Outdoor Leadership

The Outdoor Leadership course is designed to develop learners’ ability to interact effectively with others and increase their aptitude for leadership within the context of outdoor activities.

Central to this course are the following elements:

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

These elements shape the way in which the learners will:

• experience and learn leadership theories and practices
• manage and influence groups to work collaboratively
• develop effective communication
• develop problem solving strategies when planning and conducting group activities
• develop effective decision-making processes
• apply safety practices in outdoor-based adventure activity environments.

Through undertaking this course, learners will develop an understanding of leadership theories, qualities and skill sets of a leader, and observe and practice applying them in outdoor activities. Learners will develop an awareness and knowledge of the requirements and procedures for planning activities, and managing groups in outdoor activities. Outdoor Leadership places an emphasis on applying critical and innovative thinking to solve problems in response to environmental, technical and personal challenges experienced in outdoor activities.

Learners will be provided with opportunities to connect with, and reflect on, their own and others’ relationships within a range of outdoor recreation activities (typically containing an element of adventure) including their connection with the natural environment.

Outdoor Leadership is a Level 3 course in the Outdoor Education area. Outdoor Education is about providing challenging learning experiences that engage learners in an holistic way. Outdoor activities explicitly use experiences which challenge learners in these domains: the physical self, as activities require learners to be active at a variety of levels; the mental self, as learners are encouraged to think and ask questions; and the emotional self, as learners have feelings about and engage with the physical and the social self in order to understand themselves and their relationship to others. Outdoor Education provides opportunities for learners to participate in active citizenship and contribute to the wider community.

Outdoor Leadership encourages learners to develop an understanding of self, to develop a positive relationship with others and the natural environment, and use effective leadership techniques. Another of its primary aims is to foster an awareness of the natural environment and build responsibility for its care and conservation. These understandings empower learners to contribute towards achieving an ecologically sustainable world.

With the changes in Tasmania’s social and economic development, particularly with the identification of the major income industry being focused towards Tourism, the need to research and develop, up-skill and train people in Eco and Adventure Tourism and in Outdoor Education is essential. Tasmania needs to have people in place who can understand the need to offer quality experiences and maintain the unique opportunities Tasmania can offer. There is a need to educate Tasmanians in the value of the environment we have and appreciate the management of this sector, prepare guides and operators of, and for these ventures and to have further study to allow the development of researchers and managers into the future.

Outdoor Leadership develops a person’s understanding of leadership, where individuals are aware of themselves, others and the environment. This is something that can be taken into everyday life and the work environment to create active citizenship, and make contributions to the wider community.

On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

1. plan, manage and lead adventure activities
2. understand a range of leadership theories
3. understand group dynamics and management strategies
4. understand the skills required in leading activities
5. develop personal leadership capabilities with a self-reflective capacity
6. identify a range of minimal impact strategies to ensure ecologically sustainable practices for outdoor experiences
7. understand how outdoor leaders can facilitate emotional connection with nature
8. identify stakeholders and techniques for managing and conserving environments
9. identify different ways in which humans experience and relate to natural environments.

Outdoor Leadership provides a sound basis for learners wishing to move into areas of employment where there is a requirement for good managers and team workers. The Defence Forces, Police, Ambulance and Fire Departments, the Antarctic Division and Adventure Tourism are some examples where there is a need for people with knowledge and skills developed by studying this course.

Outdoor Leadership also provides direct pathways to related VET and higher education courses.

This course has a complexity level of 3.

At Level 3, the learner is expected to acquire a combination of theoretical and/or technical and factual knowledge and skills and use judgement when varying procedures to deal with unusual or unexpected aspects that may arise. Some skills in organising self and others are expected. Level 3 is a standard suitable to prepare learners for further study at tertiary level. VET competencies at this level are often those characteristic of an AQF Certificate III.

This course has a size value of 15.

Learners undertaking Outdoor Leadership will participate in recreational activities, using these to develop leadership techniques and understanding of technical skills through the application of their knowledge of theoretical concepts.

The course must be delivered through theory and practical components. The strong link between the theoretical and practical aspects of the course allows learners to develop knowledge and understanding, applying it in practical situations to learn and develop their skills in an holistic way.

The course providers must allow adequate time to introduce and ensure understanding of the content topics, enable learners to undertake investigative research and allow them to plan, manage and lead practical adventure activities in outdoor situations.

In delivery it is expected that a time ratio of no less than one third (approximately 50 hours) practical and two-thirds (approximately 100 hours) theory will be maintained.

All topics are compulsory. The order in which they are delivered is not prescribed.

TOPIC A: PLANNING FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Activity structure (including time management)

• briefing
• activity
• debriefing.

