussions on professions, “professional practice can
be conceived as the culmination of knowledge and skills that align with the motives for the
profession to which one belongs that enables them to conduct themselves in an effective
way” (Oak, 2018, p. 6). In this paper social recognition was identified as an issue in validating
outdoor education, it seems there is a parallel with the use of creativity and play in
education.
The first thing to note is the choice of young adults. While OL helps people of all ages and
backgrounds to reflect and learning about themselves, others and the environment, young
adults often no longer have access to OL such as they did in school or as a child.
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Furthermore, playfulness as discussed by Deterding (2017), “sits at odds with norms of
responsible and productive adult conduct” (p. 260). This arises from a cultural
misunderstanding of play which will be addressed shortly, but first the role of play in
creativity and its importance and relevance must be critically explored in relation to the
experience outlined in Appendix A.
Bateson and Martin (2013) argue “play is an important form of behaviour that facilitates
creativity, and hence innovation, in both the natural world and human society” (p.1). An
increasing body of literature supports this notion (Whitton, 2018; Bateson & Nettle, 2014;
Russ, 2003; Zosh et al., 2017), yet a definitive definition of play and playfulness remains
allusive. However, these characteristics of play are apparent: spontaneity, curiosity,
humorousness, expressiveness, a pleasurable impulse that comes from within and that it
can be an individual or shared experience (Guitard et al., 2005, p. 9; Russ, 2003; Chemi et
al., 2017, p. 112). Play can offer an array of benefits, “improved verbal and social
communication, high levels of interaction skills, creativity, imagination, divergent thinking,
and problem-solving skills” (Pinchover, 2017) to name just a few.
Play is an integral part of creativity, hence it is at the heart of the experience design. The
main activity den building provided the group with complete creative freedom with no real
time constraints. The onus was on them to choose groups, location and style of den with
one rule, not to damage the natural environment. In the delivery of this plan, it was most
effective leading to much collaboration and sharing of responsibilities and roles. This was
very much in keeping with Piaget and Vygotsky’s work with social constructivism where the
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role of the educator is that of a facilitator “who provides information and organises
activities for learners to discover their own learning” (Leather, 2012 cited in Maynard &
Waters, 2014, p. 90). Although this freedom allowed the group to flourish, it may not of be
so suitable for groups with behavioural issues, pre-existing social cliques or where signs of
dark play are evident (bullying or prejudice). When using creative approaches, it is
important to be dynamic to ensure the practice is best suit for the situation and context.
Within professional outdoor practice it must be recognised that both participant centred,
and instructor directed activates have their place. Wood (2010) discusses this in her ‘model
of integrated pedagogical approaches’ (see figure 1). Although her model focuses on
children, it is still relevant to adult participants. She argues, “practitioners can harness the
qualities of play by developing integrated pedagogical approaches, which combine the
benefits of adult-directed and child-initiated activates” (p. 20). The model shows structured
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play and free play on a spectrum between teacher directed and student-initiated activities.
The approach used should move along this spectrum depending on the situation at hand,
this then informs the reflective cycle above.
Structured play is when activities “are tightly controlled, with focused instructional
strategies, no choice or flexibility for the [participants], and defined outcomes” (Wood,
2010, p. 21). For example, the warm up activity bat and moth had fixed rules, but it helped
cultivate a playful atmosphere as well as developing trust and social cohesion. Going
straight into a purely creative participant led task would not be appropriate for a new group,
this was confirmed by a participant who stated, “it helped me relax, connect with the group
and feel like being silly was ok”.
Furthermore, when incorporating creative approaches in to OL it is crucial to have elements
of work/non-play. For example, learning and practicing safe use of tools so not to result in
misadventure, or learning to make pizza on the fire; with limited recourses an experimental
approach would result in participants going hungry (unless the group were chiefs, perhaps
then just ingredients could be provided). Robison (2011) discusses ‘controlling the medium’;
“simply asking people to be creative is not enough. Children and adults need the means and
skills to be creative” (p. 131). He explains this through an analogy with a piano, someone
without any musical understanding can make noise and be expressive but cannot realise its
true creative potential.
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It then follows that participants need the means to express their creativity. Had the group
been young children, the introduction to the main task may have been extended to include
making mini dens and talking about types of structures. However, for the young adults it
prompted them to explore their own ideas and experiences while maintaining a greater
sense of freedom. Some guided input was still offered such as showing an individual how to
lash two pieces of wood together. In this way it did not redirect their vison, rather it enable
then to make it a reality.
