The shaded areas provide a preferred University Pathway.

Course Overview

Through interaction with the natural world, the Outdoor Education ATAR course aims to develop an understanding of our relationships with the environment, others and ourselves. The course is based on the experiential learning cycle of plan, do, review.  Students plan for outdoor experiences, participate in these experiences and reflect on their involvement. Working with others enables students to better understand group dynamics, and enhance their leadership qualities and decision-making abilities, while showing respect for self, others and the environment.

Year 11 Outdoor Education (General)

Course Description:
The Year 11 syllabus is divided into two units, each of one semester duration, typically delivered concurrently throughout the year.

Unit 1 – Experiencing the outdoors
Students are encouraged to engage in some challenging outdoor adventure activities. An experiential approach is used to discover what being active in the environment is all about. Students are introduced to activities where they can develop and improve technical skills and apply appropriate practices to ensure safe participation. They learn about basic planning and organisational requirements necessary for them to participate in safe, short duration excursions/expeditions in selected outdoor activities. Students are introduced to leadership, interpersonal skills while exploring strategies for building group relationships. They begin developing skills in mountain biking and navigation for use during an expedition along the Munda Biddi trail.

Unit 2 – Facing challenges in the outdoors

This unit offers the opportunity to engage in a range of outdoor activities that pose challenges and encourage students to step outside their comfort zone. Students consider planning and resource requirements related to excursions and extended expeditions. They are introduced to simple risk management models to assist with decision making and applying safe practices to cope with challenging situations and environments. They understand the main styles and responsibilities of leadership, including briefing and debriefing. Leave No Trace principles are introduced, as well as relevant topics on conservation, biodiversity and environmental management. Practical activities include rock climbing, abseiling and caving, and the application of these skills during an extended expedition in the Margaret River region.

Retrieved from: School Curriculum and Standards Authority. 29 June 2023.