BRL103 Friluftsliv and Nature Guiding I

Contents and structure

Students learn basic outdoor skills through theoretical and practical teaching. The main focuses will be on basic friluftsliv skills including trip planning, navigation, camping, and equipment use. Students will also learn about glacier travel, canoeing, water safety, lifesaving, first aid and CPR, and natural environments.

Learning about natural environments runs throughout the course, both during the practical sessions and excursions outdoors and in the theoretical classroom sessions. The three topics in focus are: vegetation (zones and knowledge of specific plants), geology (landscape formation and types, internal and external geological processes) and glaciology (glaciers and glacier types).

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

The student

• has insight into outdoor leadership and group development in the outdoors.
• has knowledge of foundational friluftsliv in the local region, e.g. mountains and fjords.
• has foundational knowledge of natural environments including vegetation, geology and glaciology.
• has a foundational understanding of how humans have shaped the cultural landscape.

Skills

The student

• has foundational friluftsliv skills related to trip planning, navigation, camping, food on trips, first aid and equipment use.
• has foundational skills for multiday trips in the forest and mountains, as well as canoe paddling and glacial travel.
• demonstrates friluftsliv skills and knowledge of the natural environment in a leadership role.
• has practical experience with group development and how it effects learning.

General competence

The student

• has insight into Norwegian friluftsliv traditions and the principle of suiting a trip according to a group's abilities
• demonstrates critical reflection about how nature is used in commercial and non-commercial activities
• demonstrates reflection on the connections between mastery, interaction, learning and experiences

Entry requirements

None

Recommended previous knowledge

None

Teaching methods

Lectures, group work and individual work. The theoretical course content is integrated as much as possible into the practical sessions to facilitate experiential learning. Reflective writing assignments about the excursions.

Excursions

• Intro-trip, excursion lasting 3-4 days
• Knowledge of natural environments, 3 daytrips
• Knowledge of natural environments, excursion lasting 2-3 days
• Forest trip, excursion lasting 5-7 days
• Mountain trip, excursion lasting 5-7 days

Compulsory learning activities

• Active participation in excursions (including planning, carrying out, and evaluation)
• Attendance is required for all practical sessions
• Reflective writing assignment after the leadership excursions
• Completed lifesaving in water and CPR in the field

The student must pass each of the above requirements before taking the exam.

Assessment

Individual written school exam, 5 hours. Graded with letter grades (A - F).

Examination support material

None

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