Outdoor Experiences

Outdoor Experiences is designed to foster the development of learner independence and self-sufficiency within the context of outdoor recreational activities

Through practical experiences in two or more outdoor recreation activities (typically containing an element of adventure) the learner will develop a variety of skills and knowledge.

The following elements are central to this course:

• personal development
• social and interpersonal development
• skills and technical knowledge
• the environment.

These elements shape the way in which learners:

• think about themselves and their experiences
• learn sustainable environmental practice
• learn to be effective members of a group
• communicate with others
• solve basic problems associated with outdoor activities
• understand and apply safe practice in an outdoor-based adventure environment.

Outdoor Experiences introduces learners to the Outdoor Learning group of the Health and Physical Education (HPE) course suite.
Tasmania is acknowledged internationally as a destination for a diverse range of quality outdoor recreation experiences.* Our unique world-class natural heritage provides learners with an ideal setting and opportunity to experience national benchmark senior secondary courses in Outdoor Learning.

As part of the government’s healthy Tasmania five-year strategic plan 2022–2026 Tasmania is aiming to become the nation’s fittest state. For this to occur our state will need to foster a generation of lifelong learners who embrace and enjoy active participation in regular physical activity.

Outdoor Experiences provides an opportunity for learners to connect with a range of outdoor activities. It will help build a positive lifelong health culture in Tasmania and physical literacy, both individually and across the wider community.

Outdoor Experiences exposes learners to selected leisure activities, outside the scope of sport or competition, and allows them to explore the physical, social, emotional and spiritual benefits of high-quality outdoor recreation experiences. Learners also consider the importance of sustainable practice to help protect our natural environments for future generations. This course provides an introduction to responsible, safe, and environmentally sustainable practice.

Outdoor Experiences is a Level 1 course in the Outdoor Learning group of the Health and Physical Education (HPE) suite of courses. It provides learning experiences that engage and develop learners in a holistic way.

Outdoor Experiences offers the learner personal challenges across three domains:

• physical (activities requiring learners to be active at a variety of levels)
• cognitive (thinking and asking questions)
• emotional (feelings about, and engagement with, the physical and social self).

Outdoor Experiences aims to provide learners with:

• a broad appreciation of Outdoor Education philosophy and approaches
• basic skills, technical knowledge and awareness of the natural environment that will enable them to safely participate in a range of outdoor activities and challenges
• opportunities to develop self-management, personal, social and interpersonal skills
• positive lifestyle habits and behaviours to support lifelong health.

Outdoor Experiences encourages learners to develop an understanding of self, to foster positive relationships with others and the natural environment and contribute towards achieving an ecologically sustainable world.

On successfully completing this course, learners will be able to:

1. apply basic skill sets and techniques related to specific outdoor recreation activities
2. describe and use personal organisational skills
3. communicate to others ideas and information about outdoor recreational activities
4. identify and summarise basic safety practices in specific outdoor recreation activities
5. describe and employ sustainable outdoor environmental practices
6. set and reflect on personal goals related to outdoor recreational activities.

Learners must have the capacity to demonstrate fundamental movement skills applicable to selected outdoor activities to ensure that safety elements and educational challenges are aligned at an appropriate level. The capacity to work in teams and interact with others are fundamental aspects of this course.

Learners with physical disabilities can access this course and receive an award commensurate with their demonstrated ability to successfully meet the criteria and standards.

Outdoor Experiences Level 1 builds on foundation concepts emerging from the cross curricular approaches of the Australian Curriculum F-10: 

These Curriculum Connections for Outdoor Learning are designed to address four dimensions:
1. Skills and knowledge
2. Connections
3. Conservation and sustainability
4. Health and wellbeing

Cross-curriculum experiences may be organised and delivered through Outdoor Learning in Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Geography and Science.

Outdoor Learning F-10 also provides opportunities to develop the General capabilities particularly:

• Personal and Social Capability,
• Critical and Creative thinking
• Ethical understanding

Outdoor Experiences Level 1 also connects Outdoor Learning perspectives with concepts from the Personal, Social and Community Health and Movement and Physical Activity strands of the F-10 Australian Curriculum  – Health and Physical Education.  Health and Physical Education V9 | Australian Curriculum.