Planning: GO PREPARE as a planning framework – Goals, Objectives, Participants, Resources, Equipment, Plan, Access, Rationing, Emergency plan. Inclusive of the following:

• Logistics:
  • administrative concerns (e.g. institutional documentation, medical forms)
  • transport, equipment, food, water, etc...
• Safety:
  • procedures in the field to ensure safety for participants (arising from risk management).
• Communication with participants, parents and other leaders:
  • information to be conveyed (consent forms, equipment lists, route plans, etc...)
  • knowledge and application of communication systems including satellite phones, UHF radios and mobile phone networks.
• Venue considerations (e.g. National Parks’ exemptions, hut usage requirements, campsite bookings).
• Weather:
  • knowledge of information services
  • weather information required for specific activities
  • reading synoptic charts and forecasting
  • monitoring and interpreting weather in the field.
• Navigation:
  • understanding and interpretation of topographical maps
  • route planning, including grid references and calculating distances/times and the use of navigation tools.
• Risk management:
  • identify hazards and the risks they present for a range of activities
  • causal factors – environment, equipment, people
  • risk minimisation/prevention/management strategies
  • real, perceived and absolute risk
  • balancing risk in outdoor activities
  • development of comprehensive risk analysis and management plans.
• Emergency procedures:
  • escape routes
  • contacting emergency services
  • First Aid as a requirement of planning.
• Health and wellbeing from a leadership perspective:
  • physical preparation
  • nutrition (e.g. basic food groups, sensible food for adventure activities – high energy, easily prepared and cleaned up, lightweight, little rubbish)
  • hygiene (e.g. water treatment methods, hand washing and food preparation)
  • campsite selection
  • maintenance of overnight camp site
  • clothing and equipment.

TOPIC B: LEADERSHIP THEORY

• The role of a leader during outdoor adventure activities:
  • communication
  • planning
  • organisation
  • conducting/leading
  • evaluation.
• Attributes of effective leaders.
• Leadership theories (such as Leadership continuum/style theory (autocratic, democratic, abdicratic), Conditional outdoor leadership theory, Situational leadership, Transactional and transformational leadership).
• Group and task oriented leadership:
  • goals setting (e.g. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-framed goals)
  • group and individual goals.
• Equity issues in leadership (e.g. gender, age, disadvantaged groups/individuals).
• Decision making:
  • definitions and relationship between decision making and problem solving
  • analytical technique of decision making
  • value of experience based judgement.
• Techniques for reflecting on outdoor adventure activities (e.g. written notes/journals/logs/readings, dyads, photographs and drawings, group discussions, activity sheets, isolation).

TOPIC C: GROUP MANAGEMENT

• Individual (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs), group and task needs.
• Stages of group formation:
  • forming, storming, norming, performing, transforming
  • techniques to facilitate and manage issues of group development.
• Conflict:
  • resolution techniques, including benefits and disadvantages of each: avoidance, accommodation, competition, compromise, collaboration
  • tolerance and understanding for the needs of others.
• Communication:
  • channels for communication: verbal; tactile; auditory; visual
  • effective communication techniques
    • one way communication
    • two way communication, including transactional feedback
  • barriers to communication: (e.g. noise (semantic, internal, external) and overload)
  • facilitation and listening skills.

TOPIC D: ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY OF OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES

• Current issues relevant to ecological sustainability of outdoor adventure activities.
• Knowledge of environmental practices to minimise impact on environments used for outdoor adventure activities (e.g. ‘Leave no trace’).
• Stakeholders involved in environmental management and conservation, including private and government organisations including:
  • strategies stakeholder organisations use to manage the environment: permit systems, track rerouting, track closure, investment in infrastructure (new huts, toilets, camping platforms)
  • strategies stakeholders use to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental management strategies, including track and water monitoring.

TOPIC E: HUMAN – NATURE RELATIONSHIPS

• Historic and contemporary values for natural environments:
  • cultural, recreational, social, aesthetic, economic, educational, scientific, spiritual
  • connection between values, attitudes and beliefs.
• Ways in which humans have experience of natural environments:
  • senses of place and space
  • experiences (e.g. indigenous spiritual relationship, early colonial settlers, industry (forestry, mining, agriculture and fishing, ‘enterprise/employment /resources’), recreation and adventure based activities)
  • how values and attitudes towards the environment have changed over time.
• Human relationships with nature such as:
  • identification of the different values people have for the environment
  • Peter Martin’s ‘Signposts to Nature’
  • how leaders facilitate connection with natural environments.
• Threats to wilderness areas and the potential impact on human-nature experiences:
  • historical (e.g. Lake Pedder and Franklin River)
  • contemporary (e.g. population growth and climate change).

Learners will complete a body of work that includes evidence of their practical application (log and journal), research essays and a negotiated leadership project.

NEGOTIATED LEADERSHIP PROJECT (INTERNALLY ASSESSED)

In the project learners will:

• undertake a practical leadership role in an outdoor or adventure activity
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of leadership concepts
• formally reflect – in writing – on their own leadership.

Learners will plan, conduct, lead and report on an adventure activity. The activity could be part of a multi-day trip or a stand-alone activity. Learners must reflect on that activity in a written report, relating their leadership to concepts and theory in outdoor leadership and their personal skills, responsibilities and leadership roles.

