ERIC Number: EJ1197088
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Dec
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1053-8259
EISSN: N/A
Canoe Trips: An Especially Good Place for Conversation about Student Transition
Hannah, John
Journal of Experiential Education, v41 n4 p356-368 Dec 2018
Background: Many postsecondary institutions offer outdoor programs to incoming students as a form of orientation or transition event. Positive outcomes for students are shown to result from these interventions but less is known about the mechanisms leading to these outcomes. Purpose: This article argues that "conversation" is one of these mechanisms and suggests canoe trips are an especially good intervention in which to generate conversation about student transition. Methodology/Approach: Insights emerging from our own outdoor orientation program called "Portage" lead to a hypothesis that canoe trips create three conditions ideal for the generation of productive conversation about student transition: the emergence of communitas, more egalitarian and communal relationships, and a rich source of metaphor. Findings/Conclusions: The "Portage" experience shows promise as a way to help students explore their educational and transition experiences through conversation. Implications: The intentional generation of conversation through metaphor on canoe trips may offer a useful space of pedagogical possibility to help students contemplate and pass through their transition more productively.
Descriptors: Adventure Education, Experiential Learning, Recreational Activities, School Orientation, College Students, Transitional Programs, Transformative Learning, Outcomes of Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A