Outdoor adventure is stereotyped as a White, male activity. Women who participate are going against the stereotype of outdoor activities as a male domain, but women of color additionally confront the domain of race. Constraints on women generally include socialization into an ethic of care, concern for physical and psychological safety, and lack…

This paper outlines the principles of Reality Therapy and Choice Theory, which provide a practical foundation for understanding and influencing human behavior, and relate them to experiential learning. Choice Theory is an explanation of human behavior developed by Dr. William Glasser (1965, 1985); Reality Therapy is the application of Choice…

Equitable outdoor leadership responsive to social justice issues has historically been absent in the field of adventure education. The call for social justice in the field has been hampered by lack of information, negligible programmatic support, personal conditioning and bias, resistance to reform from those in power, and firmly established…

This book, written for trainers as well as for persons who occasionally provide training in a work setting, is organized in three parts. Each fact is individual, although there is some cross-referencing. "Running Staff Training Groups" focuses on the way in which trainers can use action learning methods such as role play to impart their…

School-based outdoor and experiential programs face an increasing demand from outside interests for research-based accountability. This paper suggests that both research and practice are strengthened by researcher-practitioner partnerships and by practitioners conducting their own research. Three modest qualitative research designs are explored as…

This book presents architectural design activities for students to utilize skills in mathematics (geometry, measurement, estimating, and scale), science (materials and engineering), and social studies (surveys, contracts, community planning, and social interaction) to create a playground and to clearly express their ideas about space and play. The…

Most adults are both learners and consumers of goods and services across their life span. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of literature that analyzes consumer behavior in the light of lifelong learning. Learning activities, whether formal or experiential, have both costs and benefits. Interviews with hundreds of persons,…

This paper describes the Pressley Ridge Day School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) for emotionally disturbed/behavior disordered children and youth between the ages of 6 and 21. The physical plant, staff, programs, curriculum, and student eligibility and population are briefly described. Using the philosophy and Re-Education Model developed by Nicholas…

This paper reviews service learning definitions and principles to illustrate common threads connecting service learning philosophy across contexts. Although there is general agreement that service learning occurs in school-based and community-based categories, it cannot be universally defined. Definitions from K-12, higher education, and adult…

Twenty-four families participated in an intensive 8-hour adventure program that included initiative games, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting in the mountains of central Colorado. A study examined the effects of participation on parental perceptions of family problem solving, communication, cohesiveness, and general functioning. A questionnaire…

This paper advocates experiential education to help students actively engage in learning and transfer learning beyond the classroom. The characteristics and advantages of experiential education also provide educators with a more rewarding and enriching teaching experience. Typically, experiential education is viewed as an enhancement to more…

This Spanish-language ERIC Digest addresses the question of what young children should be learning that will best serve their development and learning in the long term. Two major dimensions of development--normative and dynamic--are explored, and four categories of learning goals are discussed: (1) knowledge; (2) skills; (3) dispositions; and (4)…

This Korean-language digest addresses the question of what young children should be learning that will best serve their development and learning in the long term. Two major dimensions of development--normative and dynamic--are explored, and four categories of learning goals are discussed: (1) knowledge; (2) skills; (3) dispositions; and (4)…

Rube Goldberg is famous for his very complex machines that accomplish everyday tasks. In this activity, students design and build a Rube Goldberg machine that will accomplish a simple task in no less than 10 steps. This activity requires a 120-360 minute time period for completion. (Author/SOE)

When asked to list some strong materials, people think of steel, concrete, and wood. In this activity, students learn about the force of compression and how it acts on structural components through a hands-on group problem. Using everyday products such as paper, toothpicks, and tape, students construct a structure that will support the weight of a…