Challenge Course Research Articles

Adventure education as a pathway to wellbeing: rethinking adventure through the lens of PERMA

ABSTRACT Adventure education (AE) has long been celebrated for its unique contributions to learning and personal growth. But the benefits of the AE experience may be broader than these outcomes and we are best positioned to uncover these benefits through employing new lenses in our analysis of AE. A qualitative study of the AE experience was completed at three sites: a backpacking expedition, a challenge course, and a multi-activity adventure programme. Data collection efforts resulted in 183 hours of observation and 74 interviews with 41 participants. This data was analyzed through the lens of PERMA, a framework for wellbeing from the field of positive psychology. Findings illustrate the character of the AE experience across the five dimensions of PERMA: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. These findings position AE as a pathway for the pursuit of wellbeing. The significance of this conception of AE is also discussed.

Correlation between parameters influencing skill acquisition in cataract surgery simulation

Introduction The EyeSi (Haag-Streit, Manheim, Germany) cataract surgery simulator is the most commonly used virtual reality simulator internationally to train Ophthalmology registrars. It consists of a Cataract Challenge Course (CCC), which is a virtual reality simulation (VRS) of cataract surgery. In this study, we aimed to determine any correlation between the parameters measured on the EyeSi virtual reality cataract surgery simulator and if they can predict the progression of microsurgical skill acquisition and development amongst ophthalmology trainees. Methods Data on the performance of 56 Ophthalmology trainees (training ophthalmic surgeons) at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital were analysed from 2018 to 2022. The trainees ranged from first to fourth year of training. Analysed parameters included Initial Task Performance, Time to Gate (the time to reach a threshold score – 50% in this case), and Peak Performance. Relationships between the parameters were analysed with Pearson r, and the significance of the difference between correlations was analysed with the psych package in R. Results The strongest correlation was found between initial and peak performance (r = 0.810), which was significantly greater than the correlation between Initial Task Performance and Time-to-Gate (r = 0.553, p = 0.03). Time-to-Gate was weakly correlated with Peak Performance (r = 0.475). The average total training time was 1123 minutes, ranging from 252 to 2039, and the mean peak CCC score was 442, ranging from 166 to 496. Conclusions Time-to-Gate, Initial Task Performance and Peak Performance are interlinked, indicating that trainees with the highest initial performance remain ahead in ability and can progress through VRS training more rapidly. Data also indicated that the EyeSi platform ultimately prioritizes a wide range of skills over mastery of a few – as participants who spend longer on ‘perfecting’ each stage of the simulator are not truly rewarded points-wise in comparison to those who rush through stages, as rushing through stages grants trainees a far higher overall score for each section (with one’s score ideally being a numeric representation of one’s ‘ability’). Consequently, the authors believe that virtual reality systems play a crucial role in training surgical registrars. However, their scoring systems should focus on skill mastery to facilitate maximal acquisition of skills.

Cardiovascular reactivity to acute psychological stress is associated with generalized self-efficacy and self-efficacy outcomes during adventure challenges.

Outdoor adventure challenges are commonly used to enhance self-efficacy, but the physiological mechanisms involved remain unexplored. Additionally, while studies have documented the influence of self-efficacy on stress management, general self-efficacy has yet to be fully understood in the context of cardiovascular stress reactivity (CVR). This study investigated the influence of self-efficacy beliefs on CVR during acute psychological stress tasks. Additionally, it explored whether CVR serves as a novel mechanism underlying the outcomes of outdoor adventure challenges. As part of a wider randomized controlled trial, participants (n = 55) were invited to complete a laboratory session to assess CVR to an active (paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT)) and a passive (cold pressor test (CPT)) stress task. Randomized participants (n = 33) to the experimental condition also engaged in a high ropes challenge course after the laboratory session. It was found that greater self-reported self-efficacy was associated with larger CVR during the CPT and positively associated with perceived engagement and performance during the PASAT. Secondly, participants reporting positive change in self-efficacy post-intervention were associated with greater CVR and greater CVR was associated with higher ratings of intervention engagement and perceived challenge. This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that greater efficacy beliefs may heighten CVR to passive acute psychological stressors. Habitual stress reactivity may represent a novel mechanism involved in outdoor and adventure-based interventions. Future research should continue to explore the impact of psychological variables on stress physiology and examine CVR as a potential mechanism in adventure experiences.

