Adventure Based Outdoor Experiential Learning is a learning process that draws upon experiences encountered during outdoor journeys. The learner is equipped with foundation skills such as navigation, cooking and decision-making (in the outdoor context), and is then presented with opportunities to utilise these primary skills during a challenging experience.

The challenge can encompass physical, social, emotional, spiritual and intellectual dimensions of experience.

The learner uses their foundation skills in the experience, bears the consequence of their actions in a constructive and affirming manner and then uses reflection to determine how they might approach a similar situation again. Thus the final element is the "transfer" of learning into everyday contexts.

For example, a group may be slow to leave their campsite and find themselves walking late in the day. On arrival at camp they are tired and feel unmotivated to prepare a meal. Some tension may exist between members. This experience is reflected upon and reviewed immediately afterwards (e.g. the next morning). The learners are encouraged to make a connection between their feelings in this situation and other situations that may arise in their daily life, for example, what might be the consequences of starting an assignment late.

Having shouldered and "owned" the consequence of, in this case inaction, the student is better equipped to both recognise similar situations and to take more useful action in future, similar situations.

The outdoor environment makes a unique contribution in this sphere of learning as it is:

• Isolated from other people, support mechanisms, family and friends
• A continuous experience - issues cannot be avoided or left until the next session
• holistic - involving a range of challenges, and involving self, others and the environment