GUIDED RISK TAKINGAdventure-based Activity to Enrich the Lives, Learning and Educational Outcomes for Students by Creating Opportunities for Deeper Thinking

Ko Ngongotaha Te MaungaNgongotaha is the mountainKo Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe te MoanaRotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe is the body of waterKo Te Arawa te Iwi, te whānau whāngaiTe Arawa is the tribe, the adopted familyKo Nick Chater taku ingoa,My name is Nick ChaterNo reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

PERSONAL BRIEF HISTORY

• 25 years in the Adventure & Education sector

• Rafting; NZ Rivers Association Executive, Assessor and Senior Assessor Mentor, Lead instructor for National River Rescue workshops, Local River Rescue Coordinator.

• Owner operator Multi-Day Adventures and Mountain Bike Rotorua (13 years)

• Recreation includes, SUPing, MTBing, Kayaking, Climbing, Snowboarding, racing Waka Ama (outrigger canoe) and Rafts at a National and International level. Current World R6 masters champions.

• Teaching at Tertiary level for 20 years.

• Whanau; Wife Kimi and daughters Ani and Tenaya.

CURRENT POSITION & ROLEAcademic Lead Adventure Tourism, within the Tourism and Hospitality Department.

Programmes that I deliver include:

 

Outdoor Challenges Level 2 which is a short course that aims to help students set goals and gain confidence.

 

Certificate of Adventure Tourism Level 3 is a full year program which focuses on developing life skills for students themselves.

 

Diploma of Adventure Tourism Level 5 is a full year programme which focuses on how to look after and lead others.

 

Defining Hospitality Level 5 is a course run as part of the Tourism Management and Hotel Management programs.

OUTLINE OF THE STUDENTS I TEACH

• Waiariki is a Bi-cultural institute, with 4 major campuses within our region, and approx. 6000 students.

• 60% of students are Maori.

• 40% of our people live in the bottom 10% of incomes earners within the NZ.

• Social issues are a key element to why many of our students are unsuccessful with education completion.

MY PHILOSOPHY – GUIDED RISK TAKING

I hold the belief that for people to learn, make positive personal changes and to ultimately feel a sense of purpose and wellbeing, they need to be able to positively challenge themselves and take measured risks.

An observation I have made is that the mental challenges students face are often much more overpowering than the physical challenges arising from the outdoor activities.

Frequently, the biggest challenge and personal risk the students face is applying themselves to the theory component in the classroom

When they make the connection between theory and practice and are successful at both, they see themselves in a completely different light

EVOLUTION OF MY TEACHING PRACTISE

Really started with post grad study, I’ve had to challenge my perceptions as to who I thought I was as a learner and a teacher.

The greatest degree of change has come from challenging myself by reassessing how I teach in the classroom.

My research showed:

• Adventure Tourism students are by nature active and kinesthetic learners.

• The major cause of students being unsuccessful, was not completing written assessments.

• A review of previous results indicated that of those students that completed the year, but did not achieve the qualification, over 60% failed a theory paper

STUDENT FEEDBACK REVEALED:

• a history of past failures with assignments and negative prior experiences at school

• a mind-set that being practical and outdoor- orientated meant they were not smart or academic

• anxiety and fear of failure led to assignments being left to the last minute and too hard to even start

• personal and social issues at home meant that school work was not being completed out of class

• an unwillingness to ask for help or use existing learner support mechanisms provided

MAORI CONCEPTS A KEY INFLUENCE

The values and beliefs I share with Māori culture have hugely influenced my teaching practice. Those that have had particular influence are:

• Whanaungatanga

• Kaitiakitanga

• Manaakitanga

WHANAUNGATANGA

Whanau - extended family, family group, a familiar term of address to a number of people. In the modern context the term is sometimes used to include friends who may not have any kinship ties to other members.

Whanaungatanga - a relationship through shared experiences and working together which provides people with a sense of belonging. Each individual is a valued member of the group, whatever affects the individual affects the group, whatever affects the group, affects the individual.

In practise this concept is at the heart of my teaching, creating positive relationships through shared experiences and working together provides us all with a sense of belonging, and serves to strengthen each member of the group.

KAITIAKITANGA

Guardianship and protection of the environment

Guardianship and protection of all things Maori.

In practise we care about the environment where our activities take place and are cognisant of the need to care and protect Maori beliefs and spiritual values.

MANAAKITANGA

“Behaviour that acknowledges the mana of others as having equal or greater importance than ones own, through the expression of aroha, hospitality, generosity and mutual respect. Displaying Manaakitanga elevated the status of all, building unity through the humility and the act of giving”

In practise this means that along with my students I create an environment where there is respect, kindness, generosity and hospitiality.

