International Outdoor Education Research Conference
The conference is a group of like-minded academics from around the world who gather every two years to share, in the most egalitarian way possible, outdoor research. The next conference will be hosted at the University of Cumbria, Ambleside, in the Lake District of England in July 2022. Until then please scroll down for the webinar series details.
Until the next conference we present this lead up Webinar Series. The conference committee intend this series of webinars from across the globe to bring us together as a community and create a new space for connection, conversation, inspiration, and joy while we wait for the next in-person gathering in July 2022.
Key details:
- Four webinars in 2021, starting in April, and three in 2022. Please SCROLL DOWN for the latest details
- Please register to attend. Recordings of sessions will be posted afterwards.
Questions about this webinar series:
- Heidi Smith - Webinar content Heidi.Smith@ed.ac.uk
- Pat Maher - Zoom meetings patmaher@nipissingu.ca
- Mark Leather – Webpage content mleather@marjon.ac.uk
IOERC Conference in person July 2022
Go to the conference webpage with booking details.
Your chance to join other outdoor humans live in 3D to share the passion and knowledge about outdoor education research, with active fieldtrip options avaiable.
Pre-conference Friday 15th July - Sunday/Monday. Programme of events exploring the Lake District tbc.
Main conference Monday 18th July (4pm start) - Friday 22nd July (lunchtime finish)
- Early arrivals for the conference Sunday 17th July
- Late departures can stay on for the weekend.
Danish children and adolescents in the outdoors
Danish Children and Adolescents in the Outdoors
Soren Andkjaer, Erik Mygind, Soren Praestholm, Niels Ejbye-Ernst, Jan Arvidsen & Mads Bølling
November 4, 2021 – 4pm – 5.30pm Time Zone: GMT
In this webinar we will focus on children and adolescents and their active outdoor life and relation to nature. Research tells us that children in many parts of the world grow up spending less time outdoors compared with former generations. This is also the case in Denmark.
In recent years, a number of intervention studies have tried to change this development aiming to inspire children and adolescents to more frequent visits in natural environments and to be more active in the outdoors. The webinar will first provide a status on children’s use of nature and outdoors from a recent baseline survey including nearly 5.000 children aging 1 to15 years old.
Then intervention projects from three different arenas are presented: Day care that aims at increasing the use of the outdoor environment all year around; grade 3-6 pupils, who - on a regular basis - are taught outside the classroom; and adolescents involved in co-creation of outdoor recreation facilities to provide attractive places for leisure activities.
Researchers from University of Southern Denmark, University of Copenhagen, VIA University College and STENO Diabetes Center Copenhagen cooperate in the national network Children & Nature – Denmark. We use this webinar to report on these studies and invite to raise questions about this knowledge and how it might be of relevance/interest in other places/countries and other contexts.
Watch nowOutdoor Education in some Asian countries
History and overview of “Outdoor Education” in the context of some Asian countries
Presenters: Dr MAETA Kazushi, Hokkaido University of Education (JAPAN); Dr Susanna Ho, Ministry of Education (SINGAPORE); Ms Ruth Feng CEO Jingle International Education (CHINA)
Organisers: TAKANO Takako, AOKI Kotaro, OKADA Masahiro, HARIGAYA Masako, HAMATANI Hiroshi, MAETA Kazushi
October 16, 2021 – 11am - 12:30pm; Time Zone: Japanese Standard Time (UTC +9 hours)
This session aims to provide a broad understanding about the roots, current situation and practices of "outdoor education" in selected Asian countries in the context of their cultures and traditions. Speakers from three countries are to be invited, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. It is important to note, that there are a wide variety of views and practices within each country and an individual speaker does not represent all the views, therefore we caution ourselves and attendees to not be tempted to over-generalise. Speakers are to be confirmed; tentatively from Japan, China, and Singapore.
Watch nowSocial (in)equality and cultural diversity
Social (in)equality and cultural diversity in the outdoors
Imre van Kraalingen [host] - Speakers: Kirsti Pedersen Gurholt, Annette Bischoff, Per Ingvar Haukeland
June 15th, 2021. Time Zone: 1600 to 1730 [UTC+1]
Research on the development of the Nordic welfare-states and its significance for sport, physical cultures, outdoor life and sustainability increase both outside and inside of the Nordic region (Tin, Telseth, Tangen & Guilianotti, Eds., 2019; Goga, Guanio-Uluru, Hallås, & Nyrnes, Eds. 2018). Why the Nordic countries over time are top-ranked on international classifications of countries as having the happiest population in the world and how Nordic peoples cope with covid-19 by visiting green areas, continue to trigger politicians and journalists worldwide. Besides, the political scientists Holst, Skjeie and Teigen (2019) claim that the Nordic countries are widely known for an active and comprehensive policy of gender equality, which is also discussed internationally as examples of “best practices”.
In this webinar, we will critically discuss social (in)equality and cultural diversity in the outdoors as it connects with recent research on friluftsliv. The first presentation will concentrate on a study of social inequality and public innovations to create justness in participation in friluftsliv among children and youth in Oslo (Gurholt, Torp & Eriksen, 2020). The second presentation will discuss perspectives on cultural diversities/similarities and change in friluftsliv within a Nordic context, and as approached within the joint Nordic Master in Outdoor Studies (Friluftsliv Studies ) (Gurholt & Haukeland, 2019).
