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This study focuses on the informal learning methods that take place in an 8-day structured summer camp. The Appalachian GeoSTEMCamp infused outdoor adventure recreation with geology using an informal-formal learning methodology. The camp was designed to instruct middle school/high school students on earth and environmental sciences in a way that is challenging and interesting, promoting critical and creative thinking. The data adds to a growing body of literature suggesting informal education has an established place in STEM education.
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Outward Bound and outdoor adventure education: A scoping review, 1995-2019
Outdoor adventure education (OAE) programming is often referenced as an effective intervention that encourages a wide array of outcomes in participants such as increased confidence, independence, and communication skills. However, as outdoor adventure education continues to increase globally, what does the academic literature say about the outcomes related to these programs? Hattie, Marsh, Neill, and Richards (1997) conducted the last major review of program efficacy in this realm. This updated scoping review, largely following PRISMA guidelines (Tricco et al., 2018), aims to summarize the academic literature on one of the primary outdoor adventure education providers internationally, Outward Bound (OB). Fifty-four studies, published between 1995 and 2019, have been summarized in this review. Utilizing Outward Bound International’s (OBI) framework of “people”, “place”, and “process”, themes and gaps in the literature are explored. Specifically, the OB literature has progressed since 1995 in demonstrating social and emotional outcomes in a variety of settings, a better understanding of the nature of effective programming, and further documenting the role the instructor plays in the learning experience. Recommendations are provided on developing more rigorous methodologies for future research, understanding the role of the physical environment in the learning experience, and utilizing theoretical approaches to integrate outdoor adventure education into broader academic realms.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1828822
- PAR ID:
- 10441815
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Annales Kinesiologiae
- Volume:
- 13
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 2232-2620
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 143 to 181
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.35469/ak.2022.368
