Research was conducted at Camp ASCCA (Alabama's Special Camp for Children and Adults) to investigate the effects of an 11-week outdoor residential camp experience with handicapped campers on their self-esteem, attitude toward handicapped individuals, and locus of control scores of first year counselors with no previous experience. Self-esteem was…

People are steadily being deprived of decision making opportunities. However, the freedom and sense of adventure to be found in the outdoors can help renew feelings of self-direction in our lives. Many theories about the nature of self have been evolved since Aristotle's time. Social benefits, self conceptualization and self assessment may all…

Participant observation and in-depth interviews explored how 10 New Zealand male secondary students, aged 17-19, made meaning from their outdoor educational experiences. Qualitative methodology was indispensable in revealing how learning through adventure not only improved self-concept (a conventional assessment), but also contributed to…

Feeling the need for a concise summary of research conducted on Outward Bound Activities, the North Carolina Outward Bound School commissioned this annotated bibliography. Approximately 110 listings are included, each accompanied by a brief abstract identifying the principal features and findings of the work listed. The bibliography is divided…

The Tennessee Self Concept Scale was used to study the effect of outdoor adventure activities on the self concept of university students. Related studies have found significant changes in self concept following survival training and Outward Bound experiences. The study population consisted of 99 students enrolled in 1 of 4 classes at Eastern…

A true experimental design with 60 male probationers, ages 13-16, was used to evaluate the viability of an Ontario-based 21-day wilderness adventure program as an alternative for adjudicated juveniles placed on probation. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group was subdivided into 3…

Reviews the literature and identifies and explores five characteristics shown to exist in both the adventure-based learning environment and effective traditional classroom settings. Discusses small learning group size, cooperative learning environments, communication of high expectations for students, building on student success, creating a…

This meta-analysis examines the effects of adventure programs on diverse outcomes such as self-concept, locus of control, and leadership. Analysis of 1,728 effect sizes from 96 studies shows that effect sizes varied substantially and improved as the length of the program and ages of the participants increased. (SLD)

Ten papers were selected for inclusion in this proceedings based on each paper's ability to examine critical ethical issues within the field of experiential education and to challenge readers to analyze and justify the stances they support. John Miles examines user impact on wilderness areas and the responsibilities of educational uses of the…

Created in 1974, the Connecticut Wilderness School is a successful program for breaking patterns of failure due to negative self-image and instilling positive values of confidence and responsibility in order to develop constructive attitudes and behaviors in young people aged 15 to 20 who have run into trouble with the law. The wilderness program…

High school sophomores participating in the second year of Project Adventure, an educational program expanded to include community service, experiential learning, and a rigorous physical education program, showed improvements in physical abililty and self-concept consistent with improvements shown by students in the program's first year.…

Australian Outward Bound participants almost universally report their experience in the course as being significant in their lives. The relevance of Outward Bound to the normal progress of life enables it to make significant contributions to society and man's future. An Outward Bound course is designed to encourage students to take responsibility…

New Hampshire high school students and Dartmouth College students who had participated in 4 OUTWARD BOUND courses in 1970 were interviewed (15 of the 59 high school participants and 14 of the 19 Dartmouth participants) and completed questionnaires. Additional information was drawn from discussions with OUTWARD BOUND staff members and with some of…

Project Adventure, an innovative educational program combining experiential learning in academics with a rigorous physical education curriculum at the high school level, was successful in its first year (1971-72). Project staff attempted to: develop and teach the physical education component; involve students and faculty in experiential dimensions…

This paper describes the development and implementation of an adventure-based counseling program with six groups of junior high and high school students having severe emotional disturbances in Riverside County, California. The program's objectives were: (1) to improve students' communication skills, self-confidence, trust, respect for others, and…