Theories, Policies and Practicies of Outdoor Experiential Leadership

Catalog description

The first objective of this course is to promote understanding of the history and evolution of adventure-based programming and to look at how this process has impacted the state of programming today in USA and beyond. This leads to the second objective- to be able to articulate the range of theories that influence practices of adventure based programming and place that understanding within socio cultural historical contexts. Third, students will be able to identify schools of thought in theories of ethics, how these apply in different outdoor contexts for different groups and have an understanding of adventure education as a moral endeavor. Fourth, students are expected to critically analyze various topics related to current issues in the field, discussed and consider various positions prior to looking at the future trends of adventure-based programming. In all aspects of the course students will familiarize themselves with seminal and current literature in relation to theory, practice and policy. Main topics to be covered - Indicative Content: History of Experiential Education/Adventure-based Programming; organization level risk management; Programming for various audiences: youth at risk, elderly people with disabilities, women, college student orientation programs, and experiential education in the classroom; Ethical issues and ethical principles; Current Issues: controversial issues, and budgets/strategic planning. RPTM 440 is a selection for RPTM majors in the outdoor experiential learning emphasis of the Outdoor Recreation option. The pre-requisite for this course is RPTM 330 .