Design thinking in medical education to tackle real world healthcare problems: The MasterMinds Challenge

Educational challenge Medical education must equip future professionals with the necessary skills to navigate the complex healthcare landscape. Clinical knowledge is essential, and critical and creative thinking skills are vital to meet the challenges of the system. Design thinking offers a structured approach that integrates creativity and innovation, yet its application in medical education is absent. Solution and implementation The compulsory MasterMinds Challenge course at Leiden University Medical Center utilizes design thinking principles to address real world healthcare challenges. Final-year medical students participated in a two-day program. The course encompassed empathizing with stakeholders, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, and refining solutions. Presentation skills were emphasized, culminating in a symposium where teams showcase their outcomes. Implementation of the MasterMinds Challenge course was successful with 33 sessions delivered to 1217 medical students. Challenges covered various healthcare topics, yielding creative yet practical outcomes. Students appreciate the real world healthcare challenge, team-based approach, and the applicability of design thinking principles. Challenge owners expressed satisfaction with students’ commitment, creativity, and empathizing abilities. Lessons learned and next steps To further enhance the MasterMinds Challenge course, a more longitudinal format is being designed, enabling greater autonomy and emphasizing the refining and implementation phases. The course can be extended to medical postgraduate professionals and interdisciplinary collaborations, fostering innovative ideas beyond current practices. By developing problem-solving skills, the MasterMinds Challenge course contributes to a future-proof medical education program and prepares students to meet the evolving needs of healthcare.

Creating an Entrepreneurial University Just Like That? Developing Students’ Empowering Entrepreneurship Competence in a University’s Short-Term Innovation Challenge Course

Creating an Entrepreneurial University Just Like That? Developing Students’ Empowering Entrepreneurship Competence in a University’s Short-Term Innovation Challenge Course

Data Augmentation for Semantic Segmentation Using a Real Image Dataset Captured Around the Tsukuba City Hall

We are exploring the use of semantic scene understanding in autonomous navigation for the Tsukuba Challenge. However, manually creating a comprehensive dataset that covers various outdoor scenes with time and weather variations to ensure high accuracy in semantic segmentation is onerous. Therefore, we propose modifications to the model and backbone of semantic segmentation, along with data augmentation techniques. The data augmentation techniques, including the addition of virtual shadows, histogram matching, and style transformations, aim to improve the representation of variations in shadow presence and color tones. In our evaluation using images from the Tsukuba Challenge course, we achieved the highest accuracy by switching the model to PSPNet and changing the backbone to ResNeXt. Furthermore, the adaptation of shadow and histogram proved effective for critical classes in robot navigation, such as road, sidewalk, and terrain. In particular, the combination of histogram matching and shadow application demonstrated effectiveness for data not included in the base training dataset.

Development of Emotional Intelligence During an Adventure and Experiential-Based Learning Course

Background The United States Air Force Academy's Center for Character and Leadership Development developed the ‘Adventure and Experiential Based Learning’ (AEBL) course—a new experiential education summer course intended to develop interpersonal leadership skills in 1,100 sophomore cadets. Purpose Improving cadet emotional intelligence (EI) is of particular focus due to its value in leader effectiveness. Methodology/Approach Rather than rely upon the more common military pedagogy of lecture-based learning or a military handbook that prescribes exactly what participant success looks like, the aim of the course examined in this study was to improve participant EI via a combination of experiential education methods including interactive classwork, challenge course experimentation, and a capstone 28-h adventure comprised of uncertainty and stressful team dynamics. To measure the effect the experiential education curriculum had on participant EI, the Workgroup Emotional Intelligence Profile (WEIP) was used in a pre/postsurvey method. Findings/Conclusion The results indicated a significant increase in EI among AEBL participants as measured by the WEIP. Implications Outdoor experiences like the one described in this article may be an effective way to train EI skills.

