OADH03: Critically discuss how creative approaches in outdoor learning may be applied within professional outdoor practice.

Dryad Oak 23/12/18 Outdoor Adventure Education

Word Count: 2179

Creativity is a valuable aspect of outdoor learning and in fact life in general. Yet the term

creativity is often misunderstood, the notion of what it is and its relevance misconstrued.

This critical discussion of creative approaches in professional outdoor practice focuses upon

a trip to the woods with a group of young adults that was planned and led in December

2018. The plan (see Appendix A) and the events of this 7-hour day will be referred to

throughout. Before continuing, it is necessary to explore the following terms: creativity,

outdoor learning and professional practice.

Different definitions can be found for creativity in education, psychology, government and

business (Duchesne & McMaugh, 2018, p. 411; Cropley, 2012, p. 96). Bateson and Martin

(2013) use the term ‘creativity’ “in the sense of generating novel actions or ideas,

particularly by recombining existing actions, ideas or thoughts in new ways or applying them

in new situations” (p. 55). Cropley (2012) suggests it not only involves novelty but

effectiveness “(it works, in the sense that it achieves some end – this may be aesthetic,

artistic or spiritual) … [and] ethicality (the term ‘creative’ is not usually used to describe

selfish or destructive behaviour)” (p. 6). However, the notion of effectiveness is problematic

due to its connotations of achieving and succeeding.

Robison (2011) defines creativity as, “imaginative processes with outcomes that are original

and of value [from the perspective of the indivdaul, community or human race]” (p. 118).

This idea of value opposed to effectiveness offers a nuance that better captivates creativity

because it diverts from the notion of ‘successfully producing’ to one of worth; the process

rather than product. It also implies that creativity does not necessarily need to be serious,

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which will be elaborated on in a later section that discusses creativity as being

fundamentally playful. Robison recognises that, “everyone has huge creative capacities. The

challenge is to develop them” (p. 3); it is not a privilege of a select few. He talks about three

synonyms as a process that helps shed light on the phases a creative approach should

consider:

“The first is imagination: the ability to bring to mind events and ideas that are not

present to our senses.

The second is creativity: the process of having original ideas that have value.

The third is innovation: the process of putting original ideas into practice” (p. 220).

Fundamentally, creativity is a process involving originality and worth that is subjective in

nature.

Outdoor Learning (OL) is distinct from outdoor education in that “learning is best considered

as the process of change that occurs in the individual; learning is an individual experience.

Education, on the other hand, is best considered as a transitive process between educator

and student” (Chickering, 1976 cited in Schwartz, 2010, p. 25). Both are supported by an

underpinning philosophy, experiential learning (EL). Simply EL involves ‘learning by doing’;

direct interaction with the phenomena and reflection upon the experience to guide future

learning (Kolb, 2014, p. 49; Gilbertson et al., 2006, p. 9).

The IOL regard OL “as a purposeful and planned experience in the outdoors” (2018). This

view of OL in professional practice offered by influential organisations such as the IOL poses

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an issue because it is contradictory to creativity which is often unplanned and spontaneous.

That is not to say you should not plan, but there is a place for free play and unstructured

experience as will be augured later in this paper. Perhaps this definition of OL is put forth in

an attempt to gain social credibility but in its seriousness, it neglects the value of messing

around. Defining OL is challenging because it “is an umbrella term which covers every type

of learning experience which happens outdoors” (Robertson, 2014, p. 2), this can include

anything from adventurous activities, environmental education, expeditions to walk in

nature. In this paper OL refers to structure and unstructured experience in nature supported

by EL.

Professional practice and the professionalism of outdoor education is discussed in greater

detail in a previous paper titled ‘a critically evaluate of personal attributes in relation to

professional outdoor practice and potential career pathway’. Adapted from Bimonthly

(2011) and Martin & McCullagh (2011) discussions on professions, “professional practice can

be conceived as the culmination of knowledge and skills that align with the motives for the

profession to which one belongs that enables them to conduct themselves in an effective

way” (Oak, 2018, p. 6). In this paper social recognition was identified as an issue in validating

outdoor education, it seems there is a parallel with the use of creativity and play in

education.

The first thing to note is the choice of young adults. While OL helps people of all ages and

backgrounds to reflect and learning about themselves, others and the environment, young

adults often no longer have access to OL such as they did in school or as a child.

