WHY WE NEED TO GET THEM OUTSIDE
Deep insight into climate change comes from the experience of a fieldtrip, not the theory of the classroom. Nick Chaddock makes the case for more outdoor learning. A great deal more.
Climate change close up
Driving north towards the Andong region in South Korea on the morning of Saturday, March 22nd, I noticed a forest fire burning to the right of the motorway. I was with a group of students en route to the start of a field trip. Even from a distance, the scale of the blaze was evident, with at least eight helicopters already engaged in battling the thick, white smoke. Little did I know at the time that we were witnessing the beginnings of what would become the largest forest fire in the recorded history of South Korea.
The Andong wildfire, fueled by strong, dry winds moved rapidly, clocking in at an alarming 8.2 kilometers per hour. This made containment incredibly challenging for the thousands of firefighters, military personnel and around 100 helicopters deployed to combat the flames. The firestorm, deemed the fastest-spreading on record by the Korea Forest Service, jumped across the landscape, eventually reaching the east coast, over 50 kilometers away, within a mere 12 hours.
Over 30 lives were lost as the fast-moving flames engulfed homes and evacuation routes. The inferno consumed an estimated 90,000 hectares of woodland. The economic toll is staggering, with authorities estimating the total damages to be around $1.35 billion. The Andong wildfire, therefore, serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of even developed countries to natural disasters in the face of increasingly extreme weather conditions caused by changing climates.
What struck me was this: you can see the often-dramatic impact of climate change second hand – on the TV, on social media – but witnessing an event like the Andong wildfire – is potentially life-changing.
Experiential learning for deep understanding
In Andong, the impact of climate change was clear for my students to see at first-hand. I have written previously about the benefits of outdoor education in terms of well-being, soft-skill development and growing a love of the environment and the outdoors. However, climate change and what is happening to the environment now, demands a deeper academic understanding. For that, a more hands-on approach that only experiential learning can provide is essential for our young people.
STEM as part of the experience
Apart from being valuable experiences in their own right, fieldtrips can be the foundation for whole units of academic learning. Next month I will take students to Pyeongsari Valley near Jirisan National Park, made famous as the setting of Park Kyong-Ni’s epic novel Land. By conducting on-site measurements using GPS technology, analysing water samples and employing drone imagery to assess land use, we are weaving in STEM activities to the field trip experience – from data collection and analysis to problem-solving and technological application – the excursion is transformed into an immersive learning experience.
Making the case for a STEM expedition
The challenges of putting together high-quality experiential learning with meaningful academic impact are complicated. Pressure on staffing and time away from traditional classroom teaching are major concerns for those responsible for academic results. Therefore, it is vital to present evidence demonstrating that experiential learning, particularly in STEM fields, leads to deeper understanding, better retention of concepts, and improved critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We have to clearly articulate how the STEM learning embedded in these experiences directly supports and enriches the existing curriculum.
In addition, we have to show how real-world applications and data collection in the field align with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and are important not just in terms of curriculum coverage, but also for future employment.
It is vital to illustrate how these experiences can spark student interest in STEM fields, potentially leading to increased enrollment in related courses and inspiring future scientists, engineers and innovators – the people who are going to help us tackle the challenges of climate change.
For those of us tasked with persuading leaders, we have to argue that the observations, data collected and projects undertaken during time away from the traditional classroom can provide opportunities for authentic forms of assessment, which would appeal to more traditional mindsets. It is also vital for us to identify and develop relationships with local companies, organisations, colleges, universities and research institutions so we can offer enhanced learning opportunities for our students outside of school.
Rutger Bregman and taking action
In his latest book ‘Moral Ambition’, Rutger Bregman argues that addressing climate change should be the desired vocation of all our students. Rather than shouting about climate change, he says we should be out there doing something about it and translating our ideas into actions and then into results. Bregman estimates that around 25% of the workforce of any one country has jobs that are ‘socially meaningless. I think we have to ensure that no part of our schools’ curriculums have become ‘socially meaningless’.
This will also serve the future employment prospects of many. Investment in climate adaptation is at an all-time high and is projected to be the third-largest contributor to global job growth over the next decade, creating millions of new positions. The World Economic Forum says 41% of employers surveyed expect adjustment to the effects of climate change to be a key focus of their field by 2030. ‘Green hiring’ with employers looking for ‘green skills’ is outpacing general market hiring trends in recent years, with employment in climate change-related positions projected to skyrocket. However, right now the market is not prepared to meet this demand, as climate-focused job postings outpaces green skills development. Are our schools adapting their curriculums quickly enough to address these demands?
Lasting impact on student lives
It is clear that carefully designed educational experiences that offer unique learning opportunities cannot be fully replicated within the four walls of a traditional classroom. By strategically addressing the concerns and highlighting the significant educational benefits we can effectively persuade academic leaders that STEM-rich experiential learning in the field is not only a valuable and worthwhile investment of time and resources – it is essential in order to prepare the next generation for the challenges that both the environment and a vastly different job market will pose as they enter employment themselves.
Nick Chaddock
Nick is from York in the UK, and currently works at North London Collegiate School on Jeju Island in South Korea, specialising in second language pedagogy, the acquisition of academic English and outdoor education.
Feature & Support images with kind permission from North London Collegiate School, Jeju Island, South Korea.
