I’d like you to image a scenario where you are standing in a classroom and there is a choice of 2 doors to get outside. Both are brown. When you open either of them, they lead into the school grounds or a forest or a beach or any other place outside.

You turn to your colleague and ask which brown door you should open. She looks at you, shakes her head and says “Hmm… well the door on the left is the brown door, but the door on the right is brown. You need to know the difference, my friend.” At this point you would probably be wondering why your colleague is being grammatically pedantic. Does it really matter whether you say “The door is brown” or “The brown door”? Perhaps you have gone down a rabbit hole like Alice and hadn’t realised such differences matter in this strange new world.

If you look at my book title, it’s called “Dirty Teaching – A Beginner’s Guide to Learning Outdoors“. When asked what I do for a living, I state that I am an education consultant who specialises in outdoor learning and play. I use “outdoor learning” and “learning outdoors” interchangeably. It is a normal and natural thing to do. This is in line with national guidance within Scotland. There is not one single national document that advocates a difference between “outdoor learning” and “learning outdoors.”

Very sadly though, there are many confused Scottish teachers and youth workers who worry about working outside with their class because it may not be “real outdoor learning.” When I ask these teachers to tell me more about what they mean, I get a hesitant response along the lines of “er, but could I be doing this inside…” or “I’ve heard that reading outside isn’t outdoor learning. It’s learning outside.” Unsurprisingly most of these teachers are rarely getting out.

Curiously our colleagues in the play sector don’t seem to have this hang up or confusion. Neither do our outdoor nursery professionals. I’m not entirely why within our youthwork, primary and secondary school education system it’s become an issue.

So how is outdoor learning defined within Scotland?

The document, Taking Learning Outside which was the first document written after the arrival of Curriculum for Excellence makes the following statement: In the context of this programme, the outdoor classroom is a setting, outdoor education is a process in which educators, students and others take part, and outdoor learning is the learning that accrues as a result. (p5)

Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning does not have a definition. However in its vision statement, it uses both terms, which I’ve highlighted in bold:

Our vision for outdoor learning in Scotland is that:

• all children and young people are participating in a range of progressive and creative outdoor learning experiences which are clearly part of the curriculum
• schools and centres are providing regular, frequent, enjoyable and challenging opportunities for all children and young people to learn outdoors throughout their school career and beyond
• teachers and educators embed outdoor learning in the curriculum so that learning in the outdoor environment becomes a reality for all children and young people. (p7)

The follow-on document, Outdoor Learning: Practical Guidance for Teachers and Practitioners in Scotland has a clear statement (p6). The words in bold are my highlights:

Outdoor learning encompasses the entire range of learning experiences undertaken outside. Whether it is reading a book outside or participating in an overseas expedition, the curriculum design principles apply. Curriculum planners and managers should recognise the place of the full spectrum of outdoor learning experiences and should not interpret the promotion of the use of school grounds and local areas as an alternative to outdoor residential experiences but as part of a spectrum of learning opportunities. Each type of outdoor learning experience should complement the other and should form a progressive and coherent range of experiences for children and young people. Practitioners need to know how the experience benefits their learners. The quality of learning and teaching is of paramount importance regardless of the place in which it occurs.

I like all of these statements. They feel inclusive and not divisive. They support creativity and encourage everyone to get outside. The need for ongoing discussion about quality is very important. Yes, there will be debate but this can focus on what matters for our children and young people. Every profession will bring a perspective that can deepen our collective knowledge and understanding.

For example, recently, a local outdoor professional, Grace Banks, produced this video about an outdoor project that involved several schools. It is clearly place-based and a joy to see this celebration of our local river, stories and songs about the land. Likewise for the past couple of weeks I’ve observed many numeracy lessons outside in Dundee. One teacher, who rated her confidence at teaching outside as 2 out 10, had her P2 class gripped in excitement as they jumped through playground markings and counted out pine cones that came from a basket. The flow of the lesson, the interactions of the teacher with the children and their levels of engagement all added up to a wonderful learning experience. Both examples are equally valid even if very different.

Outdoor Skills Progression

Within the past year, I’ve had several requests for a “skills based progression” for outdoor learning. When I’ve dug deeper, the schools believe that there is a set of outdoor skills that they need to plan for and implement. Again, no national document in Scotland has highlighted a need or requirement for this. The emphasis is on progressive experiences that are part of the totality of the curriculum and that happen in context. By narrowing the focus to skills acquisition, we run the risk of forgetting about the curriculum design principles, especially the need for personalisation and choice, relevance and coherence. If you stop and think, almost everything can be learned inside or out. For example, fire lighting and cooking on an open fire can happen if you still have a working fire and chimney in your house. We use many different tools inside, and so on. A useful framework is the four contexts for learning which encourage educators to consider the wider context of any planned learning as illustrated below:

“That’s indoor learning taken outside.” or “You can’t take the indoors out.”

Oh my goodness! At this point, I am now nervously looking over my shoulder for the outdoor police to come and arrest me. Again, I would like you to imagine a scenario . A child in nursery who loves playing with lego, decides to take some outside. She is met at the door by an adult who reminds her that this is an indoor toy and who says “We don’t play with lego outside.”

Making blanket rules about what constitutes an indoor or outdoor experience or resource can detract from bigger issues such as meeting a child’s specific needs and providing opportunities for extending their learning. Deep play with lego which enables children to explore, discover and learn is something to be celebrated indoors or out.

I often come across outdoor provision where I see lego on a tuff spot outside or a water tray placed outside with a couple of jugs in it. At this point, my approach is to have a discussion where I begin by saying “I’d love to know more about this area of provision and how it provides a high quality outdoor experience or opportunity.” There could be a very good reason for a particular resource or set up that I don’t know about. Or it could be that the person who put these items outside doesn’t know what other possibilities exist. When this happens, we can have fun brainstorming and making tweaks that transform the learning possibilities. The photo of water play below emerged from lonely water trays stuck outside and the joy of using this to create provocations that appeal to children’s natural curiosity to explore and investigate of their own accord.

Why Indoors?

Over recent decades there is now overwhelming evidence that being outside is better for our health and wellbeing. Both adults and children alike tend to be less stressed, calmer and more physically active outside. The natural daylight helps our children’s eye health. The uneven surfaces promote the development of fine and gross motor skills, coordination and balance. Children are better able to concentrate back inside after time spent outside. Frequent and regular time in nature to simply play, be and follow their own interests when supported by adults who care for nature and living things helps children to develop a love of nature. These children become adults who value the world and will take action to care for it. The list goes on and on.

Even if an outdoor lesson doesn’t go well or it is simply a case of children being outside to jump through hopscotch, the health benefits occur. Whether you have a lovely natural space or concrete jungle, the weather, seasons, feeling of space and freedom, the sounds and sights will all create a unique and ever-changing sensory experience. The added-value of simply being outside is enough to merit changing our ethos and practice to ensure significantly more time is spent outside be this for learning or play. We need to avoid creating categories and divisions that cause confusion and ultimately constricts what we offer our children. Instead, let’s open our hearts and minds to all the possibilities that being outside affords us.

Finally…

I’ve had a lot of very positive feedback to this blog post – and many thanks to those who have taken the time to comment.