I have one goal when teaching, to inspire a since of exploration in my students. When a student connects with his or her inner explorer, anything is possible. We are all born with an innate desire to explore our world. From our first day, we want to use our senses to touch, smell, feel, listen and observe our surroundings. We are curious beings, always looking for answers, seeking out new questions, searching for new horizons, ultimately transforming through our experiences. Through these transformational experiences arise new questions and answers, thus the cycle continues. However I have noticed that by the time students get to college, many have lost the innate desire to explore, but would rather be told what to do. If we are going to tackle the world’s major dilemmas, then we will need a transformation from complacent learners to exploratory learners, ready to ask the big questions and equipped to handle the many pitfalls and failures along the way.
I strive to provide authentic and real experiences that students can apply to their lives right now. Rather than laying down stepping-stones to learning, I like to provide the materials to build personal stepping-stones to the next level of inquiry. The fun part is discovering each student’s individual learning style to help him or her become intrinsically motivated to learn. Without a doubt I find quality and meaningful experiences to be the single most effective catalyst for authentic learning. Along with experience, Kolb’s theory of observation and reflection play a key role in forming new thoughts and concepts. As such, I take every opportunity to reflect on experiences, assimilating new ideas into existing paradigms.
John Dewey’s experiential education theory is a powerful education model but ultimately I am looking for a genuine transformation in my students. Transformation is simply a change in perspective, but changing a person’s perspective is a daunting task. And yes I do believe that everyone can benefit from a change in perspective. According to Jack Mezirow, transformation is the expansion of consciousness through the change of one’s basic worldview and self-capacity. True transformation is rare. Mezirow states that some kind of “disorienting dilemma” is usually required for transformation such as a life crisis or major life transition. However, Mezirow also states that transformation can occur through an accumulation of meaningful experiences. The university experience offers the perfect time for transformation. Students are often moving away from home, living on their own for the first time. This alone can be a disorienting dilemma, and if facilitated correctly, a student can walk away with a profoundly different perspective. Hopefully that perspective will allow them to see the interconnectedness between everything, from the subjects they study in classes to their pursuits outside the classroom. More importantly for me, the transformation that I am most interested in facilitating is for each student to realize and unlock their full potential.
When a person realizes that their actions truly do make a difference in the world, then the potential for positive change is tremendous. I have found that outdoor, recreation, and adventure education can facilitate tremendous growth in students and ultimately lead to profound transformations in personal biases, assumptions and attitudes. And the best part of these new personal paradigm shifts, is that personal views transfer to every aspect of your life. Your perspective and attitude on life follows you into every endeavor you encounter.
As mentioned above, we need profound experiences to shake our foundation. We need to be pushed outside our comfort zone, to experience failure, to be uncomfortable, to be pushed physically and mentally beyond our capacity. Only then can we have the kinds of experiences that lead to transformation. Outdoor, recreation and adventure education are specifically designed to provide these experiences. As an experiential educator, I know where my students abilities reside, and understand how to lead them to the edge and empower them to move beyond. The edge is different for each person and knowing a persons edge is paramount, because you never want to push someone too far. But nothing is more detrimental to learning than being complacent and content. To get past this, we must learn to take risks. Outdoor recreation and adventure education derive much of their meaning through risk. The great thing about risk is that it is merely a perception. One person’s risk threshold is another’s equivalent of a walk in the park. For this very reason, differentiating risk for each student is vital. However the fundamentals of overcoming the fear associated with risk are the same for everyone. The only difference is the belief and personal confidence that one posses in overcoming life’s obstacles.
On a recent climbing course, I had a range of students with various climbing skills, from total beginner to avid climbers. Differentiating the curriculum to meet the needs of each student started with skills assessments and reflections on past climbing experiences. The experienced climbers were asked to dive deeper into the mechanics and numbers associated with building a “bomber” anchor system and how this knowledge can alleviate fear associated with trusting gear. This accomplished two learning outcomes, understanding the theory behind a SERENE/ERNEST anchor system and allowing beginner climbers to tackle their perceived fear of climbing. Both groups of students advanced their knowledge of climbing and applied their learning during an actual climbing trip. Of course this kind of basic skills course does not lead to a change in perspective. However, it is a starting point for accumulating meaningful experiences.
The typical 4-year college experience can provide the perfect amount of time to build on positive experiences that can ultimately give you the confidence to accomplish anything you desire. I hear a lot these days about the failure of higher education. Opponents say a 4-year degree is not worth the money. On one hand I would agree. If you simply show up to class, ingest a bunch of information and regurgitate it on an exam. Then yes, I would agree with the critics of higher education. Information is literally in our palms these days. We no longer need classrooms to operate as centers for disseminating information, but rather gathering points for human interaction, collaboration and deep experiences. A person can learn the basics about kayaking on a YouTube video or can learn orienteering from a book. But a book or video cannot teach you how to take these skills and muster the courage to use them in the real world. This is where higher education must take the lead. Now more than ever we need to give students the experiences that lead to self-confidence and profound risk taking. We need students accustomed to stepping outside their comfort zone, who can adapt to challenging situations and can take their knowledge and confidently apply it to any situation they encounter. This is where outdoor recreation and adventure education excel. Our students don’t simply read the book; they apply it to real world adventures.
For many students, outdoor and recreation education comes naturally, rarely challenging the students beyond their comfort zone. Some students grew up in the outdoors and can easily scale a 5.12 traditional rock climb or kayak down a class V river run. For these students who have the skills, they are ready to apply their abilities to bigger and greater projects or as I like to call them, expeditions. Planning and leading expeditions can ignite the explorer in anyone. The skills gained on an expedition highlight some of the greatest transferable skills imaginable. From competence, communication, and judgment to self-awareness, vision and tolerance. To meet the needs of students, I created a comprehensive expedition planning and leadership course designed to take students to the next level. My doctoral dissertation documented some of the profound transformations that occurred during these expeditions. These students continue to apply their knowledge and skills confidently in any capacity of their lives, from making documentaries and becoming Olympians to teaching K -12 and running outdoor programs.
These accumulated adventures and in depth expeditions can ultimately lead to a profound transformation in how we interpret our world. Instead of acting on the purposes, opinions, conclusions and positions of others, students learn to confidently bring fourth and share their own ideas and beliefs. Creativity and original ideas come from stepping out of our comfort zones and pushing our limits. In order to prosper in the very near future, our students will need to emulate the great explorers of the past, tearing down old constructs and belief systems, to adapt to an ever changing and interconnected world. Explorers have always guided the way, and if we are to reach our full potential, then we will need a multitude of explorers to face the future.