Today we received a lecture entitled the Analysis of Childrens Outdoor Activities: Play and Learning for Sustainability. It may sound like a slightly boring subject at first but I found the content very interesting.
The PHD student who was speaking to us originally graduated with a degree in product design but has since been asked to conduct research into outdoor learning. She was looking into what children can learn from nature and how this can be applied.
Scottish Outdoor Education Centres were the focus of the investigation. They are set up to 'provide high quality learning opportunities that teachers and pupils can trust and enjoy at prices you can afford.' The Centres encourage children to take part in a range of outdoor activities which centre on teamwork and confidence building. The activities range from kayaking, team games, flying foxes to tree climbing.
What this investigation was hoping to find out was how these activities can be improved and how they can be incorporated into the Curriculum of Excellence. The research that was conducted consisted of observation, interviews and drawings. Findings show that activities can perhaps be altered so that children learn about nature, how to cook food, build shelters by taking a journey rather than taking part in staged activities. It is these small steps that can lead to big changes.
I found the talk very interesting, and in particular the fact that it is not related directly to product design. I think it is great to see how looking at something from a creative stance can bring about fresh ideas. It has definitely got me thinking about what topic I can look into for my dissertation, I am going to try and branch out and look at problems which can be improved by design.
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