Let's go on an adventure
Doering, A. (2006). Adventure Learning: Transformative hybrid online education. Distance Education 27 (2). pp. 197-215.
Despite the unnecessary introduction of a new term (“adventure learning”), this article provides a concise and clear vision of an instructional model with solid grounding in contemporary learning theory and immediate practical application in the classroom. Doering positions adventure learning as an online course taken in the classroom while “teachers are facilitators” (differentiated from the other hybrid model where students take a face to face class augmented with online instruction outside the classroom). Combining collaboration and reflection to transform students into the authentic practitioners of Shaffer’s epistemic games, adventure learning relies on real-time community and fantastic (unknown) environments to provide student motivation.
The seven elements of adventure learning provide the practical application:
- begin with a researched curriculum grounded in problem-solving and based on learning outcomes
- provide collaboration opportunities among students, peers, experts, and content
- utilize the Internet for delivery
- provide authenticity with media and text from the field (emphasis is mine)
- provide synchronous opportunities
- offer pedagogical guidelines (for the teacher)
- captivate students through adventure
An interesting variable which is mentioned but insufficiently explored in the research is the importance of teacher-teacher interaction.
