Exkursion

An Exkursion is a planned educational outing away from the usual learning environment, intended to observe, study, or gather data about real-world phenomena. In German-speaking countries, the term is commonly used in schools and universities to describe field trips that complement classroom instruction. Exkursionen vary in duration and setting but share a structured aim and supervision.

Purposes include reinforcing theoretical knowledge, developing observational and methodological skills, conducting measurements, and fostering teamwork and independent problem solving. Typical contexts are geography or earth sciences field trips, biology surveys, urban studies walks, or visits to archives, museums, factories, or nature reserves. Activities may include guided observation, data collection, measurements, photo documentation, and post-excursion discussions or reports.

Planning and safety are central: learning objectives are defined in advance, pre-excursion preparation materials are provided, and risk assessments, permissions, and insurances are arranged. Logistics cover transport, meals, and supervision ratios. Participants usually bring field notebooks, maps, cameras, and appropriate clothing.

Variants: shorter day trips and multi-day field courses are common in secondary and higher education. The term Exkursion emphasizes educational purpose and structured activities, whereas Ausflug refers more generally to a leisure outing without explicit instructional goals.

In practice, Exkursionen are an integral part of experiential learning, bridging classroom concepts with real-world observation and data collection, and they are supported by institutional policies and safety guidelines.