Some people might wish to avoid mention of outdoor education incidents that result in fatalities. Others see the case studies as complex scenarios to confront that deepen understanding, awareness and care. Associate Professor of Health Sciences at the University of Canterbury, Chris North, is the latter.
He’s just been recognised with the university’s top academic honour for his transformative contributions to outdoor and experiential education. His fatality case study model prepares outdoor educators for the realities they will encounter, something he says is uncomfortable but necessary.
“By bringing in cases where people have died and asking students to study them, it’s grim, it’s compelling, and it makes them think. It helps them plan better, be more aware, and those are really important things.”
“Otherwise, an assessment on risk management just turns out to be another test, another assignment. I want them to go out being safer. We want to try and reduce the number of fatalities, eliminate them if possible.
“We are aspirational. We look to bring out the best in people and connect them with nature in ways that support both the environment and them. And the worst thing an outdoor educator can conceive of is somebody dying in our care.”
Catering to students with learner-centred, individualised programmes is one of his key teaching approaches. He says that allowing them to choose a fatality or an incident closer to their practice increased engagement. “That allowed them to contextualise that learning more, and therefore the learning was more powerful for them.
“It’s what the student does that creates the learning,” he says. “The doing, the environment and the physical embeddedness of being in a place with a group of people is at the heart of the learning that I facilitate.”
His model has since evolved into a national programme. “The fatality prevention workshops that are being rolled out nationally were informed by some of the research I did with my students, an academic from Australia, and another academic from New Zealand.
“We’ve created this workshop that’s now going around to support outdoor leaders, outdoor educators, and school principals to better understand how to keep students and young people safe in the outdoors.
“It’s really gratifying to see that research also picked up and applied internationally for preparing teachers for field trips.”
His overarching philosophy is showing future teachers how their progress connects to the wider network of education. “I want students to take away the idea that what they’re learning here is not just relevant here, it’s relevant outside, in the community and in their future lives. I want them to see those connections.
“It’s about helping students to see that these are steps on a pathway towards knowledge that is valued for the future. Learning is satisfying, sometimes fun, sometimes totally hard work, but really worthwhile.”
