Teaching orienteering

Trainee physical education teachers learnt more about the ways in which they can enhance the teaching and learning of orienteering.

Trainees learnt about indoor orienteering through the use of map symbol running games, netball court orienteering and cone navigation exercises.  They also experienced photo orienteering, the use of QR codes as well time limited score orienteering courses.

The trainees were also introduced to the latest APPs for teaching orienteering. Actionbound is an app for playing digitally interactive scavenger hunts. The programme augments reality by enhancing peoples’ real-life interaction whilst using their smartphones and tablets.

The app can be used to create a digital timeline of events or a places of interest tour, with the use of GPS coordinates and pre-placed codes and mysteries which is ideal for teaching orienteering to pupils in secondary schools.

PGCE and School Direct Route Leader for Physical Education, Dr Gary Stidder said: “Despite the educational benefits that orienteering can provide such as the development of literacy and numeracy skills, all too often it is not included on the Physical Education curriculum due to a lack of expertise.

“The purpose of this aspect of the PGCE and School Direct PE programme is to give the future recruits to the PE teaching profession the specific subject knowledge of teaching orienteering and to have the confidence to teach it using existing facilities within the confines of the school grounds.”