Utilizing Electromyographic Video Games Controllers to Improve Outcomes for Prosthesis Users

A study was developed for a limb-different accessible video game controller that utilizes an electromyographic sensor to control gameplay actions. Data was collected from 50 college-aged student participants. This biofeedback-based serious game trains users in a virtual capacity, through the visualization of muscle contraction, via the movement of the video game character. The training platform has been developed to accompany the corresponding electromyographic actuated prosthetic arm device, leveraging the same control scheme to enable the translation of hand gesture states. This study evaluated the controller, user interface, and gameplay to identify training improvement outcomes and user satisfaction. Study participants were divided into two cohorts that differed in their intervention between the pre-test and post-test challenge course. Cohort one had a free play environment that encouraged learning through algorithmically generated track patterns and the use of powerups. In contrast, cohort two repeated the challenge mode, which was made up of a course of rings to jump through and focused on targeted muscle discretization via character jump heights correlated to muscle output. Data were collected to develop and validate training methods and identify overall game satisfaction and usability. The results of this study indicated an increase in the user’s ability to be successful based on time on task with the intervention. The study also evaluated the usability and participant experience with the intervention.

That Ropes Course Might Not Be the Metaphor You Think It Is

Summary Students from a regional comprehensive rural university were completing a challenge course activity as part of a graduate course under the auspices of team building. During the “Tarzan Swing” activity, where all participants move from one location to another by swinging on a rope, the team thought long and hard about how to support members with different physical abilities and body types, accounting for diverse strengths, weaknesses, and various fears related to accomplishing the task. One team member was reluctant to participate and her colleagues immediately started offering encouragement. The facilitator and professor also joined in the support discourse. What we all failed to recognize in the moment was that a group of white peers (fellow students), at the encouragement of two white men in power (the professor and facilitator), pushed a Black woman to swing from a tree on a rope with a loop on the end, in the middle of the woods in the rural American South. Information © The Author 2023

Using Triathlon Camp to Develop Youth Life Skills among Diverse Campers

Innovative recreation services, such as non-traditional camps, can help provide diverse youth a chance to engage in physical activity, develop healthy relational skills, and meet others. Twenty-two participants took part in a new, 1-week triathlon camp held on a Mid-Atlantic University campus. Participants were recruited through local parks and recreation agencies and local youth running clubs. Scholarships were given to participants who expressed financial challenges through a USA Triathlon Youth Grant. The 1-week day camp took place on a college campus. The camp served the surrounding neighborhoods, which was accurately represented in the camper demographic (i.e., half the campers were youth of color). During the week, the campers swam, biked, ran, rock climbed, and participated in other multi-sport activities to help develop proper form and skills for triathlon. As guided by the USAT Splash, Spin, Sprint Camp manual, campers participated in daily swimming, cycling, running, and other related exercises. In addition, the camp included traditional camp activities such as indoor rock climbing, participation on a challenge course, and crafts. Eighty percent of the campers indicated they now want to do a triathlon, and 95% shared that they will tell their friends about the sport of triathlon. Using the practitioner-friendly American Camp Association’s Youth Outcomes Battery, campers indicated gains in competence, teamwork, and problem-solving confidence. The findings of this evaluation study provide evidence-based support for the potential of triathlon camp to enhance important developmental outcomes. The results from the evaluation support the desired outcomes for this type of camp, and with USA Triathlon support, other recreation services can use this model to replicate. A unique aspect of this program was its setting and participant composition. That is, this day camp, hosted in an urban area, had a diverse group of campers with youth from various ethnic and sport backgrounds. Over half (60%) of the campers were of color, providing evaluation data from often underrepresented groups of interest. This program evaluation provides a template for other camps on campus model to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion of our youth. Currently, there is only one African American female professional triathlon in the United States. We need to be more intentional offering unique programs (e.g., triathlon camps and nonprofits) to all youth. Grants can be pursued by camps, municipal parks and recreation, nonprofits to remove some of the financial barriers preventing many youth of color from exploring the sport of triathlon.

Oxidative stress responses of the crayfish Procambrus clarkii to Spiroplasma eriocheiris challenge

As a virulent pathogen, Spiroplasma eriocheiris influences most crustaceans, including the freshwater crayfish Procambrus clarkii. The antioxidant enzymes related to oxidative stress during the pathogenesis of S. eriocheiris in the primary target tissues of hepatopancreas and gills from P. clarkii were analyzed at various time intervals post-infection. H.E histopathology and in situ hybridization assays confirmed the S. eriocheiris infection and detected typical histological changes. Compared with the control group, catalase (CAT) activities in both tissues reduced significantly at the early time of S. eriocheiris challenge (P < 0.05), but recovered gradually at the late stage while still lower than the control group in the hepatopancreas (P < 0.05). A similar tendency was observed in the change of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activities increased considerably and achieved peak values at 7 days post-infection (dpi) in the hepatopancreas and 5 dpi in the gills, but decreased significantly later till 12 dpi in both tissues (P < 0.05). Peroxidase (POD) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents increased dramatically since the first day and kept a high level during the challenge course. The activities of antioxidant enzymes were generally higher in the hepatopancreas than in the gills. These results suggested that S. eriocheiris affected the antioxidative situation and caused oxidative stress and tissue damage by confusing antioxidant enzymes in P. clarkii.

Evaluating the Individual and Group Outcomes of Individuals Who Participated in Experiential Therapy Activities at a Challenge Course

Experiential therapy activities are events that the individual participates in that usually push them out of their comfort zone and into a place of self-discovery, confidence-building, self-awareness, and new insights of how to cope with issues in their lives (Laser &amp; Nicotera, 2021; Laser-Maira &amp; Nicotera, 2019). The experiential therapy activity can be a game, an activity, a mental puzzle, time in nature, or a physical challenge (Laser &amp; Nicotera, 2021; Nicotera &amp; Laser-Maira, 2017). Often experiential therapy activities are done as group activities (or sometimes family or couple activities), which take strategy, planning, and cohesion to make them successful (Laser &amp; Nicotera, 2021; Laser-Maira, 2016; Laser-Maira &amp; Nicotera, 2019). Experiential therapy activities transform into experiential therapy during the debrief of the clinical segues of the experiential therapy activity. The clinical segues shifts the understanding from what just happened to what insights can be learned from the experiential activity about themselves, their lives, their thoughts, and their behaviors. In this research, experiential therapy activities were activities groups participated in at an all-day (8 hour) Challenge Course. The results underscore the profound influence Challenge Courses have on its individual participants and group dynamics. In each outcome: problem solving skills, decision-making skills, cooperation skills, communication skills, self-awareness, enjoyment of the activities and the participant’s likelihood to return to the Challenge Course and to recommend it to others, participants overwhelmingly found positive changes in multiple aspects of their lives.

Nursing students' experiences and perceptions of an innovative graduate level healthcare grand challenge course: a qualitative study.

Nursing leaders are increasingly required to create and implement innovative solutions to address challenges in the workplace. However, the present-day education of graduate nurses may not adequately prepare them for entrepreneurial approaches to problem solving required in today's complex healthcare environments. To fill this gap, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a Healthcare Grand Challenge course for graduate nurses interested in developing their leadership skills. Following the course, students were invited to participate in a qualitative research study to explore their experiences and perceptions of the course and identify how they used the knowledge and skills developed through the course in their leadership practices. This study provides key lessons for future offerings of grand challenge courses while highlighting the influence of grand challenge courses on current and future nursing leadership practice.

Reflections of First Year Nursing Students: The Tango Tower Experience

First year nursing students at Laurentian University are taught self-reflection in the first semester of their program and continue to practice these skills throughout the following years of the program to assist in further developing self-awareness. This promotes a beginning understanding of the self-assessment required for quality assurance of their own practice as mandated by the College of Nurses of Ontario (2015). The purpose of this research was to determine the personal learning and team building skills of first year nursing students participating in an outdoor challenge course, namely, the Tango Tower. The rationale for this research involved the idea that the outdoor challenge course presented a learning opportunity to enhance personal self-awareness and team building skills. This qualitative study involved nursing students who completed self-reflections focusing on how they felt before, during, and after the challenge course experience. 16 first year nursing students consented to have their self-reflections reviewed for this research. A thematic analysis of these reflections demonstrated that the students became more self-aware in how they encounter new situations, learned to trust peers, and improved their communication and team building skills. Implications of this research are that results may be used to inform educators and facilitators in promoting the use of the outdoor challenge course to facilitate student learning, and also to potentially enhance interprofessional student learning by having a variety of professional students involved in team building activities.&#x0D;

Book Review: Aerial Adventure Environments: The Theory and Practice of the Challenge Course, Zip Line, and Canopy Tour Industry

Aerial Adventure Environments: The Theory and Practice of the Challenge Course, Zip Line, and Canopy Tour Industry Speelman, E. A., Wagstaff, M., Jordan, S. H., & Haras, K. (2020). Aerial adventure environments: The theory and practice of the challenge course, zip line, and canopy tour industry. Human Kinetics. Reviewed by Jose H. Gonzalez Recreation and Tourism Management Department California State University Northridge Luis Acevedo Department of Physical Education and Recreation University of Puerto Rico Subscribe to JOREL

Cultural interchange in adventure education: exploring the interaction of participants and institutional cultures

ABSTRACT This study explores the interaction of participants and institutional cultures in adventure education (AE) through the qualitative method of educational criticism and connoisseurship. Three AE programmes were included in this study: a backpacking expedition (11 participants), a challenge course (29 participants), and a multi-activity adventure programme (21 participants). Through 183 hours of observation and 74 interviews, the thematic categories of cultural rigidity and cultural flexibility were identified. The AE institution exhibits cultural rigidity through guideline enforcement, jargon propagation, and value instillment, which results in participant adaptation. Conversely, the AE institution exhibits cultural flexibility through language accommodation, norm development, and goal setting, which results in participants’ ability to sustain selfhood. The implications of these findings include reaffirming the importance of attending to participant experiences in AE and the contention that striking a cultural balance in AE can promote productive cultural interchange as an aim of AE.

Challenge Course Activities and Orientation for Master’s Level Counseling Students: A Qualitative Exploration

ABSTRACT Orientation is an important component of a student’s transition to beginning a counselor preparation program. In this study, the researchers conducted interviews with 16 students to explore the use of challenge course activities, involving group games, within the orientation process. The researchers identified three overarching themes (process of getting to know each other, application, and recommendations) and multiple subthemes. The researchers also discuss the limitations and recommendations for future research, as well as the implications for counselor education.

Adventure education as aesthetic experience

ABSTRACTThis study is an investigation of what happens to participants during their adventure education (AE) experiences and the meanings they ascribe to those experiences. These topics were explored through the qualitative framework of educational connoisseurship and criticism at three sites: a backpacking expedition, a challenge course and a multi-activity adventure programme. Through 183 hours of observation and 74 interviews with 41 participants, the qualities of AE as aesthetic experience were revealed. This conception of AE experience is characterised through sensory encounters, full attention and aesthetic paradox. Findings are supported with the voices of participants, and the significance of this conception of AE experience is discussed.

Bringing Challenge Course Activities Into the Classroom: Pedagogical Strengths, Obstacles, and Recommendations

The challenge course (CC) is a popular element in experiential education, providing individuals with activities and reflective debriefing that build numerous social and psychological processes. To date, little research shows if CC activities can be successfully implemented in a college classroom setting. Using an introductory course at a U.S. liberal arts university, this study examined the perceived strengths and limitations of a classroom-based CC intervention with intentional follow-up activities throughout the semester. Employing a qualitative, descriptive study design, the class instructors (n = 5) and CC facilitators (n = 9) described their experience in two separate 1-hr focus groups. Three overarching themes emerged from the data: (a) perceived benefits of the intervention, (b) perceived challenges of the intervention, and (c) pedagogical recommendations for future interventions. In addition, several subthemes within each theme were also revealed. Despite noting several obstacles, the participants indicated that CC programs provide a unique learning experience that can be modified for the college classroom. Subscribe to JOREL

PE Ninja Warrior: Designing an American Ninja Warrior Unit for Physical Education

Regular participation in physical activity during childhood and adolescence is critical to the development of healthy habits that will continue into adulthood. Research suggests that children who lead sedentary lives are more likely to continue those habits later in life. A key goal of physical education (PE) is to educate students on the importance of being physically active, as well as improve fitness levels. Recent literature suggests that school PE classes do more on this front. This has prompted the need for creative approaches in the PE classroom. PE Ninja Warrior is an example of a creative method that aims to meet the needs of today's youth. Based on the popular television show and trend, American Ninja Warrior, this article will highlight the implementation of such a program in PE, as well as identify and explain challenge course ideas.