Hi all

The UK based Institute of Outdoor Learning (IOL) has begun a consultation
about the introduction of some form of professional accreditation for
outdoor learning workers. If you are not a member but want to comment you
can get a form from Randall Williams on <[log in to unmask]>

The questions are also asking about the value of degrees, outdoor coaching
and leadership awards from NGB's, vocational awards, competency approaches
as well as accreditation. One question asks about these being provided
centrally by the IOL as a one stop shop. This affects many of us in further
and higher education.

The proposal is based on a strong endorsement for the idea given to the
Institute from the field when it asked what were the priorities for a new
professional body - IOL?

At the risk of boring overseas list members I've put my response to the open
questions in the form below to start a possible thread about HE's part in
this here and elsewhere. I think there is an international dimension to
this. Would a UK accreditation have validity some where else for example?
Should an accredited person from somewhere else be able to practice in the
UK? Will this conversation begin in my country now its started in the UK?

***************************

To the 8 extra questions:

How important is an academic base qualification?

What base? I believe they (HND's and undergraduate and postgraduate degrees)
are critical (but not exclusively so - there are other ways these things can
be developed) to the base of a professional practitioner who can develop,
provide and evaluate their work in the context of the social, economic,
environmental and political world in which he or she operates. I believe a
personal, experiential base of practice outdoors is equally important.

In some ways it does not matter what course. Different bodies of knowledge
and ways of thinking are part of our richness. In others it does as the
field becomes more established, complex and integrated. There is a body of
knowledge and ways of thinking that are unique to this field. This is not
only important to the individual aspirant but also the field establishing
itself in society and developing a critical interpretation of its work
through an academic group.

I am concerned about undergraduate degrees in their current form as the way
to do this. the outdoor experience is often absent in a first year
undergraduate who hopes to acquire it through the degree. In a small way
they can but this, on its own, is not I believe the best way to a passionate
professional with an experience base to motivate and inform their work. I
would certainly like to see more MA provision such as Moray House, St.
Martin's and Sheffield Hallam and continued HND provision (which attracts
many mature students retraining) such as Bicton.

A degree should not be understood as all you need to be a practitioner. It
must be understood like doctors and teachers as a start after which or
alongside which an apprenticeship is served. I think undergraduate degrees
should consider sandwich models or offer part semester structures to allow
students parallel personal and work experience leading to vocational
outcomes.

I do not think a degree is essential to volunteer or seasonal staff.

Should accreditation be an active assessment process or a paper based
process?

I like the CIPD model. It respects and trusts members, has an ethical base,
allows diversity, is cheap to implement and yet still gives control in
fraudulent or malpractice situations. The application and CPD element makes
it an active process.

How should we define the core skills?

I'm not sure there are any when you consider the full breadth of the field.

How might we assess the less easily defined competences?

Self or peer assessment not based on centralised models of competence but
personal and organisational needs. Lets not get into to centralised control
here.

Should criteria be set low or high, inclusive or exclusive?

This assumes a heirarchical structure of criteria that can be measured in
some way. I'm not sure this is true or workable. How could I set the
competence of a worker at an adventure centre alongside the leadership of a
community sustainability project. If anyone judges themselves competent it
should be the individual with their peers. Not the institute or the
competence police. In this way, like a PA full value contract, each
application is a conversation about what is professional practice in a given
context and not a generalised hurdle to jump. Many will not recognise the
hurdle. Others will always say too high, too low, wrong hurdle, etc.

How might we work with NGB's?

Your guess is as good as mine! But this is where change needs to occur. The
tyranny of the NGB as a license to practice must be challenged. How to be a
volunteer coach does not prepare anyone to be involved in personal
development work yet this is often all that is asked for. It does not
support the person who raft builds when the client asks to see the raft
building qualification. it does not support any practitioner on their fourth
compulsory child protection course to maintain yet another NGB award as
current.

The question you didn't ask but I want to answer.

My biggest question about accreditation links with my last comment on NGB's.
What happens to the professional teacher/nurse/ youth worker/etc who works
partly in OL? Will their professionalism be devalued, excluded or even
denied by not being accredited by another professional body they do not
relate to? This could shut down opportunity taking more of our time outdoors
away from the community and putting it in centres with professionals. This
further professionalisation of a community activity would I believe be
against the interests of society and counter to the best intentions of OL.
We need to make the outdoors accessible to all - individuals, communities,
other professional people; and not shut people in unless accompanied out.
This bigger question of how we are part of the separation from nature and
not part of the connection to it is central here and should I think be
debated.

Good luck.

regards

Chris Loynes