PLANNING & DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Adventure-based activity can enrich lives and educational outcomes for students.

Teaching students to apply theory to practical tasks and to challenge the body and the mind.

Adventure Tourism programs are not just about meeting industry needs but also about acquisition of skills useful no matter what they do.

Results are important but not the only indicator of success.

EXAMPLES OF TEACHING PRACTISE

My teaching and assessment practices are underpinned by a number of key principles. They are :

Student centeredness 

• shifting the programmes from being teacher-centred to student focused.

• designing programmes which scaffold students’ learning from known to the unknown, building from simple to complex learning situations so that students feel comfortable and confident to take ownership of their learning (Vygotsky, 1978).

 

CO-CONSTRUCTION OF LEARNING

• Getting students to re-think how they experience and participate in learning and assessment.

• Building opportunities for student input into all parts of the learning and assessment process.

• Instead of telling students what I want them to do to achieve a learning outcome or an assessment task, we decide together how this will be best accomplished (First Level Assessment & Feedback Project, 2009).

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

• Programme content and outcomes are important, but should not be seen as the primary focus for learning.

• reduce the amount of stand-alone theoretical content and increase the experiential learning activities (Kolb, 1984)

• programmes are no longer about students remembering and proving they understand theory but has moved to experimenting with and applying this knowledge.

• Students reflect on why something has or has not worked, gathering feedback from peers and others, analysing and evaluating their actions and considering how they might improve.

• We have moved from superficial learning to a much deeper reflective approach.

AUTHENTICITY, TRANSPARENCY & DIALOGUE IN ASSESSMENT

Ensure assessment are:

• Real, Relevant and Motivating – students can see the relevancy and how the assessment relates to the real world.

• Clearly linked to learning outcomes and are part of day to day learning.

• Large assessments are broken down into smaller tasks that allow for formative feedback. (Johnson & Flint, 2011)

• Students have guidance and a full understanding of the requirements of task’s.

EVALUATING REFLECTING AND DEBRIEFING

Facilitation of the debrief:

• Integral and normalised part of the learning process

• Move from the teacher holding the power to it becoming a shared responsibility

• Students need to know where they are at, where they are going and how they are going to get there.

• Making mistakes is seen as an important part of the learning process.

ASSESSING STUDENTS LEARNING

The students were asked what we did positively or negatively that made a difference to them attempting this paper. Key comments included:

Positive and supportive teaching staff and help from learning advisor made it easier.

Clear explanations of what was required. Broke it up and covered each step so it was easy to understand and reduced pressure.

Method of teaching – offered extra help, was calm, knew the subject, challenged us and gained our interest, presented information in a way that made sense.

Gave feedback on what to improve

By the end of the paper 100% of the students agreed generally or strongly that they felt more confident they could carry on with their studies.

When asked to rate how actively staff involved and supported them in the learning process, 90% of the surveyed students strongly agreed this was the case.

Finally, to ascertain whether we had improved the student’s future performance by scaffolding their learning and providing effective feedback we asked students to comment on how feedback received had assisted them in their actual assignment and coping with assessments that followed.

Comments received included:

Let me know I was on the right track so was confident to continue Helped me by understanding what and how to do better in upcoming

assessments All flowed together – was able to reference back to what had been done

before Gained a good understanding after the first assessment so future assignments

were easier Felt like a ‘dumb arse’ but got me working harder

The students were more positive and confident about tackling theory papers. This is further evidenced from the following comments made by Adventure students:

Jesse – “I always thought I wasn’t a theory person – I was really surprised at how well I coped”

Zoe – “I dreaded the Ecotourism class but I’m actually going to miss it”

Graeme – “I thought I couldn’t make it in Ecotourism – the first thing I did when I passed my essay was ring my Mum and she was really proud”

SUMMARY OF THE KEY LEARNINGOutdoor and adventure based activity is an effective tool to engage students back into education. Push not only practical skills but theory as well.

Outdoor activity can include the acquisition of skills that can be used in a wide range of environments

To bring positivity and create avenues for change in the lives of our at risk youth.

Emphasis and positivity around theory based learning can change how students relate to education and the world around them and achieve at much higher levels

Key strategies used: Relationships are the cornerstone, shift of power to the student, assessment and learning outcomes are part of day to day teaching, assessment that mimics the work environment, scaffolding of learning and feedback is key.

REFERENCE LIST:

First Level Assessment and Feedback Project. (2009). Designing first-year assessment and feedback: A guide for university staff. Leeds, England: Leeds Metropolitan University.

Flint, N. R., & Johnson, B. (2011). Towards fairer university assessment: Recognising the concerns of students. Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Kolb, D.A. (1984) Experiential Learning: Experiences as the Source of Learning and Development, Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice Hall

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978) Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.