Student perspectives on experiencing a Northern Ontario portage and wilderness immersion program at Laurentian University in Northern Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT

This study examined student experiences participating in a peer-led three-day wilderness canoe excursion in Northern Ontario, Canada. This program is a mandatory outdoor experience program (MOEP) for third-year students and is the final course in a progressive series of outdoor experiences offered at the beginning of the first, second, and third year. Guided by principles of realist evaluation, the written reflections from consenting students in the 2015 MOEP cohort were analyzed to identify the contexts and mechanisms associated with enjoyment or lack of enjoyment of their trip. These findings will help improve the MOEP program and have implications for similar intentionally led outdoor programs offered at other higher education institutions.

KEYWORDS:

• Realist evaluation
• outdoor adventure education
• outdoor orientation programs
• outdoor leadership
• wilderness immersion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

E.J. Tetzlaff

E.J.Tetzlaff Biographical Note: Emily Tetzlaff is a student in the PhD in Human Kinetics program in the School of Kinesiology & Health Sciences at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario Canada.

Emily specializes in health, safety and wellness, and is actively involved as Assistant Coordinator for the departments Health Promotion Without Borders experiential education student opportunity.

C.R. Greasley

C.R.Greasley BPHE Alumni, School of Kinesiology & Health Science E-mail: [email protected]

Biographical Note: Colleen is a graduate of the Health Promotion program in the School of Kinesiology & Health Sciences at Laurentian University, in Sudbury, Ontario Canada.

S.D. Ritchie

S.D. Ritchie Associate Professor, Kinesiology & Health Science Email: [email protected]

Phone: [phone] × 1046

Biographical Note: Stephen Ritchie is a Faculty Investigator at the Centre of Rural and Northern

Health Research and an Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Sciences at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario Canada. Stephen is actively involved in a diverse portfolio of research devoted to understanding wilderness, adventure, and outdoor education in the context of achieving personal growth and holistic health outcomes.

B. Oddson

B. Oddson Professor, School of Kinesiology & Health Science Email: [email protected]

Phone: [phone] × 1017

ORCID: orcid.org/0000–0002–3272–5562

Biographical Note: Bruce Oddson is an Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Sciences at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario Canada. Bruce engages in a variety of research projects related to health, wellness and learning.

J.R. Little

J.R.Little Master Instructor, Coordinator Outdoor Adventure Leadership Program, School of Kinesiology &Health Sciences. Email: [email protected]

Phone: [phone] × 1205

Biographical Note: Jim Little is the Coordinator of the Outdoor Adventure Leadership Program, in the School of Kinesiology & Health Sciences at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. Jim has integrated several research projects into outdoor based academic programming, including: examining the relationship between caloric intake and energy expenditure in backcountry travel, and leadership status congruency and cohesion in outdoor expedition groups.

J. Benoit

J. Benoit Outdoor Equipment Manager, School of Kinesiology & Health Science Email: [email protected]

Phone: [phone] × 1023

Biographical Note: Jean Benoit is currently doing a master’s degree on the extent of challenge

course programming at Universities in Canada. He is also Coordinator of Outdoor Schools for the School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences and currently holds the position of Outdoor Centre Manager, at Laurentian University.

J. McGarry

J. McGarry Sessional Instructor, School of Kinesiology & Health Science

Email: [email protected]

Biographical Note: Jeff teaches at the elementary, secondary and post-secondary level. He is

concurrently a master’s candidate studying the extent of outdoor orientation programs in Canadian universities and operates a program that promotes access to paddling and outdoor education in his local area. Before teaching in the public system, he worked for a number of years as a wilderness guide and trip leader with marginalized populations in Ontario.