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Concepts of Learning: Knowing Our Students As Well As Our Subject

Teaching Survival in Hunter Education Classes
by John M. Weishaar, Ed

Before we proceed any further, I need to talk first about the motivation of your students. In the dozens of classes I have taught over the past 20 years, I was always interested in the motivation of the students taking the class. Some were there to get a basic knowledge of safety and an overview of the other topics. Others were there because their father or mother wanted them to go along on a hunting trip and for them to have a basic knowledge of gun safety. While many others were there only to pass the exam and get the card. I called these clock-watchers and I knew that they would be difficult to engage in any depth of learning. Each student has an agenda of why they are there. It is our job as an instructor to know their motivation in order to plan classes that engage all of our students. This can be a major task, but one that should not be overlooked.

Dr. Phillip C. Schlechty has published many books on engaged learning practices. He states that there are five ways students respond to learning tasks. Our goal is to have students respond with authentic engagement. This student is there for knowledge and skill attainment. The outcome of their work is important to them and they have a genuine interest and value related to the information. Another form of engagement is called ritual engagement. He says that the immediate end of the task has little or no inherent meaning, but the student associates it with results that are of value. Thus, receiving certification but without learning too much. A third category is that of passive compliance. This student is willing to put forth effort needed to avoid a certain consequence, although they see little meaning in the content. The consequence may be not receiving hunter education certification. The remaining two categories of student engagement are retreatism and rebellion. Generally, these two groups do not attend hunter education classes. They are expending no energy to learn and may or may not cause problems in class.
We have students in our classes for many reasons and with different motivation, experience, and interest. It is important to survey the students to ascertain their reason for being in the class and their level of outdoor experience. Teaching students from 12 to 80 plus can be the greatest challenge of all. Keeping a lesson interesting, but without leaving some behind because they have no points of reference can be difficult at best. 

Motivation is likely the most dominant force in a student’s learning potential. The students are there for many reasons, but their attention must be earned in order for them to be effectively taught. Lessons without objectives are simply random arrows of information. We must align all of the lesson objectives to one point. That point is to have students know the why, when, and how of survival. In classes where a survival kit is simply laid out for display to have students jot down the components of a kit just won’t cut it. Yes, this is one of the props we use for demonstration purposes, but we must engage our students much deeper into the issues of why each component is included. Even though this portion of the class is sometimes the most exciting, we cannot omit building our lesson to the point that they look at the components and know why they are included.
Learning levels are important for the instructor to use while teaching survival. One of the most critical points is to teach the students how to properly assess a survival event. It is also important to let the students know that when fear and darkness are a part of the situation many manifestations of their fear will occur. Unless, they are trained in knowing the  “why” and “how” together, they will not have the confidence to deal with their problem in a responsible manner. A connection must be made in order to completely grasp the concept of, for example, confidence gained through practice and fear fueled because of the inability to start a fire. Conveying facts, such as, 95% of all outdoor related deaths are due to hypothermia. And, 85% of the people who get lost tend to panic in some way or another. Additionally, research reveals that some 50% of those who panic actually run to the point of exhaustion out of fear. They run deeper in trouble and expend valuable energy reserves. For these reasons, the S.T.O.P. practice has a deeper meaning. This is the “why” portion of the S.T.O.P principle.

We need to have a working knowledge of the levels of learning in order to pose questions to the students in higher order thinking skills. According to Benjamin Bloom, there are six levels of thinking. The first is the knowledge level. This is where students simply are presented facts and can list information. An example could be to provide a list of the items of a survival kit. The second level is the comprehension level and students are able to grasp the meaning and can compare or contrast information. An example of this would be to compare various methods of starting a fire. The third level is that of application. They can use the information or methods and can solve problems. If the wind is blowing, a student could use their knowledge to eliminate the possibility of using a magnesium fire starter to get tinder burning because of its’ wind sensitive nature. The fourth level of learning is that of analysis. This is when a student advances to the point of being able to place in order the strategies and connect needed skills to the situation they have been presented. An example of this could be when a student knows that a wet, cotton T-shirt worn in cold and windy weather is wicking away body heat that may lead to hypothermia. The fifth level of learning is that of synthesis. A student can use the lessons of the past to create new ideas. They can draw information from many past experiences in order to synthesize a plan. An example of this could be when they are told not to look at things as they are, but what they can become. For example, a standing dead tree looks like a standing dead tree. But, during wet weather, it may contain dry punk under the bark for starting a fire. And finally, level six is evaluation. The student will be able to verify events by the evidence presented and can evaluate their decisions based on the facts. They may know that the priorities of survival are in order of importance. They may have been hunting all day when a brief pre-cold front shower soaked their clothes. The temperature begins to drop and they start shivering. They can evaluate that their body is shivering thus showing the first sign of hypothermia. Remembering the priorities of survival are in progressive order, they know that warmth is the first priority before shelter and signaling. They have evaluated their situation and have made a rational choice to start a fire while they still can in order to dry out and get warm. They know that by waiting and trying to make it back to camp may render them disabled if the manifestations of hypothermia progress. They have evaluated and assessed their situation based on the knowledge of why they must get warm.

