About me and Outdoor

Adventure Education

Guan-Jang Wu
Write down one question you have
about me or about outdoor education
 My Background
University
National Cheng-Chi University (1992-96)
Major Law
My Background cont.
Graduate School (1999-2006)
University of Denver, M.S.
Resort and Tourism Management
Indiana University, Ph.D.
Leisure behavior
Minor in counseling psychology
Professional training
Professional Training
National Outdoor Leadership School
(NOLS)
Summer semester in the Rockies (70 days)
Waddington Range Mountaineering (30)
Instructor Course (35)
Led Olympic NP wilderness course (30)
NOLS Promo video
Professional Training
Cont.
Outward Bound Wilderness
Outward Bound instructor training (14)
Led Outward Bound course (10)
OB Wilderness Promo video
Professional Training
Cont.
Wilderness Education Association (WEA)
American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA)
American Canyoneering Association (ACA)
Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS)
Leave No Trace (LNT) Master Educator course
Professional Training
Cont.
NCPES (2006—current)
Kings Canyon National Park, USA (2005)
Island Peak, Nepal (2007)
 Popular Topics
Adventure therapy
Camps & camping
Corporate adventure
Environmental education
Experiential learning
Extreme expeditions
Facilitation
Group dynamics
 Popular Topics cont.
Peace education
Risk & safety
Ropes courses
Schools
Team building
Wilderness
 Key Players

NOLS
Outward Bound
Wilderness Education Association
Project Adventure
 Research in Outdoor
Education
Early studies [1950-1960 in the USA] focus on operations
More than 130 master’s theses and doctoral dissertations
focusing on outdoor education in this era
Administration, general surveys, proposed programs, and
curriculum articulation.
Research in O.E. cont.
1960s-1980s
The psychological, educational, and
therapeutic effects of outdoor programs on
participants
Self-concepts

The effect of Outward Bound programs with

delinquent youth
Reporting positive, long-term benefits
Research in O.E. cont.
The effects of outdoor education programs
on classrooms, schools, and communities
The possible role of various causal factors
(such as the facilitation methods used by
an instructor) in influencing participants'
outcomes
Research in O.E. cont.
The role of the natural environment in
outdoor education experiences
The role of particular activities or
processes in influencing people's
outdoor education experiences
Journal of Experiential
Education (JEE), 2007
1. Perception and Reception: The Introduction
of Licensing of Adventure Activities in Great
Britain. By: Woolven, Rowland; Allison, Pete;
Higgins, Peter.
2. Evaluation of a Ropes Course Experience
for At-Risk Secondary School Students. By:
Conley, Laura; Caldarella, Paul; Young, Ellie.
3. Urban Service-Learning: An Authentic
Teaching Strategy to Deliver a Standards-
Driven Curriculum. By: Soslau, Elizabeth G.;
Yost, Deborah S..
 JEE cont.
4. Service-Learning and Natural
Resource Leadership. By: Newman,
Peter; Bruyere, Brett L.; Beh, Adam.
5. Integrating Persons With Impairments
and Disabilities Into Standard Outdoor
Adventure Education Programs. By:
Dillenschneider, Cindy.
 JEE cont.
6. The Wilderness Within: Reflections on Leisure
and Life, 3rd edition. By: Berkers, Anthony.
7. The Processing Pinnacle: An Educator's Guide
to Better Processing. By: Swiderski, Michael.
 Issues in Outdoor
Education
Risk management issues
Abuse and death in programs
Injuries and fatality
Staff training
Certification
Technology use in outdoors
Multicultural issues
Gender issues
Ethical issues
 Africa Trip
August 2007
Mt. Kenya
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Slideshow movie
Q&A