Allowing students a sense of autonomy has long been considered an important pedagogical tool. This paper synthesizes the current literature on student autonomy from the education, youth development, and outdoor adventure fields and explores its value through an analysis of data from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The results…

This book is designed to help instructors and students master and teach the Wilderness Education Association (WEA) curriculum while in the field. It is formatted in self-contained lesson plans which describe the overall goal, the specific objectives, the body of knowledge, and the materials necessary for teaching about a specific topic within the…

Project Adventure (PA) offers certification for adventure program managers and two levels of challenge course practitioners. PA feels certification is timely because other fields have certification programs that work well, PA has been using competency-based certification for their own staff successfully for 8 years, the field has recently…

Discusses Alan Hales's model of safety management in the context of caving. When two sets of hazards, human and environmental, are present together, risk occurs. Objective risk is uncontrollable and should be avoided in educational settings; subjective risk is controllable. Presents positive and negative strategies for engaging or avoiding…

A review of research in cognitive and social psychology reveals the importance of situation assessment in the development of decision-making expertise. A naturalistic training model is presented for outdoor leaders that includes training for ill-structured problems, a heavy workload, time stress, and high stakes, as well as multiple players and…

For over 7 years, the Wilderness Education Association (WEA) and three universities have been using a systematic approach to leadership training in the outdoors: the experiential leadership education (ELE) method. The effectiveness of this approach was investigated by an aerospace expert interested in leadership training for isolated groups. A…

This paper lists 86 specific teaching methods for outdoor educators in the areas of content, technique, and group management. The methods were gleaned from a 30-day river instructor course conducted by the National Outdoor Leadership School. Relevant content is the heart of learning. Careful selection and coverage of topics during a course will…

This resource guide compiles research studies and papers about women in experiential education and recreation in the natural environment. This guide focuses on adventure-based activities and physical recreation in the outdoors; therefore, information regarding women in forestry, natural resources, and ecofeminism has not been included. With the…

The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) is an internationally recognized outdoor school with five branch schools located in Wyoming, Alaska, Kenya, Mexico, and Washington. The philosophy of NOLS is to develop judgment and leadership skills in its students. Three priorities guide this school: (1) safety and care of the individual; (2) safety…

Outdoor adventure education is an experiential method of learning which takes place primarily through sensory involvement with the outdoors. Characteristics of adventure education include uncertain outcomes, risk, inescapable consequences, energetic action, and willingness to participate. Adventure education occurs in a diversity of venues,…

This proceedings includes 16 papers presented at the 1991 International Conference on Outdoor Recreation (Moscow, Idaho). The papers are: (1) "Special Populations Outdoor Pursuits: Tapping the Ability in Disability" (Allen Adler); (2) "An Investigation of the Ecological and Social Impacts Caused by Rock Climbers" (Aram…

Sexual harassment can be devastating and have tremendous impact on the emotional well-being, physical health, and vocational success of those who experience it. It is especially important for outdoor education program staff to proactively address sexual harassment because these programs often take place in remote locations that may make escape…

In response to the growth and diversification of adventure programming, the Association for Experiential Education developed an accreditation process that addresses both the fluid nature of adventure programming and the need for specificity in standards. This book describes exemplary administrative practices and policies of accredited adventure…

Laurentian University (Ontario) offers a 4-year holistic outdoor adventure leadership program that promotes personal growth, develops leadership skills, and trains individuals to be safety-minded in various outdoor settings. A strong environmental ethic is promoted through courses in biology and Canadian Native culture. Practicums, internships,…

This teaching guide provides basic information on training outdoor leaders for a wilderness course at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Lander, Wyoming. The first chapter, "Teaching at NOLS," overviews teaching fundamentals and describes teaching techniques such as the use of demonstrations, modeling, formal classes,…