Outings beyond the confines of the university classroom are still rare in Spain. They are an experiential learning practice that involve student teachers in their future professions through a reflective and critical approach. This study presents the process of designing and validating a questionnaire for ex-ante and ex post evaluations of outings.…

This theoretical paper aims to contribute to the debate about a perceived activity-environment tension in outdoor education. Tim Ingold's extensive writings on enskilment are used to explore what it means to be skilful in outdoor activities and how this can contribute to dwelling in outdoor places. Four 'threads' of enskilment--taskscape, guided…

Adventurous activities are established as an integral aspect of The National Curriculum for 5-16-year-olds. Securing a place in the curriculum provides adventurous activities with an unparalleled opportunity to reach more pupils than any other form of delivery during these formative years. However, little consideration has been given to…

In this paper we present key ideas for an ecological dynamics approach to learning that reveal the importance of learner-environment interactions to frame outdoor experiential learning. We propose that ecological dynamics provides a useful framework for understanding the interacting constraints of the learning process and for designing learning…

This paper presents research on participant learning processes in challenge course workshops using the framework known as Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). CHAT views learning as a shared, social process rather than as an individual event. Participants' experiencing and learning was mediated by the physical and social conditions of the…

Experiential learning can be understood as a process in which learners recognize and develop their "action-theory." The aim of outdoor development programs--whether mainstream education, corporate training, or therapy--is to facilitate this process. A "reflection-in-action" approach to facilitation is presented and situated in…

This article investigates how a structured post-course follow-up reflection activity affects the depth of reflection and facilitates the transfer of learning. The research is reflective, based on the findings from the Action Learning Management Practicum, a 3rd year paper at Massey University, New Zealand. The initial reflections at the end of the…