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Furthermore, playfulness as discussed by Deterding (2017), “sits at odds with norms of

responsible and productive adult conduct” (p. 260). This arises from a cultural

misunderstanding of play which will be addressed shortly, but first the role of play in

creativity and its importance and relevance must be critically explored in relation to the

experience outlined in Appendix A.

Bateson and Martin (2013) argue “play is an important form of behaviour that facilitates

creativity, and hence innovation, in both the natural world and human society” (p.1). An

increasing body of literature supports this notion (Whitton, 2018; Bateson & Nettle, 2014;

Russ, 2003; Zosh et al., 2017), yet a definitive definition of play and playfulness remains

allusive. However, these characteristics of play are apparent: spontaneity, curiosity,

humorousness, expressiveness, a pleasurable impulse that comes from within and that it

can be an individual or shared experience (Guitard et al., 2005, p. 9; Russ, 2003; Chemi et

al., 2017, p. 112). Play can offer an array of benefits, “improved verbal and social

communication, high levels of interaction skills, creativity, imagination, divergent thinking,

and problem-solving skills” (Pinchover, 2017) to name just a few.

Play is an integral part of creativity, hence it is at the heart of the experience design. The

main activity den building provided the group with complete creative freedom with no real

time constraints. The onus was on them to choose groups, location and style of den with

one rule, not to damage the natural environment. In the delivery of this plan, it was most

effective leading to much collaboration and sharing of responsibilities and roles. This was

very much in keeping with Piaget and Vygotsky’s work with social constructivism where the

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role of the educator is that of a facilitator “who provides information and organises

activities for learners to discover their own learning” (Leather, 2012 cited in Maynard &

Waters, 2014, p. 90). Although this freedom allowed the group to flourish, it may not of be

so suitable for groups with behavioural issues, pre-existing social cliques or where signs of

dark play are evident (bullying or prejudice). When using creative approaches, it is

important to be dynamic to ensure the practice is best suit for the situation and context.

Within professional outdoor practice it must be recognised that both participant centred,

and instructor directed activates have their place. Wood (2010) discusses this in her ‘model

of integrated pedagogical approaches’ (see figure 1). Although her model focuses on

children, it is still relevant to adult participants. She argues, “practitioners can harness the

qualities of play by developing integrated pedagogical approaches, which combine the

benefits of adult-directed and child-initiated activates” (p. 20). The model shows structured

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play and free play on a spectrum between teacher directed and student-initiated activities.

The approach used should move along this spectrum depending on the situation at hand,

this then informs the reflective cycle above.

Structured play is when activities “are tightly controlled, with focused instructional

strategies, no choice or flexibility for the [participants], and defined outcomes” (Wood,

2010, p. 21). For example, the warm up activity bat and moth had fixed rules, but it helped

cultivate a playful atmosphere as well as developing trust and social cohesion. Going

straight into a purely creative participant led task would not be appropriate for a new group,

this was confirmed by a participant who stated, “it helped me relax, connect with the group

and feel like being silly was ok”.

Furthermore, when incorporating creative approaches in to OL it is crucial to have elements

of work/non-play. For example, learning and practicing safe use of tools so not to result in

misadventure, or learning to make pizza on the fire; with limited recourses an experimental

approach would result in participants going hungry (unless the group were chiefs, perhaps

then just ingredients could be provided). Robison (2011) discusses ‘controlling the medium’;

“simply asking people to be creative is not enough. Children and adults need the means and

skills to be creative” (p. 131). He explains this through an analogy with a piano, someone

without any musical understanding can make noise and be expressive but cannot realise its

true creative potential.

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It then follows that participants need the means to express their creativity. Had the group

been young children, the introduction to the main task may have been extended to include

making mini dens and talking about types of structures. However, for the young adults it

prompted them to explore their own ideas and experiences while maintaining a greater

sense of freedom. Some guided input was still offered such as showing an individual how to

lash two pieces of wood together. In this way it did not redirect their vison, rather it enable

then to make it a reality.

In free play, “the players will exercise choice, control and imagination, with little direct

intervention” (Wood, 2010, p. 20). For the most part the day was towards this end of the

spectrum. As an instructor it can be very difficult standing back and letting pure free play

happen without interference. Yet the removal of barriers and time to play allowed

participants to explore their imagination and create their own fun through drawing in the

dirt or pretending to be knights on a quest. People engage differently at different rates,

when using a creative approach this must be managed. The young adults talked about being

in the flow. Csikszentmihalyi (1996) work explores this; the “psychological state known as

flow, in which they become utterly absorbed in the task they are performing and are

oblivious of passing time” (cited in Bateson & Martin, 2013, p. 61).

