Elevating student-learning experiences

Bringing students out of the classroom and into the field provides a hands-on approach to mountain studies

Nicole Graham - 13 March 2018

Every summer for the past four years, students in the INT D 282: Mountain Backcountry Field Skills course leave behind the traditional classroom setting and take their text books, lectures and assignments to the Canadian Rocky Mountains for a week-long, practical learning experience. Led by associate professor Zac Robinson, the students are taught theoretical, technical and personal leadership skills used in basic mountain back country field operations.

"At its essence, the aim of the course is to teach students the basic skills to be able to safely, and responsibly, be in the mountain backcountry, whether for recreational purposes, or study, or even work," says Robinson. "It's especially nice to be able to run the course at the Alpine Club of Canada's mountaineering camp. Students get to see a large operation in action, and they benefit from all the various mountain people in camp."

"We teach the fundamentals. How to read maps; how to use a compass; how to recognize, assess, and manage hazards."

"We also focus on "soft skills": human factors, like group dynamics and conflict resolution, for instance."

"And we do this all in the field, which makes the week pretty special."