Ropes course

Abstract: Introduction Means-end theory seeks to understand the important meanings that individuals associate with the products and services they purchase, consume, and experience. More specifically, means-end theory seeks to characterize the relationships among particular objects or behaviors, "the means", and the outcomes and personal values important to the individual, "the ends". Means-end theory and its associated methodology have typically been used to develop a better understanding of the factors influencing consumer choice or decision-making behavior. For example, the technique has been used in previous research to understand the factors involved in buying a tennis racquet (Mulvey, Olson, Celsi & Walker, 1994), purchasing a greeting card (Walker & Olson, 1991 ) , and selecting a ski destination (Klenosky, Gengler & Mulvey, 1993). Recent research has applied the means-nd perspective in less traditional product/service settings, for example, to understand the factors driving weight loss (Pieters, Baumgartner & Allen, 1995), recycling behavior (Bagazzi & Dabholkar, 1994), and park visitors' usage of interpretive service offerings (Klenosky, Frauman, Norman & Gengler, 1998). This study extends means-nd research by using the approach to examine the factors associated with the experience of participating in a particular recreation activity-a ropes course program. A ropes course is a series of activities and initiatives that challenge groups of individuals to work together to solve problems and complete tasks. The purpose of this research was to learn more about the role and meaning of the benefits associated with this type of programming. More specifically, the objectives were to identify the different benefits participants derived from completing a ropes course program and examine the means-end relationships that help explain why and how participants view these benefits as important. We begin by reviewing previous empirical research on the benefits of ropes course and adventure education programming. We then overview means-end theory and its associated methodology and explain how the approach was adapted in the present study of ropes course participants. Next, we present the details of the methodology and report the major findings of the ropes course study. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for researchers interested both in studying ropes course experiences and conducting means-end research in other leisure and recreation settings. Previous Research on Ropes Course Benefits Experiential education is "learning by doing." The available evidence generally supports the view that direct experiences with nature, people, objects, things, places, and tasks lead to faster learning, better retention, and a greater appreciation and understanding of learned material (Freeberg & Taylor, 1963, p. 1). Experiential education can take many forms, such as an internship, class field trip, or outdoor adventure program. Ropes courses represent a large and growing form of these later types of experiential education programs. Ropes course programs, bring together groups of individuals and present them with a series of challenges or problems to solve. These activities are then followed by a debriefing or processing period where group members are encouraged to share the lessons they learned and, ideally, how these lessons could be applied in other settings. Ropes courses are usually held outside, and made out of a variety of elements spread out over a space of ground. An element or initiative is a task or problem that the members of the group are challenged to complete or solve. Wood, cinder blocks, trees, cables, buckets, cans, ropes, and other materials may be used to create the elements. Ropes courses can be made up of low and/or high elements. Low elements, which are conducted at or near ground level, are generally designed to get individuals to work as a group or team. …

