Outdoor Education in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Occasional Paper No. XI.

In the summer of 1972 graduate students from Northern Illinois University were enrolled in a six week study tour of outdoor education programs in Germany and Austria. The tour included observations and conferences with teachers, students, administrators, and Ministry of Education officials from both countries, guided tours of major cities, and visits and investigations of outdoor activity sites. Students kept a detailed daily log and submitted a thought reaction paper on a facet of outdoor education associated with their summer's study of programs. Nine of the student papers are presented in this document. The first paper, which analyzes Austrian and German concepts of outdoor education, mentions that both countries are extremely building and facilities oriented. It further observes an over-emphasis on certain segments of outdoor education, such as camping. Another paper compares teacher preparation for outdoor education in both countries with the programs found in America. Apparently America places greater emphasis on training programs while the European coutries rely more on self preparation and self study on the part of the teacher. Other papers deal with such topics as the relationship of physical education to outdoor education, potential values of the Schullandheim experience and its real function in the educational scheme, and the use of the city as a source for outdoor education experiences. (DS)