This paper summarizes research to ascertain the need for university-based courses in adventure therapy in Australia. Three main sources of data were examined: questionnaires; a literature review; and anecdotal data such as unstructured interviews, personal conversations, and e-mail. Questionnaires were completed by 25 persons: 19 Australians and 6…

At Indiana University, the Department of Recreation and Park Administration and Indiana University Outdoor Adventures (IUOA) work together to offer university students for-credit courses in recreation skills. Since 1997, graduate students trained and directed by IUOA have taught 1-credit courses in specific outdoor skills, based on nationally…

A study examined the relationship between older adults' motivations to participate in outdoor adventure experiences and their retirement status. Surveys of 782 adults over 55 years old participating in 72 outdoor adventure programs found that although there were several significant differences in motivation based on retirement status, the overall…

In two articles on outdoor programming models, Watters distinguished four models on a continuum ranging from the common adventure model, with minimal organizational structure and leadership control, to the guide service model, in which leaders are autocratic and trips are highly structured. Club programs and instructional programs were in between,…

This paper examines practical and theoretical problems and issues that arose during evaluation of an adventure program for young offenders. During 1989-93, the Sail Training Association and the Humberside (England) Probation Service collaborated on a project in which probation clients aged 17-25 made sailing voyages across the North Sea or around…

The creation of isomorphic activities can be accomplished when an instructor with a broad repertoire of activities applies a clear definition of purpose to a strong understanding of the clients involved. Experiential education is based on the use of experience to increase human potential. In order to capitalize on specific behaviors for focused…

Sequencing in adventure education involves putting activities in an order appropriate to the needs of the group. Contrary to the common assumption that each adventure sequence is unique, a review of literature concerning five sequencing models reveals a certain universality. These models present sequences that move through four phases: group…

In recent years, an increasing number of educators have opted for non-traditional programs that afford students opportunities that traditional classroom experiences do not. Many educators are utilizing the wilderness environment as a means of providing students and staffs with an experientially-based developmental program. Activities such as rock…

This paper describes a risk-protection perspective on adolescent problem behavior and mental health and its implications for experiential and adventure educators. Empirically, multiple biological, psychological, and social factors in the individual, family, and environment are predictive of various adolescent antisocial behaviors such as…

Experiments in using outdoor education to affect juvenile development and deter crime abound. Most of these outdoor adventure programs use a setting of developed challenges and perceived risk situations in order to create a life-changing experience. However, these "adventures" remain contrived events and require significant interpretive…

This paper describes a longitudinal study of a residential outdoor education school program in Australia. Specifically, the research tracked 409 ninth-grade students for up to 24 months to determine the impact on boys and girls of an extended-stay outdoor education program. The program is located at Timbertop, a coeducational school in a…

In 1992, a review of research in adventure therapy offered a perspective that utilized work in psychotherapy as a lens to view the current state of the field. From that review, recommendations were made to gain respect within the field of traditional mental health. This update examines the 1992 recommendations and updates them based on recent…

A survey of 652 adventure recreation agencies in higher education settings examined the use of risk management practices and the relationships between agency characteristics and risk management techniques. The survey contained 27 Likert Scale questions divided into four categories (agency guidance, staff development, participant education, and…

This paper presents an overview of the need for theory in the field of adventure therapy. It also outlines one way of conceptualizing theories of human change as they relate to adventure therapy. The field of adventure therapy is young and has not had time to develop a coherent theoretical base. In order to contribute to the development of a…

This paper examines the philosophical foundation of common adventure and proposes a definition and practical model of the concept. Sixteen values are listed that provide the philosophical foundation of common adventure. Based on this foundation, a possible definition of common adventure would be two or more individuals working cooperatively on an…