The Outdoor Education Umbrella: A Metaphoric Model To Conceptualize Outdoor Experiential Learning Methods.

Overview & Synopsis

Explaining what outdoor experiential education is can be problematic, as a variety of terms are being used to identify a wide range of outdoor experiential learning methods. This paper proposes the metaphoric model of an umbrella to explain the relationships existing among these terms and their respective outdoor experiential learning methods. The shank of the umbrella represents the term outdoor education. From the shank, eight different ribs branch off, representing specific outdoor experiential learning methods. These methods are environmental education, earth education, wilderness education, outdoor adventure pursuits education, challenge education, adventure education, and two left unnamed to indicate the flexibility of the model. The canopy of the umbrella, which joins the ribs together, represents the term experiential education, a process common to all the methods. Finally, the handle represents camping education, a term often used to identify school camping programs. Each of the terms is defined in a manner that explains its position in the model. Contains 17 references. (Author/SV)