Although none where needed, a range of different warm-up, reengagement or completely

new activities were planned. Not only does this give participants more choice to help

prevent boredom and keep them motivated, but it increases creative capacity (Kraft, 2018,

p. 21). In facilitating creativity through OL, intrinsic motivation should be considered.

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“Intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity for itself and for the pleasure and

satisfaction derived from participation” (Vallerand, 2004, p. 2). The misuse of extrinsic

motivation in the professional practice of colleagues has been observed to degrade this. For

example, scoring den out of five under different categories or offering prizes. Research

suggests this can undermine intrinsic motivation and create a dependency on external

reward (Di Domenico & Ryan, 2017; Legault, 2016; Deci & Ryan, 2013, p. 54).

Furthermore, intrinsically motivated individuals “work harder and perform better in many

situations” (Bateson & Martin, 2013, p. 61). Thus, the session was delivered in a way that

prioritised intrinsic motivation and was in fact highlighted by a participant when reflecting,

“this is the first time I’ve done something for just me in so long. I spend so much time trying

to earn money or gain social acceptance”. This is something deplored as prevalent

throughout western culture (Eckersley, 2006; Ryan, 2018) and brings attention to our

perspectives in life and the relevance of play.

The philosopher Alan Watts discussed life as playful; “we thought of life by an analogy with

a journey, with a pilgrimage, which has a serious purpose at the end. And the thing was to

get to that end. Success, or whatever it is… But we missed the point the whole way along. It

was a musical thing, and you were supposed to sing, or to dance while the music was being

played” (quoted in Lindberg, 2016, 2:55-3:23). There exists a social narrative and standards

to which one is expected to comply with particularly when moving into adulthood

(Ciabattari, 2017, p. 56). As noted before, play “sits at odds with norms of responsible and

productive adult conduct” (Deterding, 2017, p. 260). For an outdoor professional, it is

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important they recognise this social conditioning; the task in the woods removed

participants from society to create a playful space where they could break rules without

sanction or fear of precaution.

The cultural perception of play presents other issues. Professionalism is partially

demonstrated through professional conduct and professional image (Oermann, 2007, p. 190),

playfulness is contradictory to some of the characteristics a professional is expected to

exhibit (Victoria, 2018; Luecke, 2003, p. 85). As a result, the use of creative approaches may

be viewed as unprofessional which poses a threat to the field of outdoor education because

it is not entirely socially validated as a profession (Potter & Dyment, 2016; Allison & Telford,

2005). This creates a paradox between what Martin & McCullagh (2011) describe as ‘motive

of service’ in their signposts to a profession and the public perception of professionalism.

Motive of service refers to “a professional ultimate good, it is the reason for being” (p. 68).

Fundamentally, outdoor education seeks to bring about personal and social development

through interaction with nature of which can be facilitated by creativity in OL (Wattchow &

Brown, 2011, p. xvii-xx). If an instructor hopes to further validate the worth of play, they

must be aware of this and actively demonstrate/explain its relevance where possible.

According to Cropley (2012), creativity continues to have the strong spiritual connotations

(p. 5), spirituality can also contradict the serious way in which adults conduct their lives and

upon which many of our social conventions are based (Koerner, 2011, p. 211; Stanczak,

2006, p. 150). Altering the social narrative regarding the perception of our purpose from

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that of a journey to a dance, much like the nature of creativity, threatens control and

requires shift in social norms that extends well beyond OL to be accepted.

By relating to creativity to improving social and economic issues that are widely recognised

and personal, instructors are more likely to increase social validation of creativity in

professional practice. Current psychological research suggests, “personal importance is

attached to an attitude when the attitude is perceived to be relevant to self-interest, social

identification with reference groups or reference individuals, and values” (Howe & Krosnick,

2017, p. 327). An example of self-interest for the group of young adults was concerns over

employability. A survey by CBI (2014) found nearly a quarter of companies were not

satisfied by graduates’ problem-solving skills (p. 70). Many individuals are leaving education

ill-equipped for the modern world.