Learners completing Outdoor Experiences may use it as a basis for a wide range of personal, vocational education and training options. Outdoor Experiences provides a pathway to HPE courses such as Outdoor Education Level 2, Community Sport and Recreation Level 2 and VET Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation.

After completing Outdoor Experiences, vocational pathways may include, but are not limited to: guiding; adventure tourism; natural sciences; defence forces; and training academies. Additionally, the Defence forces, State Police and Fire and Forestry Departments are examples of employment areas in the public sector that rely on people with the skills and knowledge developed through studying this course.

When planning and conducting outdoor adventure activities, providers of this course must address their school’s Risk Management procedures.

• DECYP schools can access this document via the DECYP intranet  Off-Campus Activities Planning Procedures page
• Independent and Catholic schools should refer to the Outdoor Council of Australia’s Australian Adventure Activity Standards for relevant guidelines: Australian Adventure Activity Standard - and associated Good Practice Guides

Providers should seek case-by-case advice when supporting learners with high or additional needs.

This course has a complexity level of 1.

At Level 1, the learner is expected to carry out tasks and activities that draw on a limited range of knowledge and skills. The tasks and activities generally have a substantial repetitive aspect to them. Minimum judgment is needed as there are usually very clear rules, guidelines or procedures to be followed. VET competencies at this level are often those characteristic of an AQF Certificate I.

This course has a size value of 5. 

Learners studying Outdoor Experiences must undertake at least two (2) outdoor recreation activities in the year of study. In undertaking these practical activities learners will be introduced to technical activity skills and associated safety and best practice processes. The course must be predominantly delivered through practical components using field-based experiences.

Learners will be provided with opportunities to interact with, and reflect on, their own relationship with the environment.
Providers will design experiences to be delivered in an holistic way by providing appropriate learning opportunities which integrate and reinforce key theory concepts while developing practical skills.

Learners will develop and apply their learning through experiences in two or more outdoor activities.

Within each outdoor activity undertaken, learners will undertake learning in the:

• basic skills and techniques associated with the activity
• appropriate use of resources, equipment and procedures
• application of appropriate safety processes.

More specifically, in each activity learners will:

• complete checklists detailing personal organisational requirements (e.g. equipment, clothing, monetary and transport requirements
• set personal goals related to their involvement in the activity and reflect on the degree to which they achieve these goals (e.g. factors which contributed to success/lack of success, how realistic the goals were)
• record the experience, and their reflections on it, in their Outdoor Journal – (see Appendix B for details)
• communicate simple information in field-based contexts (e.g. receiving and passing on instructions to safely apply practical activity skills)
• follow directions of leaders regarding engagement in the activity and safety procedures
• identify some personal and group risks associated with the activity
• identify ways in which the outdoor activity impacts on the natural environment
• follow Environmental Conservation Principles (e.g. Leave No Trace) as directed
• verbally contribute to debriefing sessions in a meaningful and constructive manner
• cooperate in a manner which facilitates the attainment of group goals.

Learners must undertake at least two (2) outdoor activities that align with different Activity Categories.
Experiences may include (but are not limited to) the specific activities listed below, and may vary, based on learner input and capacity, logistics and resources of the provider.
No more than one specific activity may be selected from each Activity Category.

Learners are required to create and maintain an Outdoor Journal (see Appendix 2) consisting of a record of each activity session undertaken giving the date and time, and the venue and people involved in the activity. The log will also contain learner reflections on their experiences and learning. These reflections may comprise wordlists, images (e.g. collages, sketches, maps), photos and/or brief paragraphs.

Outdoor Experiences requires all learners to maintain and regularly submit their Outdoor Journal for ongoing feedback and overall assessment purposes.

Criterion-based assessment is a form of outcomes assessment that identifies the extent of learner achievement at an appropriate end-point of study. Although assessment – as part of the learning program – is continuous, much of it is formative, and is done to help learners identify what they need to do to attain the maximum benefit from their study of the course. Therefore, assessment for summative reporting to TASC will focus on what both teacher and learner understand to reflect end-point achievement.

The standard of achievement each learner attains on each criterion is recorded as a rating of ‘C’ (satisfactory standard) according to the outcomes specified in the standards section of the course document.

A ‘t’ notation must be used where a learner demonstrates any achievement against a criterion less than the standard specified for the ‘C’ rating. The ‘t’ notation is not described in course standards.

