Project Adventure

Adventure Education: Theory and Applications

Notes from reading the book.

There is some cool history.

1910-20: whole-child camping
1916: American Youth Foundation
1029-1932: Kurt Hahn's first schools
1920-40: John Dewey's progressive education
1946: Outward Bound UK
1955-75: Wilderness therapeutic camps
1960-70: Outward Bound USA
1964: Student Conservation Assocoation
1965: NOLS
1972: Project Adventure
1972-3: AEE
1978: Cowstails & Cobras publication (Project Adventure; PE; ropes course construction)
1979-80: Executive challenge (Sergeant Camp in NH)
1983: Pecos River Learning Center
... more ...

Definitions

Adventure education: involve the whole person and have real consequences.
Experiential education: similar. Authentic experience; reflect after.
Outdoor education
Outdoor recreation
Adventure-based educational programs
- PE
- Health
- Adventure in the classroom
- Service learning
- Character education, diversity, and classroom management
- after-school
- adventure-based counseling
- Adventure therapy
- Organizational training and development
- Community development

Trends

diversity of settings
interdisciplinary applications
credentialing programs
government recognition
evidence-based research
international applications
progression from adjunct to integrated models

Philosophy and theory of adventure education

History

camping
outdoor education
adventure education

Philosophical foundations of adventure education

experiential education
psychological and sociological theories
- behavioralism, ...
sociological theories related to adventure education
- attribution
- self-efficacy
- optimal arousal
- cognitive dissonance

Outcomes

moral development
personal growth
group development
- forming
- storming
- norming
- performing
- adjourning
leadership development
- challenge the status quo
- inspire a mutual vision
- empower members through cooperative teamwork
- lead by example
- encourage members to keep developing their personal expertise

Cornerstones of adventure education

Learning theories

John Dewey and the foundations of experiential education
Eleanor Duckworth and How People Learn
David Kolb: experiential learning cycle experience --> reflective observation --> abstract conceptualization --> active experimentation --> experience --> ...

Zones

Comfort
Stretch
Panic

Challenge by choice

Behavior contracts. Full-value contract. Goals:

understand and create safe and respectful behavioral norms under which the group will operate
commit to those norms
accept a shared responsibility for the maintenance of those norms

Eg primary

be kind
be gentle
be safe

Elementary

play hard
play fair
play safe

Middle school

be here
be safe
set goals
be honest
let go and move on

High school

Be present
pay attention
speak your truth
be open to outcomes
create a safe environment

The adventure wave

briefing
Doing
Debriefing

Leaderhip development

Leadership types
- designated
- active
- peer
- self
Skills
- expedition behavior
- competence
- communication .
- judgment and decision making
- tolerance for adversity and uncertainty
- self-awareness
- vision and action
Types
Training through experience

Service to others

GRABBSS assessment tool

Goals
Readiness
Affect
Behavior
Body
Setting
Stage (group development)

Risk and safety in adventure programming

(TBD)

Individual outcomes of participating in adventure

Responsibilities of adventure education leaders

Facilitating the adventure process

Eight generations of facilitation. Should read these in more detail.

Let the experience speak for itself - learn by doing
Speaking on behalf of the experience - learning by telling
Debriefing the experience - learning though reflection
Directly frontloading the experience - direction with reflection
Isomorphically framing the experience - reinforcement with reflection
1. We do this with NCDS: the first day a small version of the Team Challenge
Indirectly frontloading the experience - indirect reinforcement in reflection
Flagging the experience - unconscious reinforcement in reflection
Empowering clients to self-facilitate - coaching and reflection

Selecting a facilitation model

Program type

Purpose

Generations

recreational adventure

fun, new skills, entertainment

1,2

education adventure

learning; generating new awareness

3,8

developmental adventure

improve functional behaviors; train new behaviors

3,4,5,8

therapeutic adventure

behaviors, cognitions, unconscious processes - change

5,6,7

Developing a client-centered facilitation style.

Facilitation and discussion techniques

Facilitation guidelines
- Group position. Physical configuration.
- Time.
- Single speaking
- nonviolence
- right to pass on participation
- responsibility
- personal commitment.
- role clarity
- confidentiality
- ethical issues
Planning for reflection and debriefing
- See the awesome list of Discussion Dos and Dont's
Methods. Check out the dozens of example questions for funneling and frontloading! Fig. 7.3
- Funneling
- Frontloading the experience
- Empowering clients to self-facilitate
  - Find alternatives to the standard practice of talk circles: journaling, art work, etc
  - Have a client choose a reading or story to introduce day/activity/reflection
  - Let clients decide what they need to learn
  - Allow clients to cocreate metaphors
  - Teach clients about funneling and frontloading
  - Listen
  - Have clients paraphrase their own statements. At least get OK on your paraphrasing.
  - Encourage clients to talk to each other
  - Avoid judging students comments
- Alternative and nonverbal methods of reflection

Evaluation and follow-up

Creating an action plan
- A task to be accomplished
- Resources and support people to help with the task
- Dates for checkpoints adn evidence showing tha tthe task was completed
Following up

Portable adventure activities

Low-element challenge courses

Great for personal growth and group development. Groups become cohesive. Low elements can be a positive test of group dynamics for established groups. Combination of physical and cognitive challenges.

Definition of low challenge course element: any apparatus that requires participants to be off the ground, up to 4 meters. Not on ground; do not require belay. Typically involve teamwork.

History

Kurt Hahn (Outward Bound founder) used obstacle course in 1930s-40s. Focus on individual.
In 1962 OB came to the US; focus on training for wilderness trips; focus on group cohesion.
Late 60s-70s: other contexts; valuable learning tool unto themselves. Project Advneture for example.
Early courses made of rope and wood and attached mostly to trees. Eg Sneaker Pit, Hamliton-Wenham Regional High School in MA. Eg Tension Traverse: walk on cable rope over swamp with aid of hand line.
Lots of installs in 70s, 80s, 90s. Association for Challenge Course Technology; vendors.

Settings and types...

Example: Islands - portable low element. Goal is for group to travel between islands which are platforms 8 feet apart, 2 3x3 and 1 1.5x1.5; also 2 boards that are 4feet and 6 feet in length.
Example: Triangle Tension Traverse. Cables, 3', in shape of triangle, with 2 hand lines.
We should add framing examples to our lesson plan, and include safety check.

Seems like glorified playground equipment... Intention is to use a combination of physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills.

Universal and accessible low elements.

Reliance on group members to keep participants safe while on apparatus: spotting.

Facilitation

assessment and sequencing
running the element. Frame with a story, a metaphor, or just the basics. You may give or ask for a goal. You may give some an impairment (eyes closed, not speaking, not using an arm). But be careful with that. Can do roles, limit communication but not ban it. Remember to intentionally process the experience.
Safety concerns. Have SOPs. Have local operating procedures. Check out Project Adventure's 20-year safety study. Visual check and inspection before activity. Know hazards you're looking for.

Using with varied populations

schools. Some nice examples from Seabrook middle school in NH
military settings
therapeutic settings. Example: Capital Area Intermediate Unit in PA - students with psychiatric or emotional issues.
corporate settings