Outdoor Adventure Educatioin Finland
Pedagogical and didactic perspectives
Seppo J.A. Karppinen, Maarit Marttila and Anita Saaranen-Kauppinen (Eds.)
Humak University of Applied Sciences Publications, 97
Humanistinen ammattikorkeakoulu, 2020, Helsinki
“In this book, outdoor adventure education refers to an approach where adventure-centred methods and processes are used to promote growth, learning and well-being. Out- door adventure education can be im- plemented by an educator, instruc- tor, teacher or therapist who leads a group consisting of children, young people, adults or elderly people, or comes into contact with individuals by means of adventure-oriented or experiential activity-based methods. Outdoor adventure education can be applied in early education, youth work, schools and colleges, and re- habilitation.
There is little literature on the didactics of outdoor adventure education.The aim of this compilation is to clarify and promote the theory and practice of experiential learning in the varied pedagogical process- es of outdoor adventure education. This will help educators and instructors to carry out goal-oriented and safe outdoor adventure education.The focus is on ad- venture education taking place outdoors and in a natural environment (Outdoor Adventure Education). Attention is also paid to the importance of outdoor ad- venture education on the strengthening of the overall well-being and health of an individual and their attachment to a place and relationship with the environment and nature, and on the promotion of ecologi- cally sustainable human agency.
The articles in the first part of the book focus on the history of Finnish outdoor ad- venture education, and the starting points, basis and current state of pedagogics and didactics.
The second part digs deeper into the essential questions of the pedagogics and didactics of outdoor adventure education. The articles shed light on the presumptions and principles associated with outdoor adventure education, and explain why outdoor adventure education is useful and how it can be instructed and taught in practice.
In part three, the focus is on practical methods and didactic applications from the perspective of various age groups, contexts and application areas.The writers of the articles have extensive experience in using, instructing and teaching outdoor adventure education, and the articles will thus provide an array of useful and tested approaches and methods.”
