A European conference convened 90 participants from 14 countries to consider "other ways of learning," such as experiential methods and aesthetic-sensual perception, which have been marginalized by the overemphasis on instrumental rationality in our societies and schools. This proceedings presents 18 papers and paper abstracts on outdoor…

Presents a model of four levels of experience in training adventure education leaders: direct instruction, student interaction in class, technical skill development, and internships. Internships allow students to think for themselves and solve real-world problems while experiencing teaching on their own. Utilizing all levels increases student…

Examines role of play and experiential learning in early childhood education. Summarizes educational experiments and research projects on outdoor experiential play for enhancing adventuresomeness, self challenge, cognitive development, and socialization of young children. Suggests need for traditional and experiential educators to develop…

Discusses how experiential education can address the developmental needs of gay and lesbian youth; describes a successful Outward Bound program developed for gay and lesbian youth; and explores reasons why educators and program administrators must be proactive in developing programs for this specialized population. (LP)

Two reviewers present divergent points of view concerning a book that provides a comprehensive overview of the field of wilderness therapy. The first reviewer sees the book as valuable in bridging the gap between the mental health profession and outdoor experiential education, whereas the second reviewer suggests that the book gives ambiguous…

Describes Outward Bound's adventure education and leadership training programs. Describes Outward Bound's history, goals, and participants' reactions, emphasizing benefits for urban Hispanic youth. Describes efforts to recruit more urban minority students, instructors, and at-risk youth. Mentions other Outward Bound programs meeting special needs.…

The impact of a modified wilderness program on the cooperative and aggressive behaviors of seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents was evaluated in the context of self-efficacy theory. Results indicated that participating adolescents showed a significant increase in cooperative behaviors and that direct observation procedures were more…

Touts the advantages of experiential learning through educational games, or simulations, as provided by outdoor-learning centers. The organization of outdoor learning is discussed along with ways for integrating community groups into the activities. Included are five examples, a bibliography, and contact information for two centers that support…

An adventure educator's anecdotes of international experiences illustrate the gap between the instructor's intended goals of an experiential exercise and participants' perceptions. Offers seven suggestions for structuring a dialog evaluation that works through different culture-based understandings of the same words, so that subsequent activities…

This study examined the long-term effects of participation in a half-day, low-element challenge course on the group functioning of members of college student organizations. Seventy-six participants completed measures of group cohesion, group effectiveness, and individual effectiveness within the group at four points in time: (a) one week prior to…

This book provides teachers and recreation professionals with a guide to Project Adventure activities and curriculum. Project Adventure learning goals are: (1) increasing the participant's personal confidence; (2) increasing mutual support within a group; (3) improving agility and physical coordination; (4) increasing joy in one's physical self…

The increasing emphasis on teacher-directed processing of adventure experiences may be devaluing both the learning experience and the promotion of self-reliance among students. The problem with "overprocessing" is that the teacher, not the student, decides what was learned and its relative value. In addition, this approach emphasizes…

This paper discusses the use of quantitative methodologies to evaluate extended-stay outdoor education school programs (ESOESPs) in Australia. A recurring theme in the literature of outdoor education is the paucity of empirical data to support its continuation and development. Proponents argue that the outdoor education experience leads somehow to…

This paper briefly describes development of an Australian wilderness program for at-risk and problem students and outlines the "wilderness enhanced" model on which it is based. In the late 1980s, the New South Wales Department of School Education developed a wilderness intervention for adolescents with a history of school behavior…

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…