Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
University of the Arts London

Arboreal pedagogy: Tree climbing for better learning

Abstract

Seeking to reclaim the term ‘speculative pedagogy’ from its neoliberal connotations, this article adapts James Auger’s notion of speculative design, imagining alternatives to current forms of education. Reclaiming this concept, we propose a speculative pedagogy which prioritises learning in nature, more particularly, in trees. This mode of teaching and learning – dubbed ‘arboreal pedagogy’ – attempts to take advantage of the numerous cognitive, physical and emotional benefits associated with trees to boost learning and well-being amongst students and staff.

Keywords

pedagogy, nature, well-being, exercise, trees, speculative design

HTML PDF

Supplementary File(s)

Untitled Untitled Untitled Untitled Untitled Untitled

Author Biography

Lewis Bush

Lewis Bush is a photographer, writer, curator and educator. After a background in history and international development he began to practice documentary in 2012. His work explores forms of contemporary power, ranging from the destructive impact of corporate redevelopment on his home city of London, to the systemic inequalities of the art world. Bush has written extensively on photography, and between 2011 and 2016 he also ran the Disphotic blog. He has curated numerous exhibitions and is lecturer in documentary photography at London College of Communication, and a visitor at many other institutions.

Taylor Norton

Taylor Norton has a Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Cincinnati and a Master’s in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from the London College of Communication. She is a writer and photographer whose work explores the relationship between words and visual expression. Her work includes a variety of mediums including photography, film, essays, and books.


References

  1. Alloway, R.G. and Alloway, T.P. (2015) ‘The working memory benefits of proprioceptively demanding training: A pilot study’, Perceptual and Motor Skills Journal, 120(3) p.766–75. https://doi.org/10.2466/22.PMS.120v18x1.
  2. Auger, J. (2013) ‘Speculative design: Crafting the speculation’, Digital Creativity, 24(1). pp.11–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/14626268.2013.767276.
  3. Cooke, J. (2017) The tree climber’s guide. London: Harper Collins.
  4. Cormier, D. (2011) ‘Rhizomatic learning – why we teach’, Dave’s Educational Blog, 5 November. Available at: http://davecormier.com/edblog/2011/11/05/rhizomatic-learning-why-learn/ (Accessed: 26 November 2017).
  5. Cree, J. and McCree, M. (2012) ‘A brief history of the roots of forest school in the UK. Part 1’, Horizons: Professional development for outdoor practitioners, (66, Winter), pp.32–34.
  6. Dahlstedt, M. and Tesfahuney, M. (2010) ‘Speculative pedagogy: Education, entrepreneurialism and the politics of inclusion in contemporary Sweden’, Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 8(2), pp.250–274. Available at: http://www.jceps.com/archives/650 (Accessed: 26 November 2017).
  7. Gathright, J., Yamada, Y. and Morita, M. (2008) ‘Tree-assisted therapy: Therapeutic and societal benefits from purpose-specific technical recreational tree-climbing programs’, Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, 34(4), p.222–229. Available at: http://joa.isaarbor.com/articles.asp?JournalID=1&VolumeID=34&IssueID=4 (Accessed: 26 November 2017).
  8. Jacobi-Vessels, J.L. (2013) ‘Discovering nature: The benefits of teaching outside of the classroom’, Dimensions of Early Childhood, 41(3), p.4–10.
  9. Jiang, B., Li, D., Larsen, L. and Sullivan, W.C. (2016) ‘A dose-response curve describing the relationship between urban tree cover density and self-reported stress recovery’, Environment and Behaviour, 48(4), pp.607–629. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0013916514552321.
  10. Kardan, O., Gozdyra, P., Misic, B., Moola, F., Palmer, L., Paus T. and Berman, M. (2015) ‘Neighborhood greenspace and health in a large urban center’, Scientific Reports, 5. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep11610.
  11. Richardson, M., Cormack, A., McRobert, L. and Underhill, R. (2016) ‘30 days wild: Development and evaluation of a large-scale nature engagement campaign to improve well-being’, PLoS ONE, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149777.
  12. Ulrich, R. (1984) ‘View through a window may influence recovery from surgery’, Science, 224(4647), pp.420–421.