A ‘z’ notation is to be used where a learner provides no evidence of achievement at all.

Providers offering this course must participate in quality assurance processes specified by TASC to ensure provider validity and comparability of standards across all awards. Further information on quality assurance processes, as well as on assessment, is on the TASC website.

Internal assessment of all criteria will be made by the provider. Assessment processes must gather evidence that clearly shows the match between individual learner performance, the standards of the course and the learner’s award. Providers will report the learner’s rating for each criterion to TASC.

Given the highly practical nature of this course, providers should consider the benefits of using tools such as observation checklists, video and photography as means of gathering and recording evidence of assessment.

The following processes will be facilitated by TASC to ensure there is:

• a match between the standards of achievement specified in the course and the skills and knowledge demonstrated by individual learners
• community confidence in the integrity and meaning of the qualification.

Process

TASC will verify that the provider’s course delivery and assessment meet the course requirements and community expectations for fairness, integrity and validity of qualifications TASC issues. This will involve checking:

• Provider standard 1: scope and sequence documentation:
  • course delivery plan
  • course assessment plan, assessment matrix
• Provider standard 2: student attendance records
• Provider standard 3: examples of assessments tools and instruments and associated rubrics and marking guides
• Provider standard 1 and 3: examples of student work including that related to any work requirements articulated in the course document
• Provider standard 4: class records of assessment

This process will be scheduled by TASC using a risk-based approach.

The assessment for Outdoor Experiences will be based on the learner's ability to:

The minimum requirements for an award in Outdoor Experiences Level 1, are as follows:

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT

C rating (satisfactory standard) in five (5) Criteria

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT

C rating (satisfactory standard) in three (3) Criteria

The Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) will develop and regularly review and revise the curriculum. Course evaluation is informed by the experience of the course’s implementation, delivery and assessment. More information about course evaluation can be found on the Years 9-12 website. 

The accreditation for this course has been renewed from 1 January 2026

Version 1: Accredited on 30 July 2017 for use from 1 January, 2018. This course replaces OXP105113 Outdoor Experiences that expired on 31 December 2017.

Version 1a: Accreditation renewed without amendment on 22 November 2018 for the period 1 January 2019 until 31 December 2021.

Version 1b: Accreditation renewed without amendment on 14 July 2021 for the period 31 December 2021 until 31 December 2022.

Version 1c: Accreditation renewed without amendment on 22 June 2023 for the period 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2025.

Version 2:  Minor amendments on 31 March 2025 to update the Resource Requirements to identify the relevant Risk Management procedures that must be addressed by DECYP schools and Independent and Catholic schools.

Version 3: Accreditation renewed with amendments from 1 January 2026. Minor adjustments to content and administrative updates have been made to the Course Evaluation and Pathways section. 

Throughout the course of study all learners undertaking the Outdoor Experiences Level 1 course must use and submit a Journal as a source of evidence for assessment.

Content must be regularly updated and the learner is responsible for ensuring content is current and appropriately organised.

JOURNAL USE

The learner is typically expected to update entries within 48 hours of activities and events.

The Outdoor Journal is a tool to record and support personal reflection, information sharing and collation of relevant resources and materials. Details of specific activities, events, contacts and supporting resources should be recorded in the relevant sections.

JOURNAL CONTENT

The Outdoor Journal must contain (but is not limited to) sections that address the following content:

• Outdoor Recreation Activities
  • Activity name
  • Venue
  • Date and Time
  • People involved
  • Short personal evaluation/reflection
• Visual resources (e.g. collages, sketches, maps, photographs).
• Reflection and Evaluation - (end of unit/block reviews - impact on experiences and learning)
• Learner self-evaluations

Other information that may appear in the Outdoor Journal:

• Teacher feedback
• Local contacts, emergency, weather and other useful numbers or links
• Resources, articles, and links

 JOURNAL FORMAT

Content for the Journal may be maintained in a traditional paper-based ledger or folder, stored digitally online, or a combination of both. Tools such as Googledocs/sheets, NOLRS templates and OneNote are recommended as some examples of options to consider to help in creating and maintaining digital Journal entries. Providers and learners must ensure processes are in place to secure and back up this important assessment material.