Knowledge
The Great Outdoors: Benefits of Outdoor Education
Creativity and imagination multiply when children are taught in the vicinity of nature.
And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything.
-William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act 2 Scene 1
These lines from the play of the creative genius – William Shakespeare- demonstrate the impact of nature on the human psyche. Playing outdoors has a direct impact on the increased level of happiness and cognitive development of the learners. The traditional test, assessment, and curriculum-dominated method of teaching has its own share of critics. However, supporters of nature-specific outdoor education are increasing with more and more schools incorporating nature-based pedagogy in their curriculum.
Education in my view is empowering, empowering a learner, an artist, and a child who will be an indispensable element and indomitable force in the world tomorrow. Education is sculpting the heart and minds of the learners in a way that they too are ready to carve, mould, and shape the world for the future. It is to enable the young minds to see the world in a way they have never perceived it before; enabling them to see the world as a whole and not in fragments. And nature is a force that easily and naturally facilitates this process of learning; hence the need of taking the classrooms outside the four walls.
The first and foremost impact of outdoor education is on the physique of the children. With childhood obesity being a matter of concern among parents across the world; it is imperative that learners are made to go out and learn the lessons of life. This not only creates an inclination towards fitness it also makes the learners more aware of their own self.
Secondly, educating learners outdoors sensitizes the learners about their surroundings. They become more sensitive and grow a responsible attitude toward the environment. This creates a long-term impact on the mind of the learners which is the need of the hour.
Creativity and imagination multiply when children are taught in the vicinity of nature. Nature is dynamic and every day outdoors is different. The change in the weather, temperature, wind, light, and all the other parameters of nature gives students a chance to be in a different setting every day which is in complete contrast to the classrooms with the same roof, same soft boards, same projectors, and the same walls. The change in surrounding motivates them to experiment and think differently.
Nature fills the minds of children with an unparalleled curiosity, develops a habit of inquiry, and makes them question every phenomenon that is strange or unfamiliar. This makes them go beyond their creative capacities.
Among the most talked about 21st-century skills are; self-direction, social responsibility, thinking skills, and innovation skills. Teaching learners outdoors fosters learning in a way that they are aware not only of themselves but also of the surround around them. They develop thinking skills and innovation. So, learning outdoors helps us prepare them for the future.
Going out of the mundane and repetitive setting of the classroom makes the learners more cheerful and has a positive impact on the psychology of the learners they are happier and as a result, are more prepared and open to learning. Education outdoors makes the learners more receptive to education.
In addition to this, learners are seen to become more confident when they are outdoors. They converse more and this makes them better communicators. Outdoor group activities involve a lot of communication and collaboration improving the social skills of the learners which results in better academic performances.
Learning outdoors fosters active learning. While learning outdoors learners are more engaged in the process of learning which makes them more active as they take charge of their own learning. Learning outdoors is more of an experience rather than a regular lesson in the classroom. This results in the long-term retention of the concepts and makes it an experiential learning
Different domains of nature have different impacts on the well-being of learners. Wellbeing is a broad term and encompasses a lot of different aspects ranging from social skills, physical and emotional health, and behavioral, cognitive, and academic performance of the learners. Nature-specific outdoor teaching has proved to have a positive impact on all of these areas. Enhanced level of happiness when learning happens outdoors has proven to have holistic development of learners and caters to learners of different learning styles catering to the multiple intelligence of every individual.
Author – Shaila Bajpai Pandey, R.B.K. International School, Mumbai
