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Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX™
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Outdoor / adventure programs

Overview

  • Influence: Outdoor / adventure programs
  • Domain: Curricula
  • Sub-Domain: Other curricula programs
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to accelerate
  • Influence Definition: These organized, outdoor activity programs promote group or team interactions through shared challenges. They often involve high levels of challenge (high ropes, climbing, white water rapids), can last many days, and aim to impact confidence, cooperation, and coping strategies.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 5
  • Number of studies: 207
  • Number of students: 27,725
  • Number of effects: 532
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.50
  • Robustness index: 4

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Journal of Experiential Education Cason & Gillis A Meta-Analysis of Outdoor Adventure Programming with Adolescents 1994 Outdoor education on high school achievement 43 11,238 10 0.61
Review of Educational Research Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards Adventure education and Outward Bound: Out-of-class experiences that make a lasting difference.  1996 Outward Bound 96 12,057 30 0.46
Dissertation Laidlaw A meta-analysis of outdoor education programs. 2000 Outdoor education on achievement 48 3,550 389 0.49
Journal of Experiential Education Gillis & Speelman Are Challenge (Ropes) Courses an Effective Tool? A Meta-Analysis 2008 Ropes courses on achievement 3 NA 8 0.26
Dissertation Staunton A meta-analysis of adventure therapy program outcomes. 2003 Adventure therapy programs 17 880 95 0.53
TOTAL/AVERAGE 207 27,725 532 0.47
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