How Does Outdoor Education Add Value

Outdoor activities, by combining cerebral, physical, and emotional dimensions, offer the opportunity to discover the behaviour patterns and interpersonal skills of how people behave, interact, and achieve, regardless of whether they are abseiling or undertaking a work role. This is the key to the effective use of the outdoors. First designing a course that is strong in isomorphs - the similarity between behaviours at work and in the outdoors – and then enabling participants to discover this relevance and transfer their learning back to the workplace. This has been described as isomorphic transfer – the gaining of knowledge and skills in one environment that can be transferred to another.

So how do outdoor activities that appear unrelated to work activities improve performance at work?

Effective learning takes place when an individual puts an idea into practice. That practical experience tests the original idea, the individual can reflect upon the results achieved - modify the idea as necessary - and try again. The outdoors is a superb environment in which to do this because it is closer to reality than most forms of training as participants behave normally and cannot role-play due to the unfamiliarity of the setting. For most people it takes them out of their comfort zone, which is necessary to develop and learn. Learning occurs when we move briefly into stretch, try new things, and return to comfort to reflect upon the experience and assess what we have learned. Soon what was in stretch becomes comfortable, our comfort zone expands, and we become more capable. My Peak Potential’s experience of controlling people’s exposure to risk in the outdoors ensures that participants do not spend time in their panic zone as that causes stress and significantly hinders performance and learning.

Not only does the outdoors provide a novel, non-contextual environment for learning but also because tasks are unrelated to work activities and are relatively simple they expose the processes by which individuals perform and achieve. Outdoor activities offer an emotional dimension that parallels real life and presents a full learning experience. The physical, emotional, and cognitive nature of the activities helps by breaking down psychological barriers that can inhibit participation and learning. The immediacy and nature of the tasks involving these three domains requires full participation, the taking of decisive action, and heightens the experience. So gaining greater commitment from the participants and encouraging longer retention of the learning outcomes.
The safety of participants must be of the highest priority and although outdoor activities have apparent danger, in reality the danger is minimized and mitigated.

The outcome of well structured outdoor programmes is one of the individual experiencing strong emotions in a safe environment. This is important because it exposes the underpinning processes (the behaviour patterns and interpersonal skills) of how people relate to others. In taking what they perceive as risk, whilst being challenged and supported, participants can explore and understand their own limitations, how they react to others and how that affects their behaviour. Limitations can then be placed in context and practical steps planned to overcome them.
[1] Teigen KH., 1994. Yerkes-Dodson: A Law for all Seasons. University of Troms0, Norway. Sage Publications.

How long has training in the outdoors been in use?

Outdoor Development, by whatever name it has been known, has been used for many years to meet the training needs of organizations. In 1907 Baden-Powell founded the Scout Movement with the aim of getting young people out of the towns and into the fresh air in order to “Stiffen the slouching slum-dweller and sharpen the lazy schoolboy”. In 1940 Kurt Hahn founded Outward Bound after noting that older sailors more likely to survive sinking during WWII. He produced a programme that gave young sailors new experiences which helped them to realise and understand their own potential and limitations and improve survivability. At about the same time the War Office Selection Board used simple exercises in the outdoors to test, develop and appoint leaders in the Army which focused on leadership, team work and problem solving. From about the 1960’s onwards it gathered momentum and began to take shape and training using the outdoors is now commonplace throughout many organisations.

From http://www.my-peakpotential.com/

Teambuilding with self confidence

The last couple of weeks in October saw the Carnegie Alpenrose fully booked with three teams of guests arriving back to back. All three teams arrived with similar objectives to acheive. These included improved teamwork, better communication skills as well as building self confidence and belief as individuals.

Below is an extract of an e-mail sent to us from a member of one of these teams. This team were the winners of a UK outdoor challenge that was organised for the staff of Leeds Metropolitan University. Their prize was a three day course at My Peak Potential's Alpine training centre, the Carnegie Alpenrose. Here they took part in one of our teambuilding courses, consisting of mountain biking, hill walking and a ropes course in the stunning Ostertal gorge behind the lodge. Here is Joan Sheehan's account of her visit by way of a thank you letter to My Peak Potential and it's staff.

"The trip was truly amazing! I have never been a fan of going away with work colleagues, preferring to get on with my life outside work seperately. Malham I think was the first time I had been away voluntarily and was certainly an excellent experience only marred by the fact I was so tired and couldn't stay awake long enough to socialise in the evening.

I don't think I will ever understand my inclusion in the list of "winners", considering my physical problems I thought a few days in the Alps may be the death of me! I am so glad I was included though.

Of course, the weather helped to make the trip but I know we would have had a good time regardless. The "support crew" are fabulous people, so friendly and always with a smile even though they must have been shattered at times. The instructors, all so keen and yet patient when we had our "problems". I honestly didn't think you could possibly pitch the weekend to such a diverse bunch of people successfully but you did it and did it brilliantly. Everyone was included in all aspects of the weekend and I think it helped to bring us together socially in the evenings. Trust me, sitting around singing Bohemain Rhapsody with a group of people I didn't really know is something I never thought would happen!

The activities were amazing and yes, I enjoyed the gorge walking - well, I look back and know I enjoyed it, I'm not sure I felt it at the time. Being terrified of heights I never dreamt I would be doing these things and yet when faced with the task, yourself and your team just seem to instill a confidence that I didn't know I had. I don't think there was a point where I thought I couldn't do something (except the coaching at the edge of the cliff - you'll have to forgive me that one!). The cycling was brilliant and I so wanted to turn around and cycle back again. The walking was the one thing I was dreading and yet once again it was perfect!

Something strange happened this weekend. On Monday I went to the Rodelbahn, I didn't feel nervous even though others around me did, I climbed onto a chair lift and even took photos back down the hill. I came down with no brakes, laughing all the way. I'm sure I laughed so much I made myself sick! I then got on a plane and for the first time in my life I sat and read a paper through take-off rather than panicking and again during landing. I feel a confidence I haven't felt before... so thank you.

I know that if I ever get the chance to return I will be first in the queue ready to push myself even further."
Joan Sheehan - Principal Learning Officer - Leeds Metropolitan University