In free play, “the players will exercise choice, control and imagination, with little direct
intervention” (Wood, 2010, p. 20). For the most part the day was towards this end of the
spectrum. As an instructor it can be very difficult standing back and letting pure free play
happen without interference. Yet the removal of barriers and time to play allowed
participants to explore their imagination and create their own fun through drawing in the
dirt or pretending to be knights on a quest. People engage differently at different rates,
when using a creative approach this must be managed. The young adults talked about being
in the flow. Csikszentmihalyi (1996) work explores this; the “psychological state known as
flow, in which they become utterly absorbed in the task they are performing and are
oblivious of passing time” (cited in Bateson & Martin, 2013, p. 61).
Although none where needed, a range of different warm-up, reengagement or completely
new activities were planned. Not only does this give participants more choice to help
prevent boredom and keep them motivated, but it increases creative capacity (Kraft, 2018,
p. 21). In facilitating creativity through OL, intrinsic motivation should be considered.
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“Intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity for itself and for the pleasure and
satisfaction derived from participation” (Vallerand, 2004, p. 2). The misuse of extrinsic
motivation in the professional practice of colleagues has been observed to degrade this. For
example, scoring den out of five under different categories or offering prizes. Research
suggests this can undermine intrinsic motivation and create a dependency on external
reward (Di Domenico & Ryan, 2017; Legault, 2016; Deci & Ryan, 2013, p. 54).
Furthermore, intrinsically motivated individuals “work harder and perform better in many
situations” (Bateson & Martin, 2013, p. 61). Thus, the session was delivered in a way that
prioritised intrinsic motivation and was in fact highlighted by a participant when reflecting,
“this is the first time I’ve done something for just me in so long. I spend so much time trying
to earn money or gain social acceptance”. This is something deplored as prevalent
throughout western culture (Eckersley, 2006; Ryan, 2018) and brings attention to our
perspectives in life and the relevance of play.
The philosopher Alan Watts discussed life as playful; “we thought of life by an analogy with
a journey, with a pilgrimage, which has a serious purpose at the end. And the thing was to
get to that end. Success, or whatever it is… But we missed the point the whole way along. It
was a musical thing, and you were supposed to sing, or to dance while the music was being
played” (quoted in Lindberg, 2016, 2:55-3:23). There exists a social narrative and standards
to which one is expected to comply with particularly when moving into adulthood
(Ciabattari, 2017, p. 56). As noted before, play “sits at odds with norms of responsible and
productive adult conduct” (Deterding, 2017, p. 260). For an outdoor professional, it is
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important they recognise this social conditioning; the task in the woods removed
participants from society to create a playful space where they could break rules without
sanction or fear of precaution.
The cultural perception of play presents other issues. Professionalism is partially
demonstrated through professional conduct and professional image (Oermann, 2007, p. 190),
playfulness is contradictory to some of the characteristics a professional is expected to
exhibit (Victoria, 2018; Luecke, 2003, p. 85). As a result, the use of creative approaches may
be viewed as unprofessional which poses a threat to the field of outdoor education because
it is not entirely socially validated as a profession (Potter & Dyment, 2016; Allison & Telford,
2005). This creates a paradox between what Martin & McCullagh (2011) describe as ‘motive
of service’ in their signposts to a profession and the public perception of professionalism.
Motive of service refers to “a professional ultimate good, it is the reason for being” (p. 68).
Fundamentally, outdoor education seeks to bring about personal and social development
through interaction with nature of which can be facilitated by creativity in OL (Wattchow &
Brown, 2011, p. xvii-xx). If an instructor hopes to further validate the worth of play, they
must be aware of this and actively demonstrate/explain its relevance where possible.
According to Cropley (2012), creativity continues to have the strong spiritual connotations
(p. 5), spirituality can also contradict the serious way in which adults conduct their lives and
upon which many of our social conventions are based (Koerner, 2011, p. 211; Stanczak,
2006, p. 150). Altering the social narrative regarding the perception of our purpose from
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that of a journey to a dance, much like the nature of creativity, threatens control and
requires shift in social norms that extends well beyond OL to be accepted.
By relating to creativity to improving social and economic issues that are widely recognised
and personal, instructors are more likely to increase social validation of creativity in
professional practice. Current psychological research suggests, “personal importance is
attached to an attitude when the attitude is perceived to be relevant to self-interest, social
identification with reference groups or reference individuals, and values” (Howe & Krosnick,
2017, p. 327). An example of self-interest for the group of young adults was concerns over
employability. A survey by CBI (2014) found nearly a quarter of companies were not
satisfied by graduates’ problem-solving skills (p. 70). Many individuals are leaving education
ill-equipped for the modern world.
