Adventure education focuses on participating in activities with perceived risks and does not necessarily occur outdoors.

Adventure education includes cooperative games, trust building activities, problem solving initiatives, high adventure activities (ropes course

Ropes course

A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or only a few feet above the ground...

, rock climbing

Rock climbing

Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...

, white water rafting, kayaking

Whitewater kayaking

Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...

 and canoeing

Whitewater canoeing

Whitewater canoeing is the sport of paddling a canoe on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater canoeing can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...

, mountaineering

Mountaineering

Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...

) and expedition leadership (backpacking

Backpacking (wilderness)

Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...

, dog sledding, sailing

Sailing

Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...

, etc.). as a part of an educational pursuit. Adventure education and adventure-based education are terms often used interchangeably. Adventure education can often refer to the actual teaching of the adventure activities while adventure-based refers to the use of the activities for a broader educational purpose.

Definition of adventure

Project Adventure defines adventure

Adventure

An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...

 as a way of doing, not something that is done. Education becomes an adventure when an element of surprise exists. Engagement, challenge, and risk are also essential components.

Education that is conducted in a wilderness-like setting or through nature and physical skills development to promote interpersonal growth or enhance physical skills in outdoor pursuits

Direct, active, and engaging learning experiences that involve the whole person and have real consequences. Educational activities and experiences, usually involving close interaction with the natural environment and within a small group setting that contain elements of real or perceived risk. The outcome, while uncertain, focuses on the intrapersonal and interpersonal development of the individual or group

Outcomes of adventure education programming

Adventure education has many positive outcomes. A meta-analysis of adventure education studies identified forty major outcomes, grouped into the following six categories: leadership, self-concept, academic, personality, interpersonal, and adventuresomeness.

Program characteristics that contribute to program outcomes

There are six categories of program characteristics that contribute to achieving the program outcomes described above. These are the physical environment, activities, processing, the group, instructors, and the participant.

Physical environment

Unfamiliar environments contribute a great deal to program outcomes experienced by adventure education participants. Being in a new environment allows participants to gain new perspectives on familiar environments and gives them the freedom to experiment. An unfamiliar environment also creates some level of anxiety for the participant, as well as creating the perception of risk. Overcoming the challenges presented by unfamiliar environments through the mastery of specific tasks results in positive benefits to the individual, such as increased self-esteem. Positive outcomes are offered by several types of environments, including wilderness, non-wilderness (e.g. ropes-course), or a traditional classroom. However, wilderness is often considered as providing additional benefits to participants, thus being the optimal environmental setting for adventure education programs.

Activities

Rather than activities themselves, it is the qualities of activities that are responsible for achieving program outcomes. The combination of challenge, mastery, and success in activities are what lead to participant growth. Challenges should be holistic in order to maximize positive outcomes. Programs should include mental, emotional, and physical challenges, and encourage concurrent mastery in all three domains. Challenges should also increase incrementally, so as not to overwhelm participants early on in the program but allow them to grow and develop throughout. Activities should be well organized and matched to suit the particular needs and requirements of the participants. The GRABBS model (Goals, Readiness, Affect, Behavior, Body, and Stage of Development) is a good method for matching activities and participants. Success in the activities must be achievable. However, some failure may also be good for participant development. Program participants can learn from their failures to achieve success. Goal-setting is critical to achieving program outcomes, at both the individual and group levels. It is also important to allow participants to have personal choice related to activities. The "challenge-by-choice" philosophy of adventure programming allows the participant to have some autonomy related to the activities s/he participates in.

While the qualities of activities are most important in achieving program outcomes, there are also specific activities that are well-suited to adventure programming. These include activities related to trust and empathy (e.g. trust falls), communication, decision-making and problem solving, social responsibility, and personal responsibility.

Processing

Processing is defined as "the sorting and ordering of information" that enables program participants to internalize meaning gained from an adventure education experience Three models have been identified by which participants process meaning. In the "Mountains Speak for Themselves" model, participants are responsible for reflecting on their experiences on their own, without facilitation from the instructor. In the "Outward Bound Plus" model, the instructor serves as a counselor, facilitator, and discussion leader. In the metaphoric model, activities are consciously framed so that they become experiential metaphors that can be applied to challenges in participants' daily lives.

The group

Several characteristics of the group also contribute to achieving program outcomes. In terms of the size of the group, small groups of seven to fifteen individuals are usually more conducive to achieving desired outcomes. Reciprocity within the group is also important. This refers to group members learning to cooperate with one another and capitalize on the strengths of each individual. Autonomy of individuals and personal relationships are other aspects of the group that contribute to achievement.

Instructors

Certain aspects of program instructors such as biographical characteristics, personality, and interpersonal interactions can have a large influence on participants' achievement of desired program outcomes.

The participant

The age, gender, background, and expectations of program participants have also been shown to be related to the achievement of program outcomes.

Applications of adventure education

Adventure education programming can be implemented in several contexts, including therapy for youth at risk, survivors of sexual assault, families in distress, and persons with medical conditions.

See also

• Outdoor education
  Outdoor education
  Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
  
  
• Adventure-based education
• Experiential education
  Experiential education
  Experiential education is a philosophy of education that describes the process that occurs between a teacher and student that infuses direct experience with the learning environment and content. The term is mistakenly used interchangeably with experiential learning...
  
  
• Environmental education
  Environmental education
  Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...