Creative approaches in OL allows individuals to move away from the replication of

information often focused upon during education to a deeper understanding and new

cognitive tools/perspectives to identify and solve challenges (Bateson & Martin, 2013, p. 57;

Tsai, 2012). This was an area discussed at the end of the day when reflecting and all

participants reported an increase in self-efficacy. Moreover, many participants showed an

interest in sharing the value of their experience. This led to a discussion on influencing

others through reference groups/individuals (individuals/groups to which one is compared)

and perceived social norms.

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Creativity involves the capacity to overcome the impossible. Research suggests, “that

playfulness serves a strong adaptive function” (Magnuson & Barnett, 2013, p. 129); the

study found a positive correlation between playful adults and their ability to cope with

stress. In a time of increasing mental health problem particularly among youth adults

(Baker, 2018; Mental Health Foundation, 2018), the creative experience can be used at

alleviate such issues. Again, through directly feeling its benefits, some groups members

were inspired to share and recreate their experience with others they knew suffered with

anxiety or depression.

To conclude, creative approaches in OL can be very challenging to adeptly apply to

professional outdoor practice, but its benefits make it a very valuable and relevant part of a

professional’s repertoire. A creative approach needs a basic structure but must remain

dynamic and adaptable to meet the need of the group/situation and accommodate free

play. After establishing a playful atmosphere and judging their behaviour, the group in

question were given freedom and control of their experience in the woods. This of course

threatens control but encourages individual responsibility and developing one’s own

learning.

Creative approaches need to be interesting to ensure participants remain motivated. This is

difficult because individuals engage differently, and sense a of freedom must be retained to

help facilitate creative behaviour. To achieve this while maintaining intrinsic motives, a

series of alternative activities must be considered. As a result, creative approaches in OL are

very time consuming both in planning and delivery as well as being resource intensive.

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Furthermore, stepping back and giving participants the freedom to make mistakes can be

challenging, particularly when the instructor is often a coach. As is finding the balance

between allowing participants to experiment and adapt their ideas or offering them skills to

help make their vison a reality.

A cultural misunderstanding of creativity and the relevance of playfulness can interfere with

such approaches because of the mis-perception it creates concerning professional image

and adult conduct. Thus, creative approaches should not only be applied in a way that

facilitates the benefits already discussed, but it should help promote wider social

recognition of its value. This includes developing reflective practice so participants can

articulate their experience and empowering them to recreate or share it with others.

The benefits of creativity and play align with motive of service; the profession’s reason for

being concerns personal, social and environmental wellbeing to varying degrees. The drive

to create social change on which the outdoor profession is now built should remain

fundamental within professional practice regardless of social recognition. This may then

assist in changing the perception of playfulness in adult and professional conduct.

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Appendix A: Creative Learning Experience Session Plan

Den Building Date: 07/12/18

Information about the IndividualsAge range: 19-28 Gender: mixed Previous experience/ability level: All have built dens before and how knowledge of equipment link saws and knifes.

Motivations: to be determined.

Session SummaryLength of session: 09:30 to 16:30 Number in group: 6 + 1 staff

Session aim/s and Summary of content: to allow individuals to explore and develop their own creativity through emersion in nature working with it to make shelter. The session will investigate how individuals define a successful shelter and what/why they prioritise certain areas. Furthermore, the session will provide the opportunity for participants to cook their own food on the fire in an attempt to disprove the misconception around sus-tainable food consumption being costly (financially and timely). This combined with later sessions strives to give participants tools to creatively overcome environmental issues and increase PEB. The session will also be used as a talking point for what it is we really need to be happy and fulfilled in life.

Safety, Equipment and LocationEquipment required for participants: Kit list attached.

Location: the great plantation Transport: two cars and public transport.

Teaching & safety equipment: Kit list attached.

Any medical / particular needs: Medical forms to be filled in.

Any specific safety considerations / hazards or safety control measures: risk assessment attached.

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Content and Coaching Points Layout and Organisation

Coaching Methods /

Delivery StyleTime

Intr

oduc

tion

Give an overview of the session aims- “today have very few constraints other than safe use of tools and not damaging anything living. Will start with a silly game and have some more interspersed throughout. Then the plan is to create dens in which to shelter and cook”.