Creative approaches in OL allows individuals to move away from the replication of
information often focused upon during education to a deeper understanding and new
cognitive tools/perspectives to identify and solve challenges (Bateson & Martin, 2013, p. 57;
Tsai, 2012). This was an area discussed at the end of the day when reflecting and all
participants reported an increase in self-efficacy. Moreover, many participants showed an
interest in sharing the value of their experience. This led to a discussion on influencing
others through reference groups/individuals (individuals/groups to which one is compared)
and perceived social norms.
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Creativity involves the capacity to overcome the impossible. Research suggests, “that
playfulness serves a strong adaptive function” (Magnuson & Barnett, 2013, p. 129); the
study found a positive correlation between playful adults and their ability to cope with
stress. In a time of increasing mental health problem particularly among youth adults
(Baker, 2018; Mental Health Foundation, 2018), the creative experience can be used at
alleviate such issues. Again, through directly feeling its benefits, some groups members
were inspired to share and recreate their experience with others they knew suffered with
anxiety or depression.
To conclude, creative approaches in OL can be very challenging to adeptly apply to
professional outdoor practice, but its benefits make it a very valuable and relevant part of a
professional’s repertoire. A creative approach needs a basic structure but must remain
dynamic and adaptable to meet the need of the group/situation and accommodate free
play. After establishing a playful atmosphere and judging their behaviour, the group in
question were given freedom and control of their experience in the woods. This of course
threatens control but encourages individual responsibility and developing one’s own
learning.
Creative approaches need to be interesting to ensure participants remain motivated. This is
difficult because individuals engage differently, and sense a of freedom must be retained to
help facilitate creative behaviour. To achieve this while maintaining intrinsic motives, a
series of alternative activities must be considered. As a result, creative approaches in OL are
very time consuming both in planning and delivery as well as being resource intensive.
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Furthermore, stepping back and giving participants the freedom to make mistakes can be
challenging, particularly when the instructor is often a coach. As is finding the balance
between allowing participants to experiment and adapt their ideas or offering them skills to
help make their vison a reality.
A cultural misunderstanding of creativity and the relevance of playfulness can interfere with
such approaches because of the mis-perception it creates concerning professional image
and adult conduct. Thus, creative approaches should not only be applied in a way that
facilitates the benefits already discussed, but it should help promote wider social
recognition of its value. This includes developing reflective practice so participants can
articulate their experience and empowering them to recreate or share it with others.
The benefits of creativity and play align with motive of service; the profession’s reason for
being concerns personal, social and environmental wellbeing to varying degrees. The drive
to create social change on which the outdoor profession is now built should remain
fundamental within professional practice regardless of social recognition. This may then
assist in changing the perception of playfulness in adult and professional conduct.
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Appendix A: Creative Learning Experience Session Plan
Den Building Date: 07/12/18
Information about the IndividualsAge range: 19-28 Gender: mixed Previous experience/ability level: All have built dens before and how knowledge of equipment link saws and knifes.
Motivations: to be determined.
Session SummaryLength of session: 09:30 to 16:30 Number in group: 6 + 1 staff
Session aim/s and Summary of content: to allow individuals to explore and develop their own creativity through emersion in nature working with it to make shelter. The session will investigate how individuals define a successful shelter and what/why they prioritise certain areas. Furthermore, the session will provide the opportunity for participants to cook their own food on the fire in an attempt to disprove the misconception around sus-tainable food consumption being costly (financially and timely). This combined with later sessions strives to give participants tools to creatively overcome environmental issues and increase PEB. The session will also be used as a talking point for what it is we really need to be happy and fulfilled in life.
Safety, Equipment and LocationEquipment required for participants: Kit list attached.
Location: the great plantation Transport: two cars and public transport.
Teaching & safety equipment: Kit list attached.
Any medical / particular needs: Medical forms to be filled in.
Any specific safety considerations / hazards or safety control measures: risk assessment attached.
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Content and Coaching Points Layout and Organisation
Coaching Methods /
Delivery StyleTime
Intr
oduc
tion
Give an overview of the session aims- “today have very few constraints other than safe use of tools and not damaging anything living. Will start with a silly game and have some more interspersed throughout. Then the plan is to create dens in which to shelter and cook”.
