STUDENT’S SOFT SKILL ACQUISITION IN AN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE EDUCATION EVENT OVER TWO YEARS OF PARTICIPATION

Outdoor Adventure Education can be used to develop and hone the transferable or so called soft skills such as group work and problem-solving skills in higher education. These skills are also much needed to ensure employability. An outdoor adventure activity was developed and implemented by lecturers in order to bridge this gap between university and the industry in order to hone the transferable skills of students studying sport and recreation. Data were collected over two years. Two hundred students participated in the research study with a mean age of 22±4 years. Data were collected qualitatively and analysed and subsequently numerically coded to ensure statistical analyses. Analyses indicated no statistical differences between skills learned in the first and second year. Students were then divided into first time and second time participants and statistical differences were found. The second time participants reported mostly on leadership skills learned and first time participants on teamwork. Implementing an outdoor Adventure Education event was effective in developing skills in students much needed for success in higher education as well as becoming well-rounded individuals whom possess all the qualities for rewarding employment

Keywords:

Students, soft skills adventure education, OAE, recreation,

PDF

___

Baker, J. P. (2015). Peer Leadership on the College Campus--Competencies and Skills for Success. International Journal of Leadership and Change, 3(1), 6.
Bennett, R. (2002). Employers' Demands for Personal Transferable Skills in
Graduates: a content analysis of 1000 job advertisements and an associated empirical study. Journal of Vocational Education and training, 54(4), 457-476.
Bennett, S. (2004). Supporting collaborative project teams using computer-based technologies. Online collaborative learning: Theory and practice, 1-27.
Chang, M.-M. (2005). Applying self-regulated learning strategies in a web-based instuction - An investigation of motivation perception, computer assisted language learning. doi:10.1080/09588220500178939
Collins, R. H., Sibthorp, J., & Gookin, J. (2016). Developing Ill-Structured
Problem-Solving Skills Through Wilderness Education. Journal of Experiential Education, 39(2), 179-195. Cooley, S. J. (2015). Developing groupwork through outdoor adventure education: a systematic evaluation of learning and transfer in higher education.
University of Birmingham. Cooley, S. J., Burns, V. E., & Cumming, J. (2015). The role of outdoor adventure education in facilitating groupwork in higher education. Higher Education, 69(4), 582.
D'Eloia, M. H., & Fulthorp, K. (2016). Preparing for the Profession: Practitioner
Perceptions of College Student Preparedness for Entry-Level, Full-Time Employment in Municipal Recreation Agencies. Schole, 31(1). Ewert, A. W., & Sibthorp, J. (2014). Outdoor adventure education: Foundations, theory, and research: Human Kinetics.
Germaine, R., Richards, J., Koeller, M., & Schubert-Irastorza, C. (2016).
Purposeful Use of 21st Century Skills in Higher Education. Publication of National University, 19. Leech, N., & Onwuegbuzie, A. (2009). A typology of mixed methods research designs. Quality & Quantity, 43(2), 265-275. doi:10.1007/s11135-007-9105-3
McEvoy, G. M., & Buller, P. F. (1990). Five uneasy pieces in the training evaluation puzzle. Training & Development Journal, 44(8), 39-43.
Paisley, K., Furman, N., Sibthorp, J., & Gookin, J. (2008). Student learning in outdoor education: A case study from the National Outdoor Leadership School.
Journal of Experiential Education, 30(3), 201-222. Prichard, J. S., Bizo, L. A., & Stratford, R. J. (2006a). The educational impact of team‐skills training: Preparing students to work in groups. British Journal of
Educational Psychology, 76(1), 119-140. Prichard, J. S., Stratford, R. J., & Bizo, L. A. (2006b). Team-skills training enhances collaborative learning. Learning and Instruction, 16(3), 256-265.
Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453-465.
Roos, S., J, Van den Berg, L., Lennox, A., & Els, B. (2016). Campus Amazing
Race as teaching tool: Sport student's perceptions of skills developed and applied. International Journal of Management and Applied Science, 2(3), 48-53. Savitz-Romer, M., Rowan-Kenyon, H. T., & Fancsali, C. (2015). Social,
Emotional, and Affective Skills for College and Career Success. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 47(5), 18-27. SRSA. (2012). National Sport and Recreation Plan. South-Africa.
Wang, L., MacCann, C., Zhuang, X., Liu, O. L., & Roberts, R. D. (2009).
Assessing teamwork and collaboration in high school students A multimethod Approach. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 24(2), 108-124. Winston, R., Miller, T., Ender, S., & Grites, T. (1984). Developmental academic advising: Addressing students’ educational, career, and personal needs. San
Francisco: JosseyBass. Young, M. E. (2015). Therapeutic recreation as a developing profession in South
Africa. World Leisure Journal, 57(1), 34-45.