DOCUMENT RESUME ED 232 836 RC 014 254 AUTHOR Nadler, Reldan S. TITLE Outward Bound and Confluent Education:A Demonstration Project AccentuatingAffective Learning. PUB DATE Aug 80 NOTE 202p.; M.A. Thesis, Universityof California, Santa Barbara. PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141) Dissertations/Theses Master Theses (042) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adolescents; Affective Objectives;Attitude Chancje; Attitude Measures; BehavioralObjectives; *Demonstration Programs; EducationalHistory; Educational Philosophy; EducationalTheories; *Experiential Learning; *HumanisticEducation; Hypothesis Testing; LearningTheories; Literature Reviews; *Outdoor Education;Program Design; Program Evaluation; *Program Implementation;Self Evaluation (Individuals); Young Adults IDENTIFIERS Life Meaning Survey; *OutwardBound ABSTRACT In 1976 a demonstration projectat the Connecticut Wilderness School integrateda Confluent Education curriculum in Outward Bound type courses, to facilitate affective learningfor a more meaningful and relevant experience.A review of Outward Bound literature identified the needfor affective learningas a significant program constituent.Five similarities in theoryand application between OutwardBound and Confluent Educationwere defined: experiential education;responsibility; Gestalt learning theory (here andnow awareness, learning from frustration/stress/blocks, contactboundary, holism, assimilation, self discovery); re-connection;and purpose. Areas whereConfluent Education could enhance OutwardBound were elucidated:wilderness as therapy; occasions for meanings;educating the wholeperson; self-knowledge/personal relevancy;and experimentation. The demonstration project includedsix paired courses, three with Confluent/experimentalgroups and three concurrentcourses with control groups. Of 72 students,aged 14 to 20, who started,31 (25 male, 6 female) fini.ShedConfluent courses and 30 (23male, 7 female) finished controlgroup courses. All participantswere given pre- and post-evaluations derived from OutwardBound and Confluent Education literature. Findings indicatedthat an Outward Bound experiencewas more meaningful and personally relevantfor groups which utiliz'ed Confluent Education Curriculumthan for groups which didnot. (MH) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRSare the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** ,i`a(1 e(.3 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara t4"1 00 (NJ N-N Outward Bound and ConfluentEducation: A Demonstration ProjectAccentuating Affective Learning A Thesis submitted in partialsatisfaction of the requirements forthe degree of Master of Arts in Confluent Education by Reldan S. Nadler rommittee in charge: Professor Stewart B. Shapiro Professor George I.Brown Professor Mark Phillips arD U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 'PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY August 1980 MW,ATVINALR1JURCP;WIRMAMIN LEN TFR V 1,, InErt hi Lem, 41 v 4da,21,) ate.4'./ f r , r 1 1 t h r , f!,(,1 r,11,,(1 I Onl tlf jr, t urietr cn1,40y ,uprr,v. ceprno1,, ,il1,11'ty TZ?THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES PO, ,lf 4.01, ,fdtf,141 II, dor ti INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." poYfun,rrofpfp., Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Page Chapter STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 4 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 6 Chapter II DEFINITION, HISTORY, AND PHILOSOPHY OF OUTWARD BOUND 50 DEFINITION, HISTORY, AND PHILOSOPHY OF CONFLUENT EDUCATION 59 III THE KINSHIP OF OUTWARDBOUND AND CONFLUENT EDUCATION 68 1. Experiential Education 68, 2. Responsibility 74 3. Gestalt Learning Theory 78 4. Re-Connection 92 5. Purpose 95 IV THE NEED FOR INTEGRATING ACONFLUENT EDUCATION CURRICULUM WITH OUTWARD BOUND 102 1. Wilderness of Therapy 102 2. Occasions for Meaning 112 3. Educatimj the Whole Person 118 4. Self-Knowledge of Personal Relevah,.:v 122 5. Experimeotation 129 V CONFLUENT PROCESS 134 HYPOTHESES 139 VI CONFLUENT EDUCATIONCURRICULUM 140 Chapter Pacie VII DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FINDINGS 167 1. Methods 167 2. Procedure 168 3. Results 174 4. Conclusion 190 BIBLIOGRAPHY 194 APPENDIX 198 List_ of TalAes Table Page 1 Results of the Effects of Outward Bound 176 2 Responses to the Question: "How do you decide what is reallyimportant or counts in your life?" 182 3 Responses to the Question: "What is your method of trying to makesense?" 182 4 Responses to the Question: "What people, things, really matterto you?" 184 Responses to the question: "What is your philosophy of life?" 184 6 Responses to the Question: "Which of the five statements bestdescribes the qual- ity of generaleffects of the project/ program on you?" 185 7 Responses to the question: "Considering the Wilderness Schoolas a whole, what effect did it haveon your answers to the life-moaning question:1?" 