Outdoor learningMart Laanpere, Tallinn University

Roadmap

• Learning environment is changing

• Outdoor learning in Estonia

• Outdoor learning and ICT

Defining the learning environment

• Narrow definition: classroom

• Wider definition: physical and social environment that surrounds a learner, including learning resources, technical equipment, curriculum, fellow learners, teacher (with her implicit learning theories and teaching methods) etc.

Learning environment is changing

• 2400 years ago: Socrates banned the books

• 500 years ago: learning environment = working environment

• 150 years ago: village schools

• 100 years ago: learning environment was rationalized/industrialized

• 30 years ago: subject-specific classrooms

• 10 years ago: virtual learning environment

Two trends• Back to “authentic learning

environment”: real-life tasks, apprenticeship learning, back to the nature

• Forward to technology-enhanced learning environment: learning through collaborative knowledge building, intelligent tutoring systems, simulations, augmented reality

Outdoor learning

• You need whole body to learn

• Different traditions: boy scouts, camp school, health sciences, folklore

• Five pillars of outdoor learning (Mikk Sarv): hand, sense, deed, story, point

Outdoor learning environment

Virtual learning environment

• VIKO: viko.opetaja.ee

• KRIHVEL: krihvel.opetaja.ee

• LMS: IVA, Moodle, Blackboard

• Personal Learning Environments:

• Blog: blogger.com, wordpress.com

• Photo album: flickr.com, nagi.ee

• Videos: youtube.com, video.www.ee

• Aggregator: netvibes.com, del.icio.us

Combination: M-learning• We can use technology for leading kids

closer to the nature

• Outdoor learning + technology-enhanced learning = m-learning (m: mobile)

• Mobile technologies: GPS, PDA, Internet, smartphone, mp3-player, digital camera …

• M-learning environment: outdoors and indoors, combining nature and virtual learning environment

Experiential learning

Examples

• Environmental detectives: http://education.mit.edu/ar

• Geocaching: geocaching.com, Travel Bug

• eMapps: http://emapps.com

• Garbage Watch: http://web.gc.cuny.edu/dept/case/lsc

Examples

• Knowledge building: mobiled.uiah.fi

• Sound of Water: unesco.uiah.fi/water

• Taggin Tallinn: tt.tlu.ee

• YellowArrow.net: places and meanings