As a guide, about 15 hours of work should be sufficient for the planning and conduct of the activity, and completing the written report. The report must represent the equivalent of between 2000 and 2500 words in total. The report will include – and make reference to – Evaluation Sheets completed by the activity supervisor and at least one participant. The Evaluation Sheets will provide feedback to the activity leader on their leadership and related skills. It is recommended that the pro forma Evaluation Sheet provided for Outdoor Leadership be used. This can be found in the list of Supporting Documents below.

The outdoor or adventure activity must be:

• negotiated by the student with the teacher – the appropriateness of a multi-day activity must be carefully considered
• undertaken via individual leadership – ‘individual leadership’ means planned, managed and led by a single person (not a shared leadership). If assistance is required, for instance, for specific technical matters, appropriate arrangements must be negotiated and clarified prior to the activity. This must be clearly stated in the planning material
• a minimum of one hour continuous duration, excluding any travel time not specific to the activity
• conducted with a group of people, the number of people in the group being a suitable size for the activity
• conducted using appropriate equipment and in an environmental setting relevant to the group’s developmental stage.

Learners must explain any changes to the conduct of the activity due to weather or mitigating circumstances. This explanation must include any attempts to postpone or use an agreed backup plan. Unfavourable weather conditions may mean the need to implement a backup plan and conduct a planned outdoor activity indoors.

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 ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’, according to the outcomes specified in the standards section of the course.

A ‘t’ notation must be used where a learner demonstrates any achievement against a criterion less than the standard specified for the ‘C’ rating.

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. To learn more, see TASC's quality assurance processes and assessment information.

Internal assessment of all criteria will be made by the provider. Providers will report the learner’s rating for each criterion to TASC.

TASC will supervise the external assessment of designated criteria which will be indicated by an asterisk (*). The ratings obtained from the external assessments will be used in addition to internal ratings from the provider to determine the final award.

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

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

Process – TASC gives course providers feedback about any systematic differences in the relationship of their internal and external assessments and, where appropriate, seeks further evidence through audit and requires corrective action in the future.

The following criteria will be externally assessed: 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8.

For further information, see the current external assessment specifications and guidelines for this course in the Supporting Documents below.

The assessment for Outdoor Leadership Level 3 will be based on the degree to which the learner can:

• 1. Demonstrate understanding of organisational and planning requirements for leading outdoor activities
• 2. Demonstrate understanding of leadership theory **
• 3. Demonstrate understanding of leadership qualities and skills**
• 4. Demonstrate personal leadership skills
• 5. Demonstrate understanding of group management and work collaboratively with others**
• 6. Apply and evaluate a range of ecologically sustainable practices
• 7. Demonstrate understanding of ways in which people experience and relate to the natural environment**
• 8. Communicate ideas and information in a variety of forms.**

* = denotes criteria that are internally and externally assessed

Outdoor Leadership Level 3 (with the award of):

EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

HIGH ACHIEVEMENT

COMMENDABLE ACHIEVEMENT

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT

The final award will be determined by the Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification from 13 ratings (8 from the internal assessment, 5 from the external assessment).

The minimum requirement for an award in Outdoor Leadership Level 3 are as follows:

EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT (EA)
11 ‘A’, 2 ‘B’ ratings (4 ‘A’, 1 ‘B’ from external assessment)

HIGH ACHIEVEMENT (HA)
5 ‘A’, 5 ‘B’, 3 ‘C’ ratings (2 ‘A’, 2 ‘B’, 1 ‘C’ from external assessment)

COMMENDABLE ACHIEVEMENT (CA)
7 ‘B’ ratings 5 ‘C’ ratings (2 ‘B’, 2 ‘C’ from external assessment)

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT(SA)
11 ‘C’ ratings (3 ‘C’ from external assessment)

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT (PA)
6 ‘C’ ratings

A learner who otherwise achieves the ratings for a CA (Commendable Achievement) or SA (Satisfactory Achievement) award but who fails to show any evidence of achievement in one or more criteria (‘z’ notation) will be issued with a PA (Preliminary Achievement) award.

The Department of Education’s Curriculum Services will develop and regularly revise the curriculum. This evaluation will be informed by the experience of the course’s implementation, delivery and assessment.

In addition, stakeholders may request Curriculum Services to review a particular aspect of an accredited course.

Requests for amendments to an accredited course will be forwarded by Curriculum Services to the Office of TASC for formal consideration.

Such requests for amendment will be considered in terms of the likely improvements to the outcomes for learners, possible consequences for delivery and assessment of the course, and alignment with Australian Curriculum materials.

A course is formally analysed prior to the expiry of its accreditation as part of the process to develop specifications to guide the development of any replacement course.

Version 1 – Accredited Version 20 December 2012. This course replaces Outdoor Leadership (OXP315108).

Version 1.a – 10 December 2013. Correction to CA award requirement (8 ‘B’ ratings changed to 7 ‘B’ ratings).

Line of Sight – Outdoor Leadership Level 3

On successful completion of this course, learners will have knowledge and skills to: