Course description
Programme
This new pathway is the first of its kind in the sector. Academic courses have a practical focus and are taught from our Edinburgh base as well as our residential outdoor centre in the Cairngorms National Park. There are exit points at Postgraduate Certificate level (60 credits) and Postgraduate Diploma level (120 credits plus the Professional Development Programme). Students who successfully reach diploma level can enrol for an MSc dissertation, subject to satisfactory marks in the academic courses.
For those enrolled in the Postgraduate Diploma there is a Professional Development Programme (PDP), which consists of a five week placement, several week-long outdoor skills courses and a two-week, student-led expedition. All of these elements of the PDP serve to integrate academic study with practical skills which can then be applied in outdoor education programmes that have participants' personal and social developments as their principal goal.
As a number of the courses are delivered in five-day blocks, these new programmes may be particularly attractive to educators who want to keep working.
Learning Outcomes
Students who follow this programme will be able to develop:
* the skills and understanding to guide individuals, through reflection, towards greater knowledge of self and others and the achievement of a range of social goals;
* respect for and understanding of the environment to be able to assist those in their charge to learn sound practice and concern for the natural heritage;
* knowledge of the holistic nature of experiential learning outdoors and hence the opportunities provided by interdisciplinary work in these educational areas;
* understanding of the relationship between Personal and Social Outdoor Education and a range of other subject areas studied in educational community and social settings;
* knowledge of the range of contemporary perspectives on and arrangements for work with young people outside school settings;
* thorough understanding of conceptual, operational and regulatory issues in Personal and Social Outdoor Education in order to enable them to play a critical and leading role in its development within education and the community;
* insight into academic and professional issues in the field of Outdoor Education in both the UK and international contexts;
* the importance of critical examination of issues in the field and knowledge of approaches and techniques appropriate for doing so.
How You Will Be Taught
The Personal and Social Outdoor Education Programme employs a lecture/seminar approach to the bulk of the academic courses and students are encouraged to participate fully in discussions etc. Whenever possible practicals and field visits are included in courses. Students are expected to prepare themselves for academic courses by reading suggested programme literature and to continue this process throughout the course. For the Professional Development Programme students are expected to be fit to participate. Because of the obvious safety issues associated with education outdoors any health or fitness issues should be discussed with the Programme Director. There is also an expectation that students will maintain an independent involvement in outdoor activities outside of the Professional Development Programme. Understanding and intellectual skills knowledge are assessed primarily through coursework in the form of essays, together with annotated bibliographies, reflective logs, field journal and dissertation.
