Outdoor Education

Substantial evidence exists to indicate that outdoor science education (OSE)—properly conceived, adequately planned, well taught, and effectively followed up—offers learners opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in ways that add value to their everyday experiences in the classroom. Specifically, OSE can have a positive impact on long-term memory due to the memorable nature of the setting. Effective OSE, and residential experience in particular, can lead to individual growth and improvements in students’ social skills. More importantly, there can be reinforcement between the affective and the cognitive, with each influencing the other and providing a bridge to higher-order learning. However, despite the substantial evidence of the potential of OSE to raise standards of attainment and improve attitudes toward the environment, there is evidence that the amount of OSE that takes place in the U.S. and in some other parts of the world is severely restricted.