UNIVERISTY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION SPRING 2009 EDLD 162 (3 credits) Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Monday: 4:00 – 6:50 p.m. Location: Hahn School of Nursing, Room 108 Office Hours: Monday 2 – 3:30 p.m. (or by appointment) UC 136 Instructor: Christina Thompson, (christina@sandiego.edu) 260-4709 Course Description: The Outdoor Recreation/Education industry is one of the fastest growing in America. Not only are more participants using outdoor areas, equipment and land but, more people than ever are relying on Outdoor Trained Educators, Instructors, Guides, Therapists, Facilitators, Professors and Companies to lead their experiences. More companies than ever are incorporating outdoor based skills or activities into leadership and staff development as a tool to increase productivity and moral. The expectations and demands on the outdoor professional are higher than ever. Not only are Outdoor Leadership expected to know how teach/introduce the particular area and activity (i.e. rock climbing, kayaking, challenge course, therapy) but they are expected to have knowledge about group management, risk management, policy and procedure about the activity and area, land management awareness, environmental ethics… the list goes on and on. The wilderness pushes people to a new level of awareness and the leader is the facilitator of transferability for the participant. This course will examine how the awareness and application of leadership, judgment and decision making principles affect the quality of the wilderness experience and, ultimately, the safety of the group. The course will include ACTIVE class participation, classroom instruction, experiential instruction and participation, self-evaluation and reflective learning. The course will also engage in cooperative learning through a shared trip experience. NOTE: This course is NOT a guide training program, while it is recommended for all USD Outdoor Adventures Guides, it is only a portion of the training. If you would like more information about the guiding program, please contact the Outdoor Programs office, UC 136 or see the instructor for more information. Instructor Bio: Tina Thompson has been in the field of Outdoor Recreation and Education since 1992. She has an M.Ed in both Educational Psychology and Exercise Physiology. She has served at three universities, working both in Education and Student Affairs. She is currently the Director of Outdoor Programs for USD and the Challenge Course Director for Whispering Winds Catholic Camp and Conference Center, in Julian, CA. Over the past 18+ years she has served as a guide in the areas of rock climbing, whitewater canoeing, rafting & kayaking, sea kayaking, backpacking, hiking, horseback riding, ice climbing, snowshoeing & cross-country skiing. She has been a trained Challenge Course Facilitator for over 15 years and has developed and supervised three courses in three different states (Nebraska, Texas and California). She has served as the President of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education and as a Board of Director member for the Association (1998 – 2002 and 2006-2008), additionally she co-hosted the AORE conference in San Diego in 2008.
Office Hours: Monday 2- 3:30 p.m. or by appointment. My office is located in the University Center Outdoor Programs office, UC 136. Please feel free to email me at christina@sandiego.edu or call me at the number listed.
Required Textbooks/Resources: Priest,S. & Gass, A.M., (2005). Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming. Human Kinetics. Leadership and Self-Deception. The Arbinger Institute. Note: Any Additional articles will be found online. Recommended Journals Journal of Experiential Education; Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Webpage: www.lnt.org Additional Resources: http://www.outdoored.com/articles/ListAll.asp http://www.aore.org http://www.weainfo.org http://www.acctinfo.org http://www.aee.org http://www.nirsa.org www.aahperd.org www.nols.org www.outwardbound.org Assessment Criteria: Class Attendance: Due to the nature of this course, it is expected you attend all classes and activities. The challenge course and course outing are mandatory, if you are unable to attend these please plan to take the course the next time it is offered. If one is absent from class, it is the student’s responsibility to get notes, assignments and handouts from a colleague or contact the instructor. Missing more than one class automatically results in deduction of 3 points from the total Attendance/Participation section of your grade. Missing more than one class will automatically drop the grade to a minus. Missing more than two sessions will automatically result in the drop of a full grade. Leaving early/not returning after break will result in a reduction of 1.5 points. Do not ask to leave early for personal reasons, you have committed to this class plan accordingly. If you are sick and unable to attend class, you must contact the instructor prior to class and provide a copy of your visit to the Health Center or