Course description

A focused professional learning journey.

Outdoor education turns natural, cultural and urban spaces into sources of inquiry, movement, cooperation and connection. Its value comes not from being outside alone, but from carefully linking experience to curriculum, reflection and the realities of a particular place.

The course is active and practice-oriented. Participants experience short outdoor methods, investigate nature and the city as learning environments, examine safety and inclusion, and facilitate a small activity of their own. The programme can be adapted to different ages, subjects and levels of access to green space.

Who is this course for?

Teachers, education staff, school leaders, youth workers and trainers working with varied age groups.

Education settingsSchool, VET, adult and non-formal learning Prior experienceNo specialist expertise unless stated RecommendedBring a laptop or tablet where possible

Course objectives

Use experiential and place-based learning principles
Connect outdoor experiences to curriculum outcomes
Facilitate observation, inquiry, movement and reflection
Plan inclusive participation in varied outdoor environments
Apply proportionate risk–benefit assessment
Develop regular outdoor learning rather than isolated trips

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Facilitate at least three adaptable outdoor methods
Design a curriculum-connected nature or urban inquiry
Complete a practical risk–benefit assessment
Adapt routes, roles and resources for diverse needs
Use reflection to convert experience into learning evidence
Produce an outdoor learning sequence for local use

Detailed 5-day programme

Fifteen connected modules, from understanding to confident application.

Day 1

Learning Through Place and Experience

Module 01

Why Learning Changes Outdoors

Explore attention, movement, memory, wellbeing and social connection through direct experience, then connect observations to experiential-learning theory.

Module 02

Facilitation and the Reflection Cycle

Practise briefing, questioning, debriefing and reflective routines that help learners name what happened, what it means and where it transfers.

Module 03 · Applied workshop

Experiential Learning Cycle in Practice

Complete a short outdoor challenge and use structured observation, reflection, conceptualisation and transfer to see how experience becomes learning.

Practical outcome: Personal outdoor-method toolkit

Day 2

Nature as a Cross-Curricular Classroom

Module 04

Observation, Curiosity and Field Inquiry

Use noticing routines, sensory mapping, classification, measurement and questioning to create entry points for science, language, mathematics and arts.

Module 05

Ecological Connection Without Eco-Anxiety

Frame local biodiversity and environmental change through agency, evidence and care. Design a manageable learner investigation.

Module 06 · Applied workshop

Field Inquiry Workshop

Design and test a nature-based investigation using observation, measurement, sketching, questioning and evidence collection linked to curriculum goals.

Practical outcome: Nature-based inquiry activity

Day 3

The City as a Living Text

Module 07

Reading History, Culture and Systems in Place

Interpret architecture, public space, mobility, signs and community stories as evidence. Build routes that support comparison and critical observation.

Module 08

Urban Challenges and Learner Documentation

Use mapping, photography, field notes and short interviews ethically to investigate accessibility, sustainability or cultural memory.

Module 09 · Applied workshop

Urban Learning Trail Design

Create a place-based route that uses architecture, public space, local history or community life as sources for interdisciplinary learning.

Practical outcome: Curriculum-linked urban learning trail

Day 4

Safe, Inclusive and Confident Practice

Module 10

Risk–Benefit Thinking

Move beyond risk avoidance by identifying educational benefit, foreseeable hazards, preventive measures, supervision points and emergency responses.

Module 11

Access, Belonging and Group Dynamics Outdoors

Adapt pace, distance, sensory load, communication, equipment and roles. Prevent exclusion while maintaining meaningful challenge.

Module 12 · Applied workshop

Risk–Benefit and Accessibility Clinic

Evaluate an outdoor activity for hazards, developmental value, sensory needs, mobility, weather and supervision, then prepare proportionate adaptations.

Practical outcome: Risk–benefit and inclusion plan

Day 5

Outdoor Learning Laboratory

Module 13

Participant-Led Micro-Activities

Facilitate a short activity for peers, observe learner response and receive feedback on instructions, questioning, timing and inclusion.

Module 14

From One Activity to a Sustainable Routine

Sequence outdoor learning before, during and after the experience and identify low-cost opportunities near the home institution.

Module 15 · Applied workshop

Participant-Led Outdoor Micro-Teaching

Facilitate part of an original outdoor lesson, collect feedback on clarity, inclusion and reflection, and revise it for use in the home institution.

Practical outcome: Complete outdoor learning sequence

The sequence and examples may be fine-tuned after the pre-course needs analysis. The published learning outcomes and 30 teaching hours remain unchanged.

Teaching and learning methods

The course uses active professional learning. Short conceptual inputs are followed by investigation, creation, testing, feedback and reflection connected to each participant’s own educational context.

Field-based workshopsSensory inquiryPlace mappingCooperative challengesRisk–benefit clinicParticipant facilitation

Your course product

A locally adaptable outdoor learning sequence with curriculum links, facilitation plan, inclusion adjustments, reflection tasks and risk–benefit assessment.

European relevance

The course translates European priorities and competence frameworks into practical educational and institutional action.

Erasmus+ priorities

Environment and fight against climate changeConnecting environmental understanding with direct observation, place-based inquiry and responsible action.
Inclusion and diversityAdapting outdoor learning, movement, group roles and access so that varied learners can participate safely and meaningfully.
Participation in democratic lifeUsing shared spaces and local issues to develop learner voice, stewardship and community participation.
Support for education staffExpanding educators’ capacity to use natural and urban environments as safe, curriculum-connected learning settings.

EU competence frameworks and reference instruments

GreenCompDeveloping systems thinking, futures literacy, care for nature and individual and collective action for sustainability.
Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable developmentSupporting whole-education approaches that make sustainability a practical part of teaching and learning.
LifeCompStrengthening collaboration, wellbeing, self-regulation and learning through experience and reflection.
Key Competences for Lifelong LearningIntegrating science, citizenship, cultural awareness and learning-to-learn competences in authentic environments.
Education for Climate CoalitionConnecting local educational action with European exchange and cooperation for climate education.

Assessment, validation and follow-up

Learning is evidenced through active participation, daily practical outcomes, peer and trainer feedback, the final course product and an individual transfer commitment. Participants receive a Certificate of Attendance. Learning Agreement and Europass Mobility support is available when required.

Outdoor Education: Learning Beyond the Classroom