Students just returned from three weeks in the mountains of Mae Hong Son province studying Political Ecology of Forests.

As the semester continues, students are learning just how varied their classroom settings can be.

Following a week of seminar classes in a formal classroom setting, students could find themselves in a wide range of settings for the remainder of the course.

Although “classrooms” in the field often take the form of host families, sustainable construction projects, watershed hikes, and community meetings, there are times that we also turn an available space into a classroom for the day. During their Sustainable Food Systems mid-course seminar last month, we made use of an open air space to accommodate the activities, lectures, and video included in the seminar. During the Forests mid-course seminar, however, students found themselves in a very different setting, atop the highest point in Mae Hong Son, Doi Pui (photos of Forests mid-course coming soon). We allow the setting to determine the classroom rather than having the classroom determining the setting.

Another aspect of ISDSI courses is the ability to encompass all types of learning. The traditional classroom settings of seminar week are well-suited to students accustomed to an auditory learning style.  Learning in the  field, on the other hand, often forces students to learn visually and kinesthetically by observing and participating in hands-on activities. Projects in seminar and out in the field require students to lead discussions, create visual representations, write papers, meet with local community leaders and members, become an active part of their host families, develop technical skills, and consistently practice communicating in Thai. All of these things make for a rigorous and comprehensive program that allows students to develop a deep understanding for the topics they are studying.

Zane and Dan used a humor in their poster representing the inputs and outputs of UHDP.

Hannah and Isabel showed off their artistic skills with their poster.

Caroline and Erin describe their detailed diagram to the group.

Ajaan Abram utilizes the seminar space for a power point presentation.

Ajaan Abram lectures on the main themes of the course during the Sustainable Food Systems mid-course seminar.

After finishing with their mid-course seminar, students traveled to Maeta, where they spent time learning about organic rice farming in paddies such as this one.

Students participated in a community meeting with Pa Pat, a community leader in Maeta, with Pi Ming assisting with translation.

Before heading out to the field for their Forests course, students took a trip to the nearby Doi Suthep National Park office for a meeting with park officials about policies regarding groups living within national park boundaries.

Alicia looks on as Meredith asks a question during the meeting.

Students enjoy a laugh with the park officials as they wrap up the meeting.

Ajaan Daniel, Pi Tik, and Pi Toto pose with the park officials and their large poster outlining forest types (a diagram that students would become familiar with in the field).

Lydia learning about giant kelp in Monterey Bay. No question THIS learning is fun!

Fun.

Somehow we seem to think that learning should only be fun if you are in kindergarten, and if it is “fun” it is somehow suspect if you’re in college or university.  When we’ve got a new group of students at ISDSI we talk about their expectations for the experiential learning courses.  Lots of words and phrases come up (“challenge” or “adventure” or “academic”), but “fun” is often one of the last ones mentioned, if it is mentioned at all.  When it is mentioned, at first there is often a lot of hesitation, like it is somehow bad that they hope the courses will be fun.  Once we talk about how we hope the courses will be fun, everyone opens up and we usually have a great discussion about “fun” and learning.

When we’re little kids (like the photo here of Lydia at 6 years old on a trip to California) we play all the time.  We’re not old enough to be embarrassed, or think we have to be “serious” for it to be “real” learning. For kids, learning and fun are so intertwined there’s no distinction.

Bisson and Luckner, in Fun in Learning: The Pedagogical Role of Fun in Adventure Education argue that “[t]he characteristics of fun are that it is relative, situational, voluntary, and natural. Fun can have a positive effect on the learning process by inviting intrinsic motivation, suspending one’s social inhibitions, reducing stress, and creating a state of relaxed alertness.”

Especially when teaching about ecology and culture, learning needs to be immersive and fun. Play is a hugely important part of learning when we are young, and it can be (if we let it) be an important part of learning for adults as well.

We’ve noticed that almost without exception, students who are willing to have fun, play, and explore learn more.  When you play in the surf, you are learning with your whole body about waves and the power of the ocean.  Chasing crabs around on a beach at night, trying to follow a particular fish on a reef (“playing tag”), all of that is useful.  You learn with your whole body — smelling, touching, tasting and feeling.  Sea kayaking isn’t just fun — it is a powerful learning experience about tides, waves, currents and wind.  Getting caught (and pushed) in a strong current when crossing a channel “sets” in the learning in a way that cannot be duplicated in the classroom.  And it is fun and challenging all at the same time.

Especially on courses that are physically, emotionally and academically difficult, having fun can be critical to learning.  Sometimes the best learning happens when the courses are the hardest work and the most fun.