Watch nowThreshold concepts for graduates of university OAE
Threshold concepts for graduates of university outdoor education programs
Glyn Thomas, Scott Polley, Marcus Morse, Brendon Munge (and others)
In this session, researchers from Australian universities share how they have been working together to develop a set of threshold concepts that can guide the curriculum and assessment in Australian universities. A number of research projects have been conducted to: establish and verify a set of Threshold Concepts, establish processes to assess them, and formulate innovate ways to describe and assess the skills, knowledge and experience to lead outdoor education activities. The session also discusses some of the curriculum challenges around what employers want and what university programs should provide.
Watch nowAt-risk children and the outdoors
A longitudinal meta-analysis of remarkable improvements in at-risk children in an outdoor program
Presenters: Simon Priest, Sanford Tollette, Binky Martin-Tollette
April, 7, 2022 – 8 – 9:30pm GMT (Europe)
For 33 years, the ACE program has been using outdoor experiences in an alternative classroom at a residential camp to impact the academic performance, home/classroom behaviours, and self-esteem of highly 'at-risk' elementary students. A longitudinal fixed-effect meta-analysis of 24 years of data gather from over three thousand children shows a consistent pattern of impacting their reading (6.3 month gain), spelling (2.4 month improvement), and mathematics (7.4 month increase) levels for only one month of treatment.
Furthermore, positive influences were observed by teachers and parents in subject behaviours (more than half were better) and self-esteem (about two thirds enhanced). Growth was attributed to several unique program components that enhanced transfer of learning. After the independent research presentation, time will be available to discuss these successful, impressive, and award-winning methods with the people who envisioned and directed this program since 1987.
Save my placeWomen and the outdoors
#HereBeWomen: The place and placelessness in the outdoors
Presenters: Justina Burks, Anouska Duffy, Morgan Ludington
Mary Breunig, Denise Mitten, Heidi Smith
23rd February 2022 – 8pm GMT (UK)
Despite individual and collective efforts to change the status quo of privilege, a culture of gender performativity remains present in the outdoor profession. This webinar focuses on experiences of women in the outdoors, and how women’s voices remain silent including what happens when women speak up. We begin with a provocation for you to respond to, followed by a historical look at women in the outdoors. A range of provocations follow, including exploring who is woman, who defines woman, and sharing storied experiences of women. We encourage you to join us and share your stories in this interactive webinar. We welcome people of all backgrounds, agender, and genders.
This is not a webinar for women only, this is a webinar for the outdoor profession. You will have opportunities throughout the webinar to discuss in small groups and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Watch nowPolicy and practice of outdoor learning in Europe
Policy and practice of outdoor learning in Europe, Africa & Middle East
Søren Andkjær, Mohammed Zadjali, Irena Kokalj, Pieter Snyman, Phil Stubbington
Wednesday, 11 May 2022 16:00 – 17:30 BST
In these three seminars planned for May 2022, we have invited participants to consider their national context for outdoor learning and the effect they think this may have had on their society. Is there, for instance, a coherent strategy for promoting/practising OE in their country, an aspiration for a strategic impact or if there’s a more scattergun approach in which different approaches are facilitated and utilised by different actors? How have these approaches affected the practice of outdoor learning?
In this webinar, our speakers come from Denmark, Oman, Slovenia, South Africa and Wales, offering a wide range of views and experiences across different political and practical contexts.
Play now
The Americas
Policy and practice of outdoor learning in The Americas
Gonzalo Guerrero, Sean Blenkinsop and Sarah Anderson
Monday, 9 May 2022 17:00 – 18:30 BST
In these three seminars planned for May 2022, we have invited participants to consider their national context for outdoor learning and the effect they think this may have had on their society. Is there, for instance, a coherent strategy for promoting / practising OE in their country, an aspiration for a strategic impact or if there’s a more scattergun approach in which different approaches are facilitated and utilised by different actors? How have these approaches affected the practice of outdoor learning?
In this webinar, our speakers come from Chile, British Columbia Canada and Oregon USA, offering a wide range of views and experiences across different political and practical contexts.
Play now
Asia and Australasia
Policy and practice of outdoor learning in Asia and Australasia
Wylie Suet, Yash Sonigra, Aditya Patil, Dhrouv Vishwasrao, Krishna Patel, Jean Cory Wright and Susanna Ho
Thursday, 5 May 2022 08:00 – 09:30 BST
In these three seminars planned for May 2022, we have invited participants to consider their national context for outdoor learning and the effect they think this may have had on their society. Is there, for instance, a coherent strategy for promoting/practising OE in their country, an aspiration for a strategic impact or if there’s a more scattergun approach in which different approaches are facilitated and utilised by different actors? How have these approaches affected the practice of outdoor learning?
In this webinar, our speakers come from Hong Kong, India, New Zealand and Singapore, offering a wide range of views and experiences across different political and practical contexts.
Watch now
Dates for your diary
The 9th International Outdoor Education Research Conference - IOERC9 webpage click here
Monday 18th (4pm start) - Friday 22nd (lunchtime) July 2022
- Call for papers Summer 2021 - submission deadline extended to December 1st
- Bookings open Autumn 2021
- Venue: University of Cumbria, Ambleside, England, on the campus in the heart of the Lake District National Park.
- Pre-conference field trips (arrive Friday 15th for the weekend)
The conference convenors are Chris Loynes and Heather Prince, both at the University of Cumbria.
Please note that for the IOERC- there is no central office for organisation, no membership body, and no membership fees, with each conference being hosted and organised by academic colleagues at one University.