Outward Bound Report
In 1941, Kurt Hahn originated modern adventure education (Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997). Also,Hahn developed the first Outward Bound program for the Blue Funnel Shipping Line in the Atlantic Ocean (Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997). The objectives for that first project was “a month-long course designed to accelerate the development of independence, initiative, physical fitness, self-reliance, and resourcefulness” (Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997, p. 3) “The success of these programs led Hahn to support the establishment of Outward Bound schools in England and throughout the world, and by 1995 there were 48 schools on five continents” (Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997, p. 3). Adventure education challenges a student
both mentally and physically. Bandura (1997) states that "successes build a robust belief in one's personal efficacy," and that "a resilient sense of efficacy requires experience in overcoming obstacles through perseverant effort" (p. 80). The common features of adventure education include natural environments, small groups, mentally and physically challenging tasks, and relevancy for life long skills (Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997). For example, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and canoeing can all be used as tools to inspire participant growth (Marsh, Richards, & Barnes, 1986). In addition, a number of studies have shown that the combination of challenging activities, mastery of skills, and experiencing success also lead to participant growth (Witman, 1995).
Most adventure education classes include at least one multi day adventure toward the end of the program, which involves doing mentally and physically demanding activities away from the student's normal environment (Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997). Kurt Hahn, the founder of Outward Bound claimed that “Expeditions can greatly contribute towards building strength of character” (http://www.kurthahn.org). Walsh and Golins (1976) mention how an unfamiliar environment can help individuals gain new perspectives on other familiar environments, and vise versa use their knowledge from known environments to help guide them in decision making in the new environment.
Leading up to such adventure challenges, there must be incremental increases in the degree of challenge in the activities to enable student growth throughout the educational experience (Walsh & Golins, 1976). A study by Bisson (1998) supports these theories and indicates that the sequence of activities included in a program is related to program effectiveness. Much philosophy on adventure education highlights how humans need to push the limits in regards to their physical and psychological possibilities in order to become more persistent and resilient with challenges in everyday life (Neil, J. & Dias, K. 2001).
both mentally and physically. Bandura (1997) states that "successes build a robust belief in one's personal efficacy," and that "a resilient sense of efficacy requires experience in overcoming obstacles through perseverant effort" (p. 80). The common features of adventure education include natural environments, small groups, mentally and physically challenging tasks, and relevancy for life long skills (Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997). For example, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and canoeing can all be used as tools to inspire participant growth (Marsh, Richards, & Barnes, 1986). In addition, a number of studies have shown that the combination of challenging activities, mastery of skills, and experiencing success also lead to participant growth (Witman, 1995).
Most adventure education classes include at least one multi day adventure toward the end of the program, which involves doing mentally and physically demanding activities away from the student's normal environment (Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997). Kurt Hahn, the founder of Outward Bound claimed that “Expeditions can greatly contribute towards building strength of character” (http://www.kurthahn.org). Walsh and Golins (1976) mention how an unfamiliar environment can help individuals gain new perspectives on other familiar environments, and vise versa use their knowledge from known environments to help guide them in decision making in the new environment.
Leading up to such adventure challenges, there must be incremental increases in the degree of challenge in the activities to enable student growth throughout the educational experience (Walsh & Golins, 1976). A study by Bisson (1998) supports these theories and indicates that the sequence of activities included in a program is related to program effectiveness. Much philosophy on adventure education highlights how humans need to push the limits in regards to their physical and psychological possibilities in order to become more persistent and resilient with challenges in everyday life (Neil, J. & Dias, K. 2001).