Abstract:
ABSTRACT
ENHANCING INSTRUCTION IN WILDERNESS MEDICINE WITH
COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION
by
David B. Conlan
Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology
California State University, Chico
Summer 2009
The purpose of this study was to explore areas of instruction within Outdoor
Education that may be best suited for computer-mediated communication. This paper
focused specifically on wilderness medicine, a discipline within Outdoor Education,
and the areas of curriculum that may benefit the learner in an e-learning computer-mediated
environment. For the study, Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model and the constructivist
learning model were used as theoretical frameworks.
Data was collected by a mixed methods approach utilizing a written questionnaire
and a focus group follow-up interview. The written questionnaire was administered
via mail and consisted of three parts that collected information from the participants
necessary to support the research. Nineteen professionals in the field of Outdoor
Education and Wilderness Medicine were contacted and only ten of the 19 responded.
The researcher was only able to coordinate a focus group interview with three of the
ten.
The results of the study brought forth several interesting correlations between
the world of computer-mediated communication and the constructivist learning
model and wilderness medicine and the experiential learning model. The results yielded
several areas of curriculum within wilderness medicine, selected by participants that
would best work in a computer-mediated environment. These represent the initial steps
towards creating a computer-mediated learning environment for students in a wilderness
medicine course.