Dr. Edward Thorndike, Columbia University, many years ago presented a paper on the laws of learning. I would like to briefly discuss these in order to progress to the next idea of this article. He stated that there are six laws of learning. The first is the law of readiness. He shares that the student must first be ready to learn before progression of learning results. The second is the law of exercise. He states that students learn best when things are repeated. Few concepts are learned deeply in single presentations. This is why it is important for students to practice the methods of survival fire-building. An attempt at starting a fire in inclement weather just before dark for someone who has not practiced this skill before can have disastrous results. The third law of learning is that of effect. What has the experience provided to the learner? Good results will leave the learner with a pleasant experience and a successful endeavor. Whereas, an experience that results in failure will weaken the learning process. Again, encourage your students to practice fire-building over and over again in various conditions in order for that experience to be successful. The more confident a person is in this skill, the more likely they will be to fend off fear and its’ effects. The fourth law is primacy. This simply means that when we teach a skill, we need to teach it right the first time. It is more difficult to “unteach” a skill than to teach it right the first time. The fifth law is that of intensity. Simply put, an exciting lesson is more apt to have a student learn the concept than from a lesson that is boring and uneventful. Finally, the sixth law of learning is that of recency. The most recently learned material is the best remembered. It is important for an instructor to summarize and outline in detail the key points of emphasis.

Research reveals that humans acquire about 83% from sight, 11% from hearing, 3% from smell, 2% from touch, and 1% from taste. It is important that we use methods of instruction that encompasses as many senses as we can engage. In order to capture the most potential for learning we must incorporate methods that produce the best results. Relying only on lecture or “war story” methods will do little to engage the average learner. Demonstrations, props, and experience-based learning will drive lesson material deeper into the mind.
Maslow has furnished us with his hierarchy of needs. At the fundamental level we find that shelter, food, water, and security are the basic needs. In order to progress through the continuum to reach the next level, all of the basic needs must be met. It is very difficult to simulate a true survival problem when temperature in a classroom is 72 degrees and they just finished lunch. Capturing the attention of your students about the importance of this topic can be challenging. I suggest utilizing a little technology when trying to get the point across. A few years back, I took a group into the Yellowstone Country to practice wilderness survival. I took a 35mm camera and a video camera to record the events. One such recording shows me trying to start a fire in subzero temperatures after I put on wet clothes. My intent was to share with the students the very difficult nature of starting a fire in extreme conditions with increased stages of hypothermia. The point that I try to make is that you must act while you can, because if you wait, you will be unable to perform the tasks needed to start a fire. I do not suggest going to this extreme, but developing lesson plans well in advance of you classes, you may be able to share some outdoor experiences with your students. This type of instructional tool would be more effective than simply telling how to perform a task. In the sake of time, you may have it edited to get straight to the point of discussion.

Throughout this article I have attempted to share some educational practices with you to possibly expand your level of understanding about learners. In particular, learners involved in the survival portion of your class. Perhaps the principles of learning can be used in other segments of your class. To conclude, I would like to share a few areas that I believe to be of utmost importance in the survival instruction.

>Avoidance of a survival event is best. Plan climate control (clothing), time control (implement plans before dark), and energy control (simple, quick, none exerting shelter construction).
>Assess the situation based on health, climate, equipment, available light, available resources, and potential for timely rescue.
>They must know that their brain is the most important piece of survival equipment.
>Most survival events are resolved within 72 hours.
>Knowledge of what happens to the body when it gets cold or hot. Know early detection signs for each. Emphasize prevention and post-event care.
>Knowledge of the 5 ways a body loses heat since hypothermia is the leading cause of outdoor-related deaths. (Radiation, Perspiration, Respiration, Conduction, and Convection)
>Know that when they build a shelter, they are building an “envelope” around their body. Keep it small and as wind / rain resistant as possible. Build shelter and gather materials for a fire and reflector well be dark.
>What happens to the mind when a person becomes lost and the manifestations of fear occur.
>The importance of the S.T.O.P. principle and what it is designed to do.
>The importance of knowing the priorities of survival in order. The first priority is that of first aid or medical care in the event of accident or illness. Following close behind are: Warmth, Shelter, Capabilities of Signaling, Rest, Water, and Food.
>Emphasize the importance of practice in all of the acquired skills.
Practice = Confidence = Calmness = Rational decisions based on knowledge not panic.
>The importance of knowing that when preparing a survival kit, it must meet geographical, seasonal, and personal requirements. A well-planned kit yields good results. They must know each piece of the kit and know how to use each item even in inclement weather.
>Know the importance of having quality equipment in their kit. (Will they bet their life on it?)
>Know to always have a minimum of 3 different fire-starting methods.
>Know the uses of a well built fire can provide: heat, drying, signaling, sterilization, purification, cooking capacity, light, and companionship. The ability to start a fire is imperative.
>The key components of signaling are: 1)Make yourself bigger than you really are – Large ground to air signals, mirror reflection, smoke, etc. and 2) have an extreme contrast to your surrounding area. Carry a minimum of 3 signaling devices. Example: plastic whistle, mirror, cyalume light stick swung on a rope.
>Know to carry lashing material such as 50’ of 550 parachute cord.
>Use of a thick leather patch (18” X 14”) for protecting tinder and kindling in adverse conditions.
>Carry a three foot “blow tube” to accelerate fire efficiency and magnitude
>Include a reliable flint and steel fire-starter