Will have central area with water, first aid kit etc. Radio for each group but no other technology
Democratic when choosing an area but make them consider pro and con; is it suitable
10 mins
War
m-u
p
Ice breaker introduction (name and something noticed about themselves, the group or the environment). Social cohesion activities e.g. bat and moth game: in a circle created by participants, “the person who is a bat stands in the centre [blindfolded] and calls out “bat” to those who are moths. When the bat calls, the moths reply “moth.” The bat has to try to catch the moths, and the moths should do their best to “fly” away from the bats” (RRPB, 2018). Safety talk on equipment, lift and staying warm.
Hot drinks and extra lays available at central point.
Autocratic 10 mins
Mai
n Ac
tivity
“You have complete creative freedom, after 1 hour or so we will reconvene and have a discussion on your experience”. Participant can work individually or in groups as they please. Guidance is very limited as this task is based on their own creativity and ability plan and adapt their build based on their ideas.
Will monitor each group
Laissez faire giving advice and guidance where required.
90 mins
Lunc
h
Participants will have to light fires in 2s or 3s and make pizza (recipe attached) in or near their den based on the suitability of the area. After can be used as a talking point for creatively overcoming misconception that lead to environmentally damaging behaviour.
On fire lighting and pizza demonstration will be provided
60mins
Mai
n Ac
tivity
Participants will then continue their build after a discussion of what they have/seek to achieve in their den building.Before finishing we will collectively look at all the den and allow the builders to provide an insight into their creativity. Potential for storytelling.
120 mins
Dryad Oak Student Number: 20084494Co
nclu
sion
Clea
r-up
Set personalised targets based on the individuals experience and what it meant to them. Explore their learning and facilitate reflective practice. Discussion on the application of creativity and their learning.
Sat in group area or den if one is of adequate size
20 mins
Activ
ities
to In
ters
pers
e W
here
Ap
prop
riate
Examples of activities. Woodland mapping: this activity focused on teamwork and curiosity by allowing the group to work together to map their surrounding area. Full breakdown of game can be found in Houghton & Worroll (2016) pp. 18 to 21. Forest trail: in pairs take it in turn to be guided blindfolded to a tree and back to the start to then go and find it. Fantastic for developing instructional and listening skills as well as trust.Peaceful experience: take a blanket and find somewhere to fit for 30 mins and observe.
Time and constraints of the games based on the needs of the group
All timings are a rough guided and not strictly controlled; group will have control.
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Dryad Oak Student Number: 20084494
Appendix B: Equipment List
Personal Equipment Notes ChecklistBoots or Walking Trainers
Ideally supports ankle and water proof, will be spending the day in the woods
Snacks Lunch will be provided Water + warm drink Bring at least 1.5L of water plus a hot drinkHat and Gloves We will be in the woods for serval hoursWaterproofs Coat and trousers if possible Spare Clothing In case you get wet and/or coldBack Pack to Carry the Above
Group Equipment Provided
Notes
Pizza Ingredients TraysFire Lighting KitKettleHand Saws and KnifesStringGame Resources Pencil, paper, blankets and blindfolds
Safety Equipment Notes ChecklistGroups Shelter 8 plusPhone Means to charge phoneFirst Aid KitExtra lays, water & food
Including hot drink or soup
Radios If a den is being built out of site of the meeting point.
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Appendix C: Den Building Risk Assessment
Number
Hazard Who’s effected
Unmanaged risk
Control measures Managed risk
1 Injury from movement of wood.
all High Brief group on safe lifting and carrying. Wood carried below waist height, don’t run whilst collecting or carrying wood, do not use sticks for hitting people
Low
2 Injury from collapse of den
all High Monitor groups and discuss structure is appropriate. Low
3 Tripping and falling
all Low Ensure participants are not sprinting around and are observant of their surrounding Low
4 Burnt by fire all High Brief on safety (e.g. not sitting crossed legged, hair tied up, sleeves rolled up etc). Allow fire and pizza trays time to cool before moving
Low
5 Participants climbing trees and falling from height
Participants High Manage this only when appropriate rather than setting rules. Low
6 Hitting by branches from above
all Medium Ensure participants are aware of their surrounding when collecting fire wood. Get groups to justify the suitability of their den location.
Low
7 HypothermiaHyperthermiaSunburn
all High Suitable clothing must be worn based in the kit list provided. Forecast will also determine if the activity goes ahead.
Low
8 General hazards and cuts
all Medium First aid kit at main hub and incident recorded Low
9 Adverse response to food
all High Medical form will identify any allergies to mitigate any issues Low