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Seminar: April Hausle: Designing Outdoor Learning Environments to Support Middle School Science Curriculum
March 25, 2022 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Designing Outdoor Learning Environments to Support Middle School Science Curriculum
April Hausle, MHS Presentation
Under the direction of Julieta Sherk, Chair of Advisory Committee
Friday, March 25, 2022 at 10:00 AM
121 Kilgore Hall / Hybrid (Zoom)
Zoom Meeting: https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/99931534438?pwd=anY3anBNN003RHJXR0o5MGV3VzYzZz09
Passcode: 346538
Abstract: Outdoor learning environments (OLEs) are defined as any outdoor spaces within schools or informal educational settings where lessons occur. Examples of OLEs include, but are not limited to, school gardens, nature trails, and educational areas within public gardens. Regular outdoor lessons have been shown to improve learning outcomes for middle school students (ages 11-14), as well as contribute to their mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Although there is a large body of evidence to support the countless benefits of outdoor learning for adolescents, there is little research examining the design of OLEs in middle school settings. With the goal of improving the design quality of OLEs, 29 formal and informal middle school educators in the Southeast United States were surveyed to determine their views on which design elements are most effective for demonstrating NC Essential Science Standards and other scientific concepts to their students. This study also compared and contrasted OLEs in formal versus informal educational settings and examined educators’ attitudes toward teaching outdoors during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Results from this survey suggest that educators feel least confident about teaching 7th grade NC Essential Science Standards in OLEs. Educators consider outdoor classrooms to be the most effective design element within OLE’s for demonstrating scientific concepts to middle school students, and OLEs are most useful to educators when they contain a wide variety of design elements. Furthermore, OLE design element preference differs between formal and informal educators. Formal educators prefer garden-centric OLEs with elements such as compost areas, raised beds, vegetable plots and greenhouses, while informal educators prefer nature-centric OLEs with elements such as water features, trails, pollinator gardens and pathways. Finally, the majority of middle school educators feel that, with proper precautions such as masks and social distancing, outdoor learning is a safe activity during the Covid-19 pandemic.