Will have central area with water, first aid kit etc. Radio for each group but no other technology

Democratic when choosing an area but make them consider pro and con; is it suitable

10 mins

War

m-u

p

Ice breaker introduction (name and something noticed about themselves, the group or the environment). Social cohesion activities e.g. bat and moth game: in a circle created by participants, “the person who is a bat stands in the centre [blindfolded] and calls out “bat” to those who are moths. When the bat calls, the moths reply “moth.” The bat has to try to catch the moths, and the moths should do their best to “fly” away from the bats” (RRPB, 2018). Safety talk on equipment, lift and staying warm.

Hot drinks and extra lays available at central point.

Autocratic 10 mins

Mai

n Ac

tivity

“You have complete creative freedom, after 1 hour or so we will reconvene and have a discussion on your experience”. Participant can work individually or in groups as they please. Guidance is very limited as this task is based on their own creativity and ability plan and adapt their build based on their ideas.

Will monitor each group

Laissez faire giving advice and guidance where required.

90 mins

Lunc

h

Participants will have to light fires in 2s or 3s and make pizza (recipe attached) in or near their den based on the suitability of the area. After can be used as a talking point for creatively overcoming misconception that lead to environmentally damaging behaviour.

On fire lighting and pizza demonstration will be provided

60mins

Mai

n Ac

tivity

Participants will then continue their build after a discussion of what they have/seek to achieve in their den building.Before finishing we will collectively look at all the den and allow the builders to provide an insight into their creativity. Potential for storytelling.

120 mins

Dryad Oak Student Number: 20084494Co

nclu

sion

Clea

r-up

Set personalised targets based on the individuals experience and what it meant to them. Explore their learning and facilitate reflective practice. Discussion on the application of creativity and their learning.

Sat in group area or den if one is of adequate size

20 mins

Activ

ities

to In

ters

pers

e W

here

Ap

prop

riate

Examples of activities. Woodland mapping: this activity focused on teamwork and curiosity by allowing the group to work together to map their surrounding area. Full breakdown of game can be found in Houghton & Worroll (2016) pp. 18 to 21. Forest trail: in pairs take it in turn to be guided blindfolded to a tree and back to the start to then go and find it. Fantastic for developing instructional and listening skills as well as trust.Peaceful experience: take a blanket and find somewhere to fit for 30 mins and observe.

Time and constraints of the games based on the needs of the group

All timings are a rough guided and not strictly controlled; group will have control.

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Dryad Oak Student Number: 20084494

Appendix B: Equipment List

Personal Equipment Notes ChecklistBoots or Walking Trainers

Ideally supports ankle and water proof, will be spending the day in the woods

Snacks Lunch will be provided Water + warm drink Bring at least 1.5L of water plus a hot drinkHat and Gloves We will be in the woods for serval hoursWaterproofs Coat and trousers if possible Spare Clothing In case you get wet and/or coldBack Pack to Carry the Above

Group Equipment Provided

Notes

Pizza Ingredients TraysFire Lighting KitKettleHand Saws and KnifesStringGame Resources Pencil, paper, blankets and blindfolds

Safety Equipment Notes ChecklistGroups Shelter 8 plusPhone Means to charge phoneFirst Aid KitExtra lays, water & food

Including hot drink or soup

Radios If a den is being built out of site of the meeting point.

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Appendix C: Den Building Risk Assessment

Number

Hazard Who’s effected

Unmanaged risk

Control measures Managed risk

1 Injury from movement of wood.

all High Brief group on safe lifting and carrying. Wood carried below waist height, don’t run whilst collecting or carrying wood, do not use sticks for hitting people

Low

2 Injury from collapse of den

all High Monitor groups and discuss structure is appropriate. Low

3 Tripping and falling

all Low Ensure participants are not sprinting around and are observant of their surrounding Low

4 Burnt by fire all High Brief on safety (e.g. not sitting crossed legged, hair tied up, sleeves rolled up etc). Allow fire and pizza trays time to cool before moving

Low

5 Participants climbing trees and falling from height

Participants High Manage this only when appropriate rather than setting rules. Low

6 Hitting by branches from above

all Medium Ensure participants are aware of their surrounding when collecting fire wood. Get groups to justify the suitability of their den location.

Low

7 HypothermiaHyperthermiaSunburn

all High Suitable clothing must be worn based in the kit list provided. Forecast will also determine if the activity goes ahead.

Low

8 General hazards and cuts

all Medium First aid kit at main hub and incident recorded Low

9 Adverse response to food

all High Medical form will identify any allergies to mitigate any issues Low