Challenging experiences: what do students learn?

Outdoor adventure and education camps set out to provide experiences that will challenge students physically, socially and emotionally. The prevailing view is that such programs inherently build character, but this assumption is being questioned. Andrew Brookes argues that outdoor education programs provide situations that elicit behaviour, such as an unadventurous person willingly trying new activities, but this is the result of the context rather than indicative of any significant change in the person. Brookes claims that for programs to have a lasting impact, people need to be able to reflect on their experiences in the broader context of their lives. A recent Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) project provided an opportunity to investigate some of Brookes' ideas. In 2006 ACER worked with Somers School Camp to assess the effectiveness of the camp in achieving their aims. [Author abstract]