188 iii INTRODUCTION This study is a report ofa demonstration project blend- ing two recent educational innovations,Outward Boune and Confluent Education. In education over the years, there has been apathy and .uninvolvement, criesof irrelevancy, violence and acting out, and lack of responsibilityamong students in our schools. The education system hasnot worked for many in Ameiica. Outward Bound and Confluent Education were created with theintentions to make educa- tion relevant and significant,and in addition develop students who are sure of themselves,their values, and able to build meaningful lives. A survey of the literature supportingthis study, the theories behind Outward Bound andConfluent Education, a theoretical rationale, the projectitself, and its findings are all a part of this m,inuscript. Outward Bound and Confluent Educationdi ffer in their methodology and sharean affinity in theory. They have been prosperous in furnishing vitality, involvementand connected- ness in education. More specifically, both disciplines teach responsibility,compassion, and build self-concept. Outward Bound engages students inphysical challenges in wilderness settings. Courses are usually from tento thirty-five days and are physically, mentally, and emotion- ally demanding. Only skills that are immediately relevant are taught. Students learn from direct experience in work- ing with others and individually in encountering the chal- lenges of the wilderness activities. Confluent Education trains educators and helping pro- fessionals in human relation skills through workshops,cur- riculum development, b'ooks and articles, and a graduatepro- gram. Simply, it puts feelirnr4 and thinking together in teaching and learning. It prizes affective learninfj from one's emoticns, attituds, and values ilon with cognitiv(: learninq ,.rom tii()uhts and int 11 It is this luthor's rioa t-h,t f-11 I11tLIA of Outward Bound and 'u ucatiorl :;yr' ! relationship. Ottward Bound irovides Confluent Iducation valuable contact with the wilderness environment, involving the natural world as the classroom. This is consistent with Confluent Edur]:ation .7oncepts of holim Ind living' in harmony with nature. (-)utward Bound d I Thii 1UtI1 t: Education with phyzical activities involvinr!, the whole person, which re1 ea2e new feeling, thoughts, and action4 to learn from. Finally, the (utward Pound pri gramcon- sists uf many, physical risks and challonqs thAt the emotional risks inherent in Confluent trainini. 1 1 a 3 Confluent Education provides Outward Bound withtheory and techniques so instructorscan facilitate for the affec- tive or emotional side of students, the identificationand expression of feelings, attitudes, values, and potentials that emerge on a course. This can provide a better assimi- lation of day-to-day experiences and allowa meaningful and relevant course for students. An improved transference of the experience may be the result of this. Confluent Edu- cation can also set the atmosphere for students to attempt emotional risks while engaged in physical risks during a course. This study is a report of the demonstration project which integrated a Confluent Education curriculum inOut- ward Bound type courses during the summer and fall of1976. It does not purport to yield experimental proof of hypoth- eses, but rather intends to be an exploratory study designed to respond to issues found the literature and in theory. The author hopes this study will generatenew research in this area and ref 1re hypotLeses, whichmay assist in design- ing future Outward ly:)und and nfiuert Education 7)rograms and ultimately produce individuals whoare responsible, caring, and will live a meaningful life. 4 Chapter STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This demonstration projectwas engendered to respond to four areas of necessityidentified within the Outward Bound and Confluent Educationliterature. The first three areas are of: the need for furtherresearch. The study, presented here, will affectthis need in implementationand in its findings. The last area is themajor problem and focus ofthis study. The problem will bepursued in the literature, theory, and in itsadministration. The results and impli- cations of this work, it ishoped, will contribute tothe research field, generatefurther studies, and permitan improved Outward Boundexperience. The areas are: 1) In Outward Bound there isa need for research dealing with changing the course components and studying theout- comes of this change. 2) In the Confluent Educationresearch there has beena paucity of studies employing the physical sideof a person, more specifically via outdooradventure activities, and using the wildernessas a classroom. 3) In the Outward