Enhancing Learning With Outdoor Experiential Support Spaces

There is substantial evidence that primary school students whose education incorporates outdoor settings benefit from this addition to traditional classroom learning. Educational theories introduced by John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and Rudolph Steiner have provided a significant foundation for experiential learning in natural outdoor settings. This thesis explores educational environments that combine indoor and outdoor spaces. The result of this research is the design of three learning spaces sited in a natural environment that support education in a natural science curriculum. These three environments are proposed to supplement the provincial elementary curriculum, and involve three different natural conditions. These outdoor classrooms will provide children with exposure to the natural environment even as they learn within the boundaries of a controlled setting.