For the purpose of this research project an outdoor education program was developed for students (aged between 10-14) displaying signs of emotional difficulties in engaging with school and family life. The project investigated the effective use of an Integrated Adventure Based Educational program delivered in a complimentary milieu of classroom,…

The Outdoor Situational Fear Inventory (OSFI) has been used extensively to measure the social-, physical-, and environmental-based fears of participants in Outward Bound and in college outdoor education programs. The OSFI uses a continuum scaling method in which respondents place a slash mark on a 10-centimeter line representing a continuum from…

A study examined changes in self-concept of adolescents enrolled in outdoor adventure education courses offered at a private college-preparatory high school in New York City. Surveys were completed by 94 students, 36 of whom were enrolled in outdoor adventure education courses; 25 of these were males and 11 were females. Results found no…

Decision making by outdoor adventure educators revolves around balancing risk and competence. A model of outdoor adventure decision making is presented that draws on naturalistic decision-making processes and emphasizes the importance of situational recognition and prior experience. Leaders draw key information from the natural environment,…

A study examined how 28 components of Outward Bound Western Canada (OBWC) courses affected student self-concept, motivation, and interpersonal skills. Data from questionnaires, interviews, and observations of 92 OBWC students generally supported previous research, but also indicated that the objectives of compassion and service received less…

A study undertaken to examine the effects on students of participation in a limited experiential learning program yielded no definitive conclusions but suggested several directions for further study. Dartmouth College undergraduate students who enrolled in an intermediate psychology course in 1973 and 1974 had the opportunity to be selected to…

Questionnaires completed by 53 high school age students from the Voyaguer Outward Bound School (VOBS) were analyzed to determine how well the program met the perceived needs/expectations of the students. Prior to the course, participants ranked the 17 course components in order of perceived importance, and following the course they indicated how…

Changes in adolescents' self concept as a result of participation in a camping program were studied. Subjects were 57 males and females, aged 14-18, who spent 9 weeks with the Man and His Land program, travelling on eight camping expeditions. Three hypotheses were tested through pre-, mid-, and posttests: (1) Differences would be shown in pre- and…

In order to fill the gap in obtaining hard evidence to test or document the impact of experience-based education on student participants, the Experiential Education Evaluation Project was undertaken May, 1978 and administered to 4,000 students in 33 programs. There were four major types of programs: volunteer service, career internships, outdoor…

Twenty-four families participated in an intensive 8-hour adventure program that included initiative games, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting in the mountains of central Colorado. A study examined the effects of participation on parental perceptions of family problem solving, communication, cohesiveness, and general functioning. A questionnaire…

An instrument was developed to measure perceived levels of anxiety of students enrolled in a resident outdoor adventure education course, and to confirm four underlying factors that contribute to anxiety in such settings. These factors are level of control, program inadequacies, personal inadequacies, and level of comfort. A 53-item Outdoor…

A study examined the relationship between outdoor leader self-awareness and co-leaders' perceptions of leader influence. Thirty-three challenge course instructors for a major university in the Midwest operated as a peer group, working in instructor teams leading groups in an outdoor setting. Each instructor took a turn as leader of the day. All…

Explored counselor ratings of 10- to 13-year-old Ss (N=132) in three therapeutic camping trips. Results indicated a significant difference between boys and girls from third-trip comparisons on unstructured dependence. Reliable counselor ratings were found, and boys were perceived by the counselors to change, while girls were not. (Author/JAC)

A study examined the effects of a 5-day rock climbing intervention on perceptions of alienation and control among 17 at-risk adolescents from an alternative high school. Following the climbing program, the experimental group was less alienated and demonstrated a stronger sense of personal control than did the control group. (TD)

A survey of the outdoor activity programming available to high-risk youth in the United Kingdom reveals limited availability of programs, little evidence of intensive personal development or therapeutic work in programs, and a significant interest among providers and users in sharing information and ideas. (LP)