Abstract: Martin, B., Cashel, C., Wagstaff, M., & Breunig, M. (2006). Outdoor leadership: Theory and practice. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 328 pages, ISBN: 0736057315. I have a number of books on my shelves about outdoor leadership. They range from the now dated classic 'Freedom of the Hills' (1974), which fired my young imagination in its depictions of the rigorous demands and responsibilities of venturing into the frozen mountains as a leader of other adventurous souls, to 'Bushwalking and Mountaincraft Leadership' (1994), which remains a treasure trove of practical and local advice. Some books age gracefully. There is also the weighty and theoretical 'Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming' (Priest and Gass, 1997) and the experientially based and narratively driven 'Outdoor Leadership: Technique, Common Sense and Self-Confidence' (Graham, 1997). Each of these books reflect their times, cultures and vary in their intended audiences. It is possible to chart a trend from the days when outdoor leadership was largely the concern of community clubs and volunteer leaders to the present when, more and more, it has become the domain of an emerging profession of qualified leaders who have to access certification programs and tertiary education degrees (in outdoor recreation management, adventure leadership, camp counselling, outdoor education and so on). From this small sample of the many books and guides published on the topic it is also possible to detect a persistent tension in the relationship between theory and practice. Do we learn to be outdoor leaders by doing it or through studying the theories that attempt to explain it? Can the theory and practice of outdoor leadership be brought into a closer nexus where we gain maximum benefit from reflecting (theorising) upon our practical experiences and then using those theories to anticipate the demands of future experiences? A recent addition to my library, 'Outdoor Leadership: Theory and Practice' (Martin, Cashel, Wagstaff, and Breunig, 2006 In reviewing this new book on the topic I posed a number of questions to myself: how do the authors deal with the relationship between the practice of outdoor leadership on the one hand and theoretical perspectives on the other; how does the book engage with its anticipated audience of students taking "introductory college [undergraduate] courses in outdoor leadership" (Martin et al., 2006, p. ix), and; finally, how might the book also serve a broader audience of practicing outdoor leaders (whether they be teachers, club leaders etc.)? Incidentally, the authors all work within the tertiary education sector in North America. 'Outdoor Leadership: Theory and Practice' (2006) introduces eight core competencies of outdoor leadership (foundational knowledge, self-awareness and professional conduct, decision making and judgement, teaching and facilitation, environmental stewardship, program management, safety and risk management, technical ability). The authors use a system of codes to map these core competencies across the text. The book is then presented in four parts: Part I - Foundations of Outdoor Leadership, Part II - Outdoor Leadership Theory, Part III - Teaching and Facilitation, and Part IV - Resource and Program Management. Each part is presented in a series of chapters. Each chapter opens by defining key concepts and reminding the reader of the core competencies that relate to the chapter content. It then begins with a vignette that takes the reader into the world of the novice or emerging outdoor leader. These narratives portray a 'practical' experience (like debriefing a ropes course session or learning from co-leading with a more experienced leader) or the need to make a professional decision (such as deciding upon a particular sea kayak route in changeable conditions or facing an ethical dilemma). The presentation of the chapter then works to 'solve' or 'inform' these practical scenarios through reference to established theory, research and wellwritten discussion. …

Abstract: Prouty, D., Panicucci, J., & Collinson, R. (Eds.). (2007). Adventure education: Theory and applications. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 255 pages. ISBN-10: 0-7360-6179-7. I've never been a big fan of text books and I really only picked this one up because it does not look like one. I confess to having a soft spot for colour covers adorned with adventure photos. With the name Dick Prouty and Project Adventure jumping from the cover at me, I was looking forward to an informative, enjoyable walk through the world of adventure education. In this respect the book delivers. Adventure Education: Theory and Applications is a concise overview of some of the basic components that form the foundations of outdoor and experiential education. It is set out in three easy to digest sections. Part one explains the theories, philosophy and cornerstones of adventure education. Part two explores the skills, competencies and responsibilities of adventure practitioners. The third section of the book deals with core Project Adventure business such as portable 'groupies,' low and high ropes courses, leader training, teaching strategies and programming. The book is aimed at the North American college audience studying outdoor education, recreation and experiential education courses at an introductory level. Some attempt has been made to make the publication more global in its outlook with one page biographical reviews from adventure education workers from Scotland, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia. However, references to Kurt Hahn and the early development of Outward Bound in the UK is where the international flavour ends. There are review questions and student learning activities to help students relate their own experiences and thoughts to the content being presented. Some web links are interspersed throughout the text providing readers with external links and references. The introductory chapter on the history and definition of Adventure Education: Theory and Applications was confusing. The terms experiential education, outdoor education and adventure education are used interchangeably. Grappling with these definitions however, has long been an issue for writers in this field. Prouty defines outdoor recreation as "a rapidly evolving field of adventure education that uses many mediums and has an outcome of personal and spiritual growth" (p. 13) The lack of reference to other published material in supporting this and other definitions, is a weakness of the text. Chapter five explores some of the outcomes that can be achieved through adventure education programmes. The authors, Stiehl and Parker, provide a solid review of how to develop programmes to achieve specific educational goals. They also identify the need to quantify programme outcomes and benefits, yet they provide no tools or resources to assist practitioners in this task. The chapter on 'Risk and Safety in Adventure Programming' by Charles Gregg is quite a good overview of a modern approach to risk management. Gregg summarises this chapter by saying, "the primary concern for an adventure program is not legal liability, but the development and maintenance of a quality program - one that reasonably manages the risks to participants and achieves the goals of the program and participants" (p. 60). The content in this chapter resonates with the discussions and presentations made during the 15th National Outdoor Education Conference in Ballarat, this year. …