§-Outdoor Education syllabus
SA · SACE Board← Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the SA Outdoor Education syllabus, with a focused answer for each. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions and links to related points.
Assessment Type 1: About Natural Environments
Module overview →How have First Nations peoples understood and managed Australian environments over tens of thousands of years, and what can outdoor users learn from caring for Country?
Investigate First Nations knowledge of and management of a chosen Australian natural environment, including caring for Country, cultural burning and reciprocal responsibility.
What makes Australian ecosystems biodiverse yet fragile, and which threats most endanger the environments outdoor users travel through?
Investigate the biodiversity of a chosen Australian natural environment and analyse the threats that degrade it, including weeds, feral animals, fire regimes and climate change.
How do conservation, First Nations land management and modern policy work together to protect Australian natural environments?
Evaluate conservation approaches and land-management practices, including First Nations caring for Country, used to protect Australian natural environments.
How do the ecological systems of an Australian natural environment function, and why does understanding them matter for outdoor users?
Investigate the ecological systems, biodiversity and abiotic factors of a chosen Australian natural environment and explain how its components interact.
How do outdoor educators gather and interpret reliable data about a natural environment to judge its health and how it is changing?
Select and apply appropriate fieldwork methods to collect and interpret data on a chosen Australian natural environment and evaluate the reliability of that evidence.
What are the past, present and potential human impacts on a chosen Australian natural environment, and how can it be managed sustainably?
Analyse historical, current and potential human impacts on a natural environment and evaluate strategies for its sustainability and conservation.
How do weather and climate shape an Australian natural environment, and why must outdoor users understand these patterns?
Investigate the weather, climate and seasonal patterns of a chosen Australian natural environment and explain how they influence its ecology and the activities undertaken in it.
Assessment Type 3: Connections with Natural Environments
Module overview →How do people form relationships with natural environments, and how does deepening that connection shape attitudes and actions?
Examine and evaluate how human relationships with and connections to natural environments develop, including First Nations connection to Country.
How do outdoor experiences in natural environments contribute to personal and social growth and wellbeing?
Reflect on and evaluate how experiences in natural environments contributed to your personal and social development and wellbeing.
How do you reflect on and evaluate your own development through outdoor experiences in a way that is honest, evidenced and insightful?
Use reflective practice to evaluate your personal development across outdoor experiences, drawing on specific evidence from your journeys.
How does a deepening sense of place turn into stewardship, and what responsibility do outdoor users hold for the environments they value?
Evaluate how a sense of place develops into environmental stewardship and explain the responsibilities outdoor users hold toward natural environments.
How do experiences in natural environments affect human health and wellbeing, and how can they foster lifelong engagement with nature?
Examine and evaluate how experiences in natural environments influence health and wellbeing and how they can foster lifelong engagement with the outdoors.
Assessment Type 2: Experiences in Natural Environments
Module overview →How do you prepare for and respond to emergencies on a remote outdoor journey where help may be hours or days away?
Plan for and demonstrate appropriate emergency response and first aid procedures for an outdoor journey in a remote Australian environment.
How do you plan food, water and logistics so that a multi-day outdoor journey is fuelled, organised and self-sufficient?
Plan and evaluate the food, nutrition, water and logistical arrangements needed to sustain a group on a multi-day outdoor journey.
How do groups develop on an outdoor journey, and how can interpersonal skills keep a group safe, effective and positive?
Analyse how group dynamics develop during outdoor journeys and apply interpersonal skills such as communication, conflict resolution and teamwork to support the group.
How do leadership style, group dynamics and sound decision-making shape a safe and positive outdoor experience?
Demonstrate appropriate leadership styles, facilitation and decision-making while leading an activity or journey in a natural environment.
How can outdoor users travel and camp in natural environments while doing the least possible harm to them?
Apply and evaluate minimal impact and Leave No Trace practices when planning and undertaking outdoor journeys in Australian natural environments.
How do you navigate accurately and safely through an Australian natural environment using a map, compass and modern tools?
Apply navigation skills, including map reading, compass use, bearings and the responsible use of GPS, to travel safely through natural environments.
How do you plan and manage a safe, sustainable multi-day journey in an Australian natural environment?
Plan, organise and manage an outdoor journey, including logistics, food, equipment, route choice and contingency planning.
How do you assess and manage risk so that an outdoor journey is safe without losing its challenge and value?
Conduct a risk assessment for an outdoor activity, identifying hazards and applying control measures to manage risk.
What technical skills and equipment does a safe, self-reliant outdoor journey require, and how do you choose them for the environment and activity?
Demonstrate and evaluate the technical skills and equipment selection appropriate to a chosen outdoor activity and environment.
How do you interpret forecasts and read conditions in the field to make safe decisions on an outdoor journey?
Interpret weather forecasts and field observations to anticipate conditions and make safe decisions during an outdoor journey.