Doctors office. Class Participation: All students will be evaluated on their participation in class and class related trips/outings on how active, informed, prepared and engaged the students are in discussion and activities. Students are expected to dress appropriately for activities, as discussed prior to class or outing. Class Etiquette/Academic Integrity: Turn off cell phones, pages, etc. prior to entering class. No text messages, phone calls or surfing the web will be allowing unless it is part of the trip planning session and approved by the instructor. No side conversations are allowed when anyone is lecturing. Guest/Student lectures are to be treated with respect. Assignments: Written Assignments are the be typed on 8 1/2 “ by 11” paper. All papers and journals should be double-spaced, using 12 pt. Times font. Length expectations are will be further discussed for specified items. Criteria for written work will include thoroughness, quality, and being completed on time. Written work will be due at the beginning of each class, any late
work will automatically results in a loss of one letter grade for each 24 hour period it is late. Journals/Papers are to be emailed to the instructor prior of the class they are due, if you have problems with email please bring a copy of the paper to class. Instructor reserves the right to use Turnitin.com to guard against plagiarism. Course Grade: Competition of all course requirements will determine final grade. Note: Change in class schedule or assignments may occur with proper notice. Grading will be distributed as follows: Attendance/Participation 30% Class Journals/Critiques 30% Group Presentations 15% Field Experiences 25% A= B+= C+= D+= F=
4.0 3.3 2.3 1.3 0.0
A-= B= C= D=
3.7 3.0 2.0 1.0
B-= C-= D-=
2.7 1.7 0.7
Course Costs: Outdoor Recreation/Programming is an expensive field. Transportation, cooking equipment, first aid supplies, personal gear, general camping equipment, permits, fees and licenses add up quickly. The collaborative nature of USD allows for a great deal of support to occur from the Department of Student Affairs and the Outdoor Programs office. With this said, the course cost is $100. The fee will cover the costs for transportation and personal entrance fees for the Challenge Course. This fee also covers the costs of transportation, camping, food and group equipment for the course trip. Personal clothing, sleeping bags, rain gear, etc. are up to the individual. Note: Proof of insurance is required for this course, along with completion of the Health Statement and Release and Liability form. Course Outline: Spring 2009
Date(s)
Topic / Theme
Jan. 26th
Welcome. Course Overview. Introduction to Effective Outdoor Leadership. Leadership Inventory.
Feb. 2nd
Assignment to be completed prior to class
Feb. 9th
Foundations of Adventure Programming Individual Behavior and Motivation; Group Development & Dynamics & Environmental Skills
Read: Preface & Chapters 1-3
Read: Chapters 4, 5 & 8
Feb. 16th
NO CLASS- in lieu course outings
Class Journal Due
Feb. 23rd
Instructional Methods, Teaching Models, Flexible Leadership Style, Effective Communication
Read: Chapters 12, 13, 18 and 19
Mar. 2nd
Leave No Trace presentations
Mar. 9th
Spring Break- NO CLASS
Mar. 16th
Book Review: Leadership and Self-Deception
March 21st
Ropes Course @ Whispering Winds Challenge Course
Book Discussion & Journal 2 due Transportation & lunch will be provided. Plan to meet at 8:00 a.m.; returning around 3:30 p.m.
Mar. 23rd
Experiential Education, Process of Facilitation, Basic Facilitation Techniques
Read: Chapters 11, 14 &15; Journal 3 due
April 6th
Experience-Based Judgment, Problem Solving, Decision Making, Professional Ethics Trip Planning, Legal Liability & Leadership Presentations
April 13th
NO CLASS- Easter Break
Mar 30th
April 20th
Leadership Presentations; Trip preparation
April 27th
Trip Preparation
LNT presentations/critique
Read: Chapters 20 - 24 Read: Chapters 9 & 10
Trip planning groups must bring needs assessment to class for trip planning
May 2-3rd
Class Trip
Meet at 8 a.m. Saturday; return, clean and leave estimated 4 p.m. Sunday
May 4th
Process Trip outing; Final Clean-up from Class trip
Journal 4: Trip review due Friday
May 11th
NO CLASS- in lieu course outings
Prepare for Final.
Final Exam 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Final Meeting time: 5 p.m. Attendance is required, per USD policy.
May 18th
Campus Resources: There is a writing center at USD that can assist you with this, to make an appointment or to inquire about “drop-in� hours call x4581 or go to http://www.sandiego.edu/writingcenter/ for more information and links to helpful websites. The Writing Center is located in Camino Hall, room 125. Tutoring is free and by appointment, with drop-ins accommodated if appointment slots are open. Tutoring sessions usually last 45 minutes to one hour. For appointment, stop in or call 619-260-4581. Our hours are: Monday-Wednesday: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thursday : 9 a.m.- noon _ 2 - 7 p.m.; Friday: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.