User:Jtneill/Research/Life effectiveness and outdoor education

James T. Neill

8th International Outdoor Education Research Conference, University of Sunshine Coast, Nov 19-23, 2018

Abstract
Much of the philosophy of outdoor education focuses on its potential utility for facilitating participants' psychosocial development. Arguably, the most common aim of outdoor education is to enhance personal competence, or "life effectiveness". Life effectiveness can be conceptualised as a person's realised capacity to adapt, survive, and thrive. The Life Effectiveness Questionnaire (LEQ) and related tools offer a distillation of enhanceable and measurable generic life skills. The LEQ has been used and adapted by several outdoor education organisations for program evaluation purposes and attracted some research activity. This presentation will discuss underlying theoretical principles, psychometric design, research findings, practical applications, limitations and critiques, and possibilities for future LEQ development.

Key words: life effectiveness, outdoor education, program evaluation

Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YVMIgKEVay5JpxK4_dbwEOhZOrWVt5c9eX2LaWD25y0