Personal gains from academic outings mediated by leisure and adventure tourism

Abstract

The academic outings of the Sports and Recreation Science program at the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira have become educational practices that promote diverse learning outcomes among students. One of these outings takes place during the sixth semester of the program and its goal is to promote the development of skills and competencies in recreation, experiential education and tourism, as well as to consolidate the soft skills of the profession. The experience unfolds in four moments: (1) planning of actions, distribution of tasks and acquisition of resources; (2) definition of educational, recreational and tourist intentions mediated through active learning; (3) experiencing and leaving the comfort zone to enter