Experiential Methodology

The Association for Experiential Education defines Experiential Education as:
“A philosophy and methodology in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and clarify values.”

Experiential methodology aims at:
Developing abilities and skills
Clarifying values
Increasing Knowledge
Stimulating relationships

How does it work?
In an Out-of-the-Comfort Zones;
In a Non-Hierarchical Environment;
In a Positive-Support Environment;
In a Safe, Risk-Taking, Chaotic Environment.

How does learning occur?
Gradually, forming the basis for future learning and experiences;
From past experiences;
From success and failure;
From consequences and results;
From risk-taking, uncertainty;
From reflections, feedbacks and critical analysis.

Experiential Cycle:

	Framing the Activity (facilitators);
		Planning (participants);
	Experiencing the Activity: action! (participants);
	Processing the Activity (facilitators + participants);
		Reflection;
		Feedbacks;
		Critical Analysis;
		Transfer to Everyday Life.

From: Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Participants & Facilitators

Participants are expected to:
1. Work as a team;
2. Be responsible for their own learning;
3. Be responsible for planning and making decisions;
4. Be accountable for the results;
5. Actively engage in the activities;
6. Engage physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially.

Facilitators are Responsible for:
1. Establishing appropriate experiences to the group;
2. Presenting the activities;
3. Setting boundaries;
4. Guaranteeing the physical and emotional safety of the group;
5. Supporting participants;
6. Encouraging learning;
7. Enhancing learners' experiences and understanding;
8. Processing the experience.

Goals and Benefits

For Individuals	For Teams
Self-awareness;	Teamwork;
Self-Confidence;	Integration;
Self-Respect;	Cooperation;
Commitment;	Trust;
Motivation;	Leadership skills;
Leadership;	Initiative;
Initiative;	Communication;
Decision-making skills;	Developing of relationships;
Responsibility;	Planning and Management skills;
Humbleness;	More Productivity;
Energy;	Decision-making under Stress.
Enthusiasm;
Recognition of own strengths and weaknesses;
Physical education.

Research

Several researches have been conducted on the effectiveness of experiential programs. Dr. Simon Priest & colleagues at Brock University in Canada have done extensive research that has found that:

Corporate adventure training can be an effective means to develop teams;
Experiential Programs may assist companies to change their corporate cultures and their motivational climate;
Rock Climbing, Ropes Course and rappelling can be used to bringing changes in risk taking propensity;
Experiential learning about teamwork is more effective than classroom;
Physicality influences the development of trust;
Physical activities play an important role in such programs and should not be omitted;
The ropes course had a profound effect on the enhancement of confidence;
Group performance in initiative tasks can be useful tools for measuring teamwork.
Program duration and designed impacted teamwork development, program setting and location didn't;
Follow-up procedures have a significant impact on transfer of learning;
Unsupported gains in teamwork often fail to transfer to the workplace and return to baseline values in about six months.

The work of Dr. Simon Priest & colleagues can be found at www.tarrak.com.

T & D, a Brazilian Magazine, has published another research on experiential programs. The research was conducted approximately 7 months after the end of the experiential program, and some of the findings included:

• 34% of improvement on their ability to react positively to changes;
• 34% of improvement on their leadership skills;
• 28% of improvement on their planning and effectiveness;
• 24% of improvement on their results;
• 20% of improvement on their productivity.

ACTIVITIES
Aribira offers different types of activities that address critical issues such as leadership, cooperation, teamwork, decision-making and initiative. These activities are: adventure-based activities, games and low and high ropes courses.

These activities, based on the challenge by choice cornerstone, are geared toward making participants feel comfortable and safe as well as develop very good planning and management skills when facing limited resources. Our facilitators also ensure that the participants are both physically and emotionally safe.

Games
Games are a series of group dynamics and fun games designed to be addressed through teamwork, leadership and cooperation.

Games are divided into:
Trust building
Icebreaker
Warm-ups
Cooperative games
Problem-solving initiatives.

Adventure-Based Activities
What is adventure anyway? Researching of what adventure consists of, we find several quotes and answers. These include taking risks, venturing oneself, daring, a remarkable occurrence, and so forth.

Adventure for us is part of life. It is about taking risks, be them physical, emotional, social, or financial risks. The question is; how well prepared are you to face them?

Adventure for us is a signature of our programs, where taking risks is required and participants must face their fears, challenge themselves and overcome their limits. The direct participation in these activities requires dealing with these challenges and turn perceived limitations into possibilities and abilities.

This enables people to learn about their individualities and relationships with others; however, since each person is unique and have their own limits, fears and desires, the activities are based on the challenge by choice program to maximize each person’s response to the activities.

The adventure-based activities can include one or a combination of several activities such as:

Climbing – (rock) the activity used to climb vertical rock faces using safety equipment and specialized techniques. Indoor climbing refers to artificial walls.
White-water Rafting – Rafting is a recreational activity utilizing a raft to navigate a river or other body of water. The scale of difficulty varies from Class I (Easy) to Class VI (Unrunnable). Usually, we use rapids rated Class III (intermediate) and IV (advanced).
Outrigger – Outrigger is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull in order to give stability. Outrigger canoes were originally developed in the islands of Southeast Asia for sea travel. The technology has persisted into the modern age and has become a popular canoeing sport.
Hang-gliding and Paragliding – Hang gliding is one of the windsports. It is a recreational sport that uses a craft often consisting of a metal-framed fabric wing, with the pilot mounted on a harness hanging from the wing frame and exercising control by shifting body weight against a triangular bar also attached to the frame. Hang gliding is very popular world-wide..
Paragliding has since become an alternative to hang gliding, paragliding (known in some countries as parapenting) is a recreational windsport that is best described as a hybrid of hang gliding and parachuting. A paraglider is free-flying, unlike the parachutes used in parasailing, which is generally a passive amusement ride rather than an active sport. These paragliders have reasonable gliding characteristics and are quite controllable by use of cords which are held in the pilot's hand as he or she sits in the harness. Typically, paragliders are launched from slopes at, or close to, the summit of hills.
Safety - The gliders our pilots use are constructed by HGMA (Hang Gliding Manufacturing Association); as a backup, pilots carry a parachute with them in the harness; all participants wear helmets; pilots are certified by ABVL (Brazilian association) and have over 20 years of experience.
Expedition – an organized group of people undertaking an adventure journey for a certain period of time. Participants will be responsible for planning, managing of limited resources, maintaining safety, and having fun.
Orienteering - Orienteering is a sport in which participants use a detailed map and a compass to find points in the landscape.

Each and every program, activity and game that involve a “risk-taking” decision are designed with Safety First in mind. The safety of all participants is our priority! Our facilitators are also professionals in adventure sports and we follow the guidelines of each sport federation for safety procedures.

Low and High-Ropes Courses:
Low ropes are a series of ground level problem-solving activities that demand cooperation and teamwork in order to be overcome. They require clear communication, decision-making, conflict resolution, and leadership in a setting that provides excellent opportunities for application to your workplace, school or agency.

The high ropes courses, also known as Arvorismo in Brazil, is a series of challenges set high above the ground (usually getting to, approximately, 20-25 meters high). Participants take the opportunities to challenge themselves on a variety of different activities, while taking responsibility over their actions and safety. Lessons on risk taking, confidence-building and self-awareness can be addressed in a safe environment of personal challenge and support.

Even thought these activities seem to be more individually oriented, we cannot overlook the power of group support and encouragement.

Challenge by Choice

Respect for each person’s individuality and limitations. Based on this motto, Aribira designs all its activities, programs and games based on the Challenge by choice concept.
This concept creates an environment where participants are asked to search for opportunities for personal growth during the experience while respecting each other and themselves. In Challenge by Choice you, and only you, make the choices: in what, when and how to participate, how far to go, when to give up, etc.
The Challenge by Choice principle guarantees that your choices are respected by instructors and participants alike. Each group member determines, right in the beginning, its own level of “participation” and “types of challenges” they will be involved with that will maximize their learning opportunity.
The bottom line is that each participant can always find a way to contribute to the group's efforts while seeking to find value in the experience for themselves.
By adopting this concept, we aim at:
- Encouraging all to respect each others’ choices;
- Creating opportunities for learning about how to set goals that are in neither the comfort nor the panic zone, but in that slightly uncomfortable stretch zone where the greatest opportunities for growth and learning lie;
- Promoting an experience where everyone contributes to each others choices and self esteem development;
- Stimulate participation and learning.

Aribira’s PED

Because we remember 20% of what we hear, 50% of what we see, and 80% of what we do, the PED is an experiential-based program. We believe that a well-designed program is an appropriate vehicle for addressing issues that might be an obstacle to group effectiveness and goal accomplishment.

Some of the group and personal skills that may be addressed are:
Teamwork;
Leadership and Initiative skills;
Communication skills;
Conflict Management;
Decision Making Process;
Assessing and Managing Risk;
Motivation.

Aribira offers three types of PED programs:
Corporate Outdoor Experiential Training
Programs for Schools
Programs for People with Disability