Outdoor Leadership and Adventure Sports Coaching BSc (Hons)

Teaching

You are taught through a combination of workshops, lectures, seminars, outdoor and laboratory practicals. Workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures, and laboratory practicals are focused on developing subject specific skills and applied individual and group project work. The outdoor practicals will be based in a variety of locations, locally and further afield, and are focused on developing the skills and knowledge required to safely and effectively lead and coach a variety of adventurous activities. In the first two years, you will develop an understanding of the scientific and professional context of outdoor adventure activities, with the chance to gain skills and experience in both water and land-based activities.

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least 4 occasions in the first year and three occasions in each of the other years. You have an opportunity to undertake a work-based placement during the summer break between years 2 & 3. There are also opportunities for a semester overseas during year 2; Minnesota in semester 1 and Norway in semester 2. In the final year, you will conduct an Expedition Leadership module and a research project in an area of your choice, as well as studying a range of modules in areas such as environmental ethics, developing professional practice and understanding contemporary issues.

Opportunities exist to gain additional, optional, National Governing Body Awards in a range of adventurous activities and to take part in additional trips.

NB. these may incur additional costs on top of your tuition fees.

Please visit the Outdoor Adventure Leadership and Management Facebook page. 

(This page will be changed to the new course title once the new course title is approved. This will not pose a technical problem to those students who have access to the current Facebook page)

Contact time

In a typical week, you will have a round 12-16 contact hours of teaching. The precise contact hours will depend on the modules being studied and in the final year you will normally have slightly less contact time in order to do more independent study. In the summer break between year 2 and year 3 students will spend 15 days on placement.

Throughout year 1 and year 2, there are full-day off-site practical modules, which will include overnight trips away. In year 3 there is a 5-day mountain-based journey.

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 24-28 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, undertaking further adventurous activity practice and preparing for examinations.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Duration

3 years full time

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Teaching staff

Students will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with industry experience.

Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy. The majority of course lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Assessment

The assessment strategy for Outdoor Leadership & Adventure Sports Coaching is designed to assess the students' knowledge and skills across practical, theoretical and work based learning. The strategy at all levels includes written assessments to assess subject knowledge and the exploration of ideas; reflective assignments to enable students to engage with and lead their own learning and personal development; and presentations to support student development in terms of delivery skills and sharing of knowledge. In addition there are practical assessments throughout the programme of study that assess personal ability, leadership and coaching across a range of outdoor adventure activities. Final year students undertake a work-based placement, where students are assessed on their ability to apply knowledge and skills developed through the programme of study to reflect on professional practice.

In the first year, the assessment is weighted towards practical assessment of personal skill, individual written assignments, reflective writing with a focus on academic skills development, and group presentations. In the second year, the practical assessments are focused on the delivery, coaching and leadership of outdoor adventure activities, written assignments that require application of a wider range of knowledge, individual presentations and reflective writing related to professional practice. In the final year, there are a wide variety of assessment options with a strong focus on research-based written work and individual presentations.

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Meet the team

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with industry experience.

Teaching is informed by the research, consultancy, and the majority of course lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.

Employability Schemes

The School has a number of initiatives in place in order to develop the employability of the SSES students: School of Sport & Exercise Science "Earn As You Learn (EAYL)" & "Learn As You Volunteer (LAYV)" schemes - opportunities for sport students to engage in meaningful employment during their time of study at the University of Worcester is promoted, marketed and coordinated by the School of Sport & Exercise Science. A designated EAYL coordinator has the responsibility of managing this activity and publicising using a variety of social  media (Twitter: @EAYLatUW; Facebook: EAYLatUW; Instagram: uw_eayl).

In order to further prepare and support students’ employability a work-based module including a placement takes place in the final year, the focus being on the student gaining relevant experience in the diverse and challenging outdoor industry. In the field of Outdoor leadership & Adventure Sports Coaching gaining long term sustainable work is dependent on a number of variables one of which being the holding of National Governing Body (NGB) Awards such as the Mountain Leader Award, British Canoe Union Coaching qualifications and a relevant outdoor focused first aid certificate .

These awards do not form part of the programme of study but are offered as optional additionality; it is an indicator of the students’ commitment to their career development that a large number have completed these awards during their time at UW. By gaining these awards students have access to paid work at local centres and climbing walls during term time allowing them to “earn as they learn” whilst further developing their industry specific experience and knowledge. This access to NGB awards was highlighted by students and the External Examiner as playing a vital role in developing their employability and adding value to their university experience . The course is currently seeking re -accreditation by the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL), one of only three undergraduate courses in the UK to hold this recognition.