Ara - ASL presentations #4

Last session for tutors to present on their learnings through their ASL. Three presentations from Humanities’ Outdoor education and sustainability programmes.

Mike Atkinson with ‘Adventure Safety Auditing’. Provided background on NZ legislative requirements and the history of the reasons – number of fatalities pre-2009. Now all companies providing adventure activities must have external audits for their safety management plan. Mike observed and assisted full audits and technical expert audits. Learning used to assist with re-writing of Sustainability and Outdoor Educational programme; teaching on 3^rd year degree course on policy and planning; and insights into what other organisations are doing and learning from their systems and processes.

Steve Chapman presented on how he used his ASL to update and re-validate his river / white-water skills(including completing rafting rescue course), develop a mountain biking course (including completing a Mtb skills course) and reconnect with the industry. MTb course includes wider range of MTb activities including use of MTb for touring. Outcomes included promoting Ara programmes, explaining the course matrix to industry and provide information on Ara as a whole.

   

Jean Cory-Wright presented on work undertaken through her Post-Graduate Diploma in Education and now continuing with in her Masters. Her interest is on emotions due to interest in neuroscience and recent literature on aspects of neuro-education. Summarised ‘explorations of long term impacts of learning social and educational theory concepts, through experiential methods set in the outdoors’. Used a course as a case study to example how experiential learning affects students. Her study connects with graduates to find out what they remembered and how they perceived their emotions’ contributed to their learning. Also shared her experiences as a coach for the NZ orienteering teams in the world orienteering championships. Also involved in running training camps for orienteers and orienteering coaches.