This is a composite article which brings together the international perspectives of the editorial board of the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning to explore the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on the field of adventure education and outdoor learning (AE/OL). Building on the AE/OL profession's response to the impacts of…

Using interpretative phenomenological analysis and Robert Kegan's constructive-developmental theory, this study investigated how developmental stage shaped the subjective experiences of 13 adolescents (M[subscript age] = 15.92 years, 54% females) in a developmental coaching and outdoor adventure education program. Participants were drawn from…

This paper is an adapted version of the Brian Nettleton Lecture given at the Outdoors Victoria Conference, 2022. It explores how the last two decades have seen an ever-accelerating Digital Revolution which has impacted on almost every aspect of human experience to the point that it is now omnipresent. Life is now mediated through the screen. As a…

The Australian Outdoor Health (OH) sector provides diverse practices that support an interconnected human and ecological approach to health and wellbeing. There is an urgent need for the OH sector to develop a comprehensive ethical practice framework, to enable professional recognition and other initiatives to progress. This would bring the sector…

The inaugural Brian Nettleton Lecture links two of Brian's views: (1) that it is important to get to know a certain area to be more a part of it and of nature; and (2) that areas suitable for outdoor adventure lie unnoticed near the centre of Melbourne. Nature needs our help given the serious and escalating threats. Increasing evidence shows that…

This paper addresses pluralistic understandings of wilderness in the context of wilderness therapy (WT). The term wilderness perpetuates a modern worldview of place that beyond 'civilisation' exists an environment defined by risk, fear and an unpredictable nature. WT utilises outdoor travel and living practices during therapeutic intervention and…

This paper aims to contribute to on-going discussion about the teaching and learning strategies used in effective outdoor education programmes. A naturalistic inquiry was conducted with two schools that participated in 28-day outdoor education programmes facilitated by the same outdoor provider in Australia. Data were collected through five…

In contemporary life, young people's identity development is a popular topic for investigation. This includes better understanding their development and their participation in outdoor adventure. From ancient times to modern days, literature conveys the benefits of outdoor adventure on their identity development and more recently there is a growing…

In this study, we describe characteristics of outdoor adventure interventions (OAIs) that aim to address problem behaviors in young people in Australia. A national online survey was completed by 98 program leaders and 24 program managers. OAIs for youth in Australia are diverse, but typically incorporate several days in the outdoors, during which…

This paper describes a quasi-experimental crossover trial of an outdoor adventure program for Year 9 school students in Australia. Previous studies have reported a range of positive outcomes of outdoor camps and adventure programs, but cautious interpretation of some claims may be warranted due to limitations in research methods. This study…

This paper presents an account of a research project that explored the experiences of adolescents struggling with behavioral and emotional issues, who participated in a 14-day adventure therapy program in Australia referred to by the pseudonym, "Onward Adventures". All participants of this program over the age of 16 who completed within…

In an earlier paper I identified two key forms of "meaningful experience" for participants on a wilderness river rafting journey, namely a feeling of humility and being alive to the present. However, space considerations led me to describe only the first of these forms in any detail. In this paper I identify and describe the qualities of…

In previous work, Lynch and Moore theorised that the current popularity of adventure in recreation and education contexts is deeply paradoxical at social, economic and technological levels. Extending this thesis, we investigated the extent to which "adventure culture" can be considered quantitatively and qualitatively specific to…

With growing disconnection from the natural world, educators who work in the outdoors need to philosophically rethink their "modus operandi". Past efforts by adventure and outdoor educators to promote connection with nature have often centred upon risk-centric approaches incorporating adventure-fuelled and high-adrenalin activities. This…

In the light of recent challenges facing the field of outdoor adventure education in higher education, this exploratory study sought to identify some of the underlying political and institutional factors and societal influences on an international level that have led to the success of some programmes and the closure of others. Thirty-eight outdoor…