Attachment @ Shuqun Primary Essay 1

Must you give choices to your participants when they undergo adventure- learning programmes? When would you not give choices?

Adventure learning programmes refer to interpersonal growth or educational skills that interlink with certain physical skills that is learnt in an outdoor environment concept.

Let’s further break it down into a much detailed details on the two varied details that is given to us. Interpersonal growth/educational skills, refers to the different values and attitude that can be instil into the participants and for physical skills that is learnt in an outdoor environment concept could be learning to pitch a tent or learning to cook in an outdoor environment.

Now that we have a clearer view about what is an adventure learning programmes, we can now go into a debate about giving choices. There are two usual ways that most instructors in a company would do to empower their participants in doing but because the company that I am in is a school setting, most of the time we will allow participants to have choices to a certain extent.

Let me give an example, a group of pupils from Hong Kong came to Shuqun for an annual programme; “Friends for LIFE”. They are supposed to try out a few of the outdoor activities that were prepared by the teachers from Shuqun. These three elements were selected; flying fox, abseiling and bouldering. Most of pupils were trying such elements for the very first time; therefore it is expected to see them in fear.

There was a particular student, he was extremely afraid of height but at the same time wanted to try out flying fox. When it was his turn, he was quite hesitant and when he sits onto the edge of the building he started crying. An instructor from Exponent was there to encourage him to try. But when he started crying our principal told the instructor to give him choices. There are 3 choices which are to wait for the next pupils to go first then come back to him or he wants to go right then or he do not want to try at all. The pupil picked the first choice, which after his friend have went down via flying fox, he was still hesitant and started to cry again when he sits at the edge of the building. He was then pulled out from the activity by choice. When he was being interviewed, he learnt that he needs to be stronger in term of mental fight. He replied that he really wanted to try but because his mind was giving him all sort of fear that he cannot get his body to move so that he can try.

From this example we can see that choices was given to the pupils and that the pupils have decided not to go through it even though his friends have shown him that it was not as frightening as it is.

Let see from another example, same scenario the only difference was the choice. The pupil is a girl, and she cried, exactly same 3 choices but she picked the 3^rd choice which was to give it a try. She completed the element and when being interviewed; she learnt that in everything that she does, she must have the courage to take her first step and whether success or fail, it is not important at all but experience was all it takes.

From the two examples, we can see that even though a choice that was make by the pupils are different, but both pupils learned different things which actually makes an impact in their life. According to Schoel, Prouty and Radcliffe in 1988, describe the 3 different choices that can be given; chance to try in a support and caring environment, a chance for them to back off if self doubt is too much, trying is more important than performance. These 3 different choices could impact participants’ life directly or indirectly.

From another research done by Keith McRae (1990), enhancing of personal qualities and abilities is rank 4 with 62.8% of a cohort of students from Christchurch Secondary School in Sydney. The survey was split into 4 different parts; outdoor, personal, social and environmental concern. In the survey, personal upgrading was in the 3^rd and 4^th positions after the outdoor aspect. This shows that in an outdoor environment by giving choices, students or participants are more aware of the different choices that they make and enhance their personal qualities and abilities.

In conclusion, giving participants choices allow participants to decide and to make a better decision for themselves. This will also train them to make better choices in real life situation. Therefore it is a must to give students or participants choices.

References:

Neill, J. T. (1997, January 20). Outdoor Education in the Schools: What can it achieve?. http://wilderdom.com. Retrieved March 30, 2011, from wilderdom.com/pdf/Neill1997SchoolsOE.pdf

Priest, S. & Gass, M.A. (2005). Empowering clients. In S. Priest & M. A. Gass. Effective leadership in adventure programming (2^nd ed.), (pp. 186-187). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.


Comment from Facilitator:
Well-researched and written. Your conclusions about giving participants choices are correct. It's also important that whatever choices the participants make, the experience must be facilitated to achieve meaningful learning outcomes.


Grade: A