Arrangement of the learning space
Many activities that students do in classrooms can also be done outside the classroom. Since outdoor learning is aimed at gaining practical experiences, the arrangement of the learning space matters. Space is arranged to allow for free movement of learners, especially when doing field research (Lave 64). For example, students might go to the field to collect data and record their observations about plant samples. In this context, the learning space is a field where plants are located. Students can be organized into groups to move around the field collecting the specific plants for learning. Space allows for free movement of the students and their teacher. They can identify a specific place where they can gather after collecting the sample. It can be a place under a tree with shade where they can record observations, take notes, and draw sketches while standing. A teacher can use a movable blackboard or whiteboard to give instructions and teach.
Body Engagement and Actions
Body engagement and actions taken during outdoor learning is aimed at achieving various objectives. For instance, greetings, discussions, and practical experiments help in the development of attitude and creating an aesthetic awareness among the learners. The approach is necessary when the authority wants to create public awareness about a social problem. They can also learn skills that can help them to control the problem. During the learning process, the mode of interaction among them matters. These include gestures, sign language, and various body movements to dramatize the learning. Since it is an informal setting, learners freely interact. They engage each other socially through friendly conversations as the learning continues. These might include laughter, greeting, and eating. As the learning continues, they get used to one another and share both personal and topic-based experiences (Lave 74).
The teacher has the ultimate responsibility for what happens during the learning process. However, experience earned outside the classroom assists learners to develop a greater sense of responsibility towards one another. The teacher is also engaged in the actions to help in building the skills needed to complete a task assigned to them. To achieve greater benefits with the learning outside the classroom, it is essential to match activities chosen with the core objectives of the fieldwork. Selecting the objectives to be achieved might depend on factors such as timing and sequences of learning activities (Resnick 20). In many instances, learning outside the classroom has been used to gather practical information, which is then compared to the theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom. The exercise involves various physical activities.
Materials and Tools Used in Learning
The mode of using learning materials in outdoor education is different from that of the formal learning setting. Informal education, the use of education materials, tools, and other resources take a structured format. Tools and materials are organized and used systematically for progressive learning. Even though outside school education tends to take the same format, the use of learning materials and tools does not take a formal structure. Learning tools can be books, pens, scientific equipment, sharp objects, and vegetation among other things. Tools are used in drawing sketches, digging the field, building structures. The aim is to ensure the learners get firsthand knowledge from the materials, tools, and other resources they use (Resnick 17).
The manipulation of tools and materials to gain knowledge and experience does not take a particular format. What one group does might differ from the subsequent groups that are learning the same concept. For instance, one group might be digging holes while others might be developing structures on the holes. In this case, materials used by the subsequent groups to learn might be different. Also, the level of control on how they are used is limited. As a result, innovativeness and creativity are encouraged by learners. The freedom of using learning materials allows the learners to discover many things that had never been discovered before. The social organization of the learning outside school gives the learners a chance to explore the topic further (Lave 70).
Participants and their Relationship with each Other
Learning outside the school offers a sense of social diversity and flexibility. The participants can be adults, a mixture of adults and children, or a specific group of people. As opposed to the classroom where everything is done according to the structured schedule and the use of learning resources, learning outside the school environment is more diverse. It depends on the context and the issue to be learned at the moment and this can change the situation. People who learn outside school have diverse experiences and skills. During learning, the organization of the classroom is a bit unique. Instead of having a teacher and a learner as in the school context, outdoor learning includes people with diverse knowledge and skills (Resnick 15). The work of the facilitator is to organize the learners in a manner that encourages interactivity and creativity. All people in the classroom can learn from one another by sharing life experiences and skills.
The concept of interdependency is prevalent among the participants. The learners freely interact and depend on one another. They share knowledge and skills as well as life experiences with each other. In many instances, the classroom setting in outdoor learning is arranged in groups. Each group has several people who interdepend on each other in the process of acquiring knowledge. The interdependency in this context enhances diversity and practical learning skills. Students have the freedom to consult, do several activities together, and share practical skills. It is different from the school learning in which activities in the classroom follow a certain structure and organization (Lave 68). The teacher tends to control the activities as opposed to outdoor learners who are more social and uncontrolled.
Rules and Norms of Learning
Training in the informal learning environment is characterized by a practical approach to learning as the main norm. This is opposed to formal education where students are exposed to basic skills. The rest of the skills are learned through work experiences. Learning outside the school takes practical approaches in which the knowledge is not confined to specific standards. There is no limit of learning for students who have the freedom of exploring the subject to the levels of their desires. Many subjects are aimed at providing solutions to real-life problems. There is no formal procedure for solving these problems. What is important is that the ultimate goal is achieved (Resnick 19). A learner can come up with a skill that can be adopted without many questions about its credibility.
The norms followed in a normal classroom setting are different from those followed when learning outside a classroom. In a classroom, learning practices are individualized and the learning outcomes are assessed independently. Some of the assessment tools include assignments, homework, and exam, which are done by the individual students. Learning outside the school promotes a sense of interdependence and interaction among learners. The main norm in outside learning is the aspect of the shared evaluation of learning activities. The activities to be done during learning sessions occur in groups and students contribute to the development of the knowledge and learning project (Lave 77).
The idea of informal learning outside the classroom is essential for professionals in all structured workplaces. Sometimes, the structured systems might fail to work because of unexpected breakdowns. In these cases, a person who has practical skills and experience in the informal context is needed. It is also important to note that everything cannot operate in a formal way (Resnick 22). Therefore, acquiring knowledge through informal learning is necessary to deal with unstructured problems.
Works Cited
Lave, Jean. “Situating Learning in Communities of Practice.” Perspectives on Socially Shared Cognition (Chap. 4). (1991): 63-82. Print.
Resnick, L. B. “The 1987 Presidential Address Learning In School and Out.” Educational Researcher 16.9 (1987): 13-54. Print.