Outdoor Education & Environmental Education

Centre for Excellence in Outdoor and Environmental Education

Staff Profile

Lesley Hodgson

Senior Lecturer

Room/Location: Ironbark Centre, 2.08
Ph: 5444 7268
Fx: 5444 7848
Email: l.hodgson@latrobe.edu.au

Qualifications

• B.Agr.Sci. (Melbourne) 1976
• BA(Hons) (Melbourne) 1987
• PhD (Melbourne) 1996

Teaching Areas

• Australian Environments Year 1 OE, NT (Unit coordinator OENT)
• Environmental Interpretation Year 2 OE NT (Unit Coordinator)
• Education for Sustainability Year 3 OE NT (Unit Coordinator)

Professional Involvement

• Victorian National Parks Association Councillor 2001-2003
• Interpretation Australia Association Executive Treasurer 2002-Present
• Interpretation Australia Association Conference Committee Member 2003

Research Interests

My research interests cover the two main focus areas of my teaching; interpretation and ecotourism. As a cycle tourist I am currently looking at the role of cycle touring as a recreational experience. I am particularly interested in how cyclists interpret areas they visit, if at all. It also encompasses what forms of interpretation are most appropriate for cycle tourists. A paper, to be published, was presented on this topic at an International Ecotourism Conference in New Zealand in 2002. The role of interpretation on long journeys and trails is used in Environmental Interpretation.

I am also involved in Ecotourism research. Education is a key component of ecotourism (and of the Ecotourism subject) but, from experience and survey of literature, it often seems to be loosely interpreted. I am particularly interested in what the expected educational outcome of an ecotourism experience is. A review paper is currently being prepared.

Recent Publications and Presentations

Hodgson, L., 2001, Environmental Geoscience Issues in the Gippsland Basin. Chapter in Gostin, V.A. (ed) Gondwana to Greenhouse: Australian Environmental Geoscience. Geological Society of Australia Inc. Special Publication 21: 161-170

Wells, N., Connellan, I., Hones, P., Hodgson, L., Irvine, N. and Palmer, C., 2001, Cycling Australia. Lonely Planet Publications: Melbourne (used in Environmental Interpretation teaching)