James T. Neill

Adventure Education and Outward Bound: Out-of-Class Experiences That Make a Lasting Difference

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to examine the effects of adventure programs on a diverse array of outcomes such as self concept, locus of control, and leadership. The meta-analysis was based on 1,728 effect sizes drawn from 151 unique samples from 96 studies, and the average effect size at the end of the programs was .34. In a remarkable contrast to most educational research, these short-term or immediate gains were followed by substantial additional gains between the end of the program and follow-up assessments ( ES = .17). The effect sizes varied substantially according the particular program and outcome and improved as the length of the program and the ages of participants increased. Too little is known, however, about why adventure programs work most effectively.

Who cheats at university? A self-report study of dishonest academic behaviours in a sample of Australian university students

The present study investigated the dishonest academic behaviours of Australian university students (N = 954) and their relationships with demographic factors, academic policy advised to students, academic self-efficacy, and academic orientation. It was hypothesised that higher levels of dishonesty would be associated with low learning-orientation, high grade-orientation, low academic self-efficacy and nonreceipt of information about the rules of cheating and plagiarism. Descriptive analyses revealed high levels of three types of self-reported academic dishonesty: cheating, plagiarism and falsification. Regression analyses revealed demographic variables, academic orientation and academic self-efficacy to have differential predictive value for the three types of dishonesty, underlining the argument that it is misleading to measure academic dishonesty as a unidimensional construct. The results are discussed in terms of implications for strategic interventions and university policy formulation.

Does Outdoor Education Really Work? A Summary Of Recent Meta-Analyses

As the empirical literature about the effects of outdoor education grows, it is important that emerging trends are reviewed and the implications for practice discussed. Traditional reviews of the literature have created impressionistic narratives of the research evidence. An alternative approach is to use ‘meta-analysis’ which is a way of combining the outcome statistics from many different studies into a single, overview study. Three meta-analyses of the effects of outdoor education have been conducted (Cason & Gillis, 1994; Hans, 1997; Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997). Overall these studies, representing over 12,000 participants, show that outdoor education has a small to medium impact on typically measured outcomes such as changes in self-concept, self-confidence and locus of control. These effects seem not only to be retained over time but to increase still further, which is impressive. The most effective programs seem to be longer, involve adult-age participants and to be conducted by some particular organisations. Recommendations are made for more detailed description of how programs are conducted and investigation of the role that individual differences, such as personality and coping styles, have on outcomes. Finally it is argued that more widespread use of ‘educational auditing’ research techniques would help develop program quality.

A Meta-Analysis of Adventure Therapy Outcomes and Moderators

This study reports on a meta-analytic review of 197 studies of adventure therapy participant outcomes (2,908 effect sizes, 206 unique samples). The short-term effect size for adventure therapy was moderate (g = .47) and larger than for alternative (.14) and no treatment (.08) comparison groups. There was little change during the lead-up (.09) and fol- low-up periods (.03) for adventure therapy, indicating long-term maintenance of the short-term gains. The short-term ad- venture therapy outcomes were significant for seven out of the eight outcome categories, with the strongest effects for clinical and self-concept measures, and the smallest effects for spirituality/morality. The only significant moderator of outcomes was a positive relationship with participant age. There was also evidence that adventure therapy studies have re- ported larger effects over time since the 1960s. Publication bias analyses indicated that the study may slightly underesti- mate true effects. Overall, the findings provide the most robust meta-analysis of the effects of adventure therapy to date. Thus, an effect size of approximately .5 is suggested as a benchmark for adventure therapy programs, although this should be adjusted according to the age group.

Cultural Adaptation in Outdoor Programming.

Outdoor programs often intentionally provide a different culture and the challenge of working out how to adapt. Failure to adapt, however, can cause symptoms of culture shock, including homesickness, negative personal behavior, and interpersonal conflict. This article links cross-cultural and outdoor programming literature and provides case examples in order to illustrate the importance of facilitating outdoor participants’ cultural adaptation. Based on cross-cultural literature, successful adaptation is more likely to occur when there is adequate preparation for the new environment, understanding of the new cultural norms, and an appreciation of typical stages of cultural adaptation (i.e., honeymoon, crisis, adjustment, and resolution). These individual stages of cultural adaptation are interwoven with the typical stages of group development. By proactively using models of cross-cultural adaptation and group development, outdoor programs can better facilitate participants’ cultural adjustment skills.

A Profile of Outdoor Adventure Interventions for Young People in Australia.

In this study, we describe characteristics of outdoor adventure interventions (OAIs) that aim to address problem behaviors in young people in Australia. A national online survey was completed by 98 program leaders and 24 program managers. OAIs for youth in Australia are diverse, but typically incorporate several days in the outdoors, during which participants engage in adventure activities and group activities requiring teamwork, with intentional involvement of program leaders. The main outcomes, as perceived by staff, were recreation and personal and social development. OAIs appear to be well positioned to make a unique and valuable contribution to the development of young people, addressing their behavior problems and potentially supporting prevention and treatment of mental health problems. A more targeted, sector-wide study of adventure therapy programs in Australia is recommended to qualify and extend on the findings of this study.

The Australian Journal of Outdoor Education: A Review of the First Five Years

The role of a journal is to facilitate the development of knowledge in a field of inquiry. This article reviews the history, authorship and content of the first five years of the Australian Journal of Outdoor Education (AJOE). Although it experienced some early growing pains, the AJOE has become recognised as a leading journal in the international field of Outdoor Education (OE). With regard to authorship, two thirds were male whilst 16 authors were identified as having made significant contributions to the AJOE by publishing at least two articles. Almost half of the journal content emanated from academic institutions, most notably La Trobe University and the University of Wollongong, with significant contributions also made by teachers, instructors, programme directors and consultants. The main focus of AJOE articles to date has been on articulating and applying theory about outdoor education, with significant focuses also on research and practice. It is recommended that the continued development of the journal should see more contributions from academics at other Australian institutions which have teaching programmes in outdoor education and from leading organisations. In terms of future topics, it is suggested mat potentially valuable contributions could be in the areas of research, adventure therapy, indigenous, equity and cross-cultural issues, challenging critiques of OE, articles by post-graduate students and responses to published articles in the form of rejoinders or letters to the editor.

Social motivations of live-streaming viewer engagement on Twitch

Abstract Little is known about the motivations underlying viewer engagement in the rapidly growing live-streaming multimedia phenomenon. This study trialled an eight-factor socio-motivational model, based on Uses and Gratifications Theory, to explain four aspects of live-stream viewer engagement. Cross-sectional data was collected through an international, online self-report survey of Twitch users (N = 2227). Multiple and ordinal linear regression analyses identified six motivations which helped to explain live-stream engagement: social interaction, sense of community, meeting new people, entertainment, information seeking, and a lack of external support in real life. Compared to mass media, viewer motivations to engage in live-stream entertainment appear to have a stronger social and community basis. Furthermore, live-stream viewers who preferred smaller channels (

Coping Strategies and the Development of Psychological Resilience.

This paper describes psychological theory about stress, coping, and psychological resilience, and considers how coping strategies can help develop resilience in the context of outdoor education. Outdoor education programs often aim to develop psychological resilience through structured challenging and reflective experiences. Use of coping strategies such as positive reinterpretation appears to be resilience enhancing, whereas passive acceptance and focusing on negative emotion are resilience undermining. Further research is needed to better integrate psychoeducational curricula about stress and coping into challenge-based outdoor education programs which aim to foster psychological resilience.