Staff profile

Ms Kathleen A Pleasants

Lecturer, First Year Experience Coordinator

Faculty of Education

Outdoor and Environmental Education

Ironbark Centre, 2.12, Bendigo

 

Qualifications

Master of Outdoor & Environmental Education (Latrobe University) 2008, Graduate Diploma in Outdoor Education (Latrobe University) 1996, Graduate Diploma in Education (Footscray Institute of Technology) 1989, Bachelor of Applied Science (Footscray Institute of Technology) 1989

Membership of professional associations

Victorian Outdoor Education Association, ACHPER

Area of study

Environmental education
Outdoor education

Teaching units

Subject Coordination

  • OED1WKN Ways of Knowing Nature.
  • OED3EO Education in the Outdoors
  • OED3PLM Politics of Land Management
  • OED3TPD Teaching and Program Development
  • OED3FEE Field Experience E

Research Interests

  • The role of peer and self-assessment in higher education
  • The roles of reviews of research within the field of outdoor education
  • The development of locally relevant outdoor environmental education curriculum
  • Australian environmental themes and representations within children's literature
  • VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies curriculum

Consulting

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority; ACHPER Victoria 2011 - Advisory Committee, Secondary/VCE

Recent publications

Waite, S., Pleasants, K. (2012). Cultural perspectives on experientail learning in outdoor spaces. Journal of Adventure Edcuation and Outdoor  Learning.

Thomas, G., Martin, D, & Pleasants, K. (2011). Using self- and peer-assessment to enhance students’ future-learning in  higher education. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 8(1), 1-17.  Available at:http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol8/iss1/5

Pleasants, K. (2009). Learning from a review of research. Paper presented at Outdoor education research and theory: critical reflections, new directions. The Fourth International Outdoor Education Research Conference, 15-18 April 2009, Beechworth, Australia.

Pleasants, K., Gough, N. (2008). Pragmatic and positioned readings of outdoor education for sustainability. Paper presented in a symposium, ‘Challenging the status quo of education for sustainability: Research perspectives’. Australian Association for Research in Education Conference, 30 November-4 December 2008, Brisbane, Australia

Pleasants, K. (2008). The landscape of research: Lessons from a review of research on outdoor learning. Paper presented at Landscape, Youth and Outdoor Education: What are we doing? What should we be doing? European Institute for Outdoor Adventure & Experiential Learning (EOE) Conference, 17–20 September 2008, Trinity College, University of Wales, Carmarthen, Wales.

Pleasants, K. (2007). A feral in our midst: Does Outdoor Environmental Education Need a Thneed? Paper presented at Sustaining our spirit of place. 15th National Outdoor Education Conference, 20-23 September 2007, Ballaarat, Australia.

Pleasants, K. (2006). Does environmental education need a Thneed? Displacing The Lorax as environmental text. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 11, 179-194.

Pleasants, K. (2006). Attending to the disregarded: Challenging hegemonic discourse in Outdoor Education In Widening Horizons: Diversity in theoretical and critical views of outdoor education. Proceedings of the third International Outdoor Education Research Conference, 4 – 7 July 2006, University of Central Lancashire, Penrith, UK.

Black, J., Gough, A. & Pleasants, K. (2005) Outdoor and Environmental Studies VCE Units 1- 4 (Revised Edition), Thomson Learning, Melbourne.