Enhancing University Curricula via Adventure Learning
George Veletsianos1, Aaron Doering1
1University of Manchester, United Kingdom, 2University of Minnesota, United States
Researchers and practitioners have frequently attempted to engage learners in authentic and experiential learning in an attempt to connect the activities that occur in the classroom and learner life beyond the classroom walls. One creative and promising way to engage learners in such activities has been through educational programs that revolve around outdoor-based expeditions and adventures grounded on the use of technology to reinforce the experience and connect learners, educators, experts, and explorers. Given the transformational educational potential that such programs have exhibited, the interest from the educational community, and the relative disconnect that exists in the current literature, this paper presents how the Adventure Learning (AL) approach to designing hybrid and online learning (Doering, 2006) can be applied higher education curricula. The goal is to present a framework used to redesign curricula for heightened, engaging, and aesthetic learning experiences.AL is an approach to the design of online and hybrid education that provides students with opportunities to explore real-world issues through authentic learning experiences within collaborative learning environments (Doering, 2006). The approach is based on the theoretical foundations of experiential (Kolb, 1984) and inquiry-based learning. This approach to learning design is also grounded on aspects of adventure, synchronized learning opportunities, media enhancements, internet delivery, collaboration and interaction, active participation, and a guiding modular curriculum based on authentic problems. To date, five projects have been based on the Adventure Learning approach: Arctic Transect 2004, and GoNorth! 2006-2009. These projects have been based on the same narrative: a team of explorers and educators dog-sled an Arctic region of the world. Teachers and students, follow the travels and adventures of the team. The experience is mediated and enhanced by electronic media and artifacts send from the trail (e.g., video, audio, imagery).This presentation will explore the guiding principles of this approach to learning and showcase how it can be applied by higher education staff to diverse curricula including topics in the humanities, physical sciences, social sciences, and medical science.Doering, A. (2006). Adventure learning: Transformative hybrid online education. Distance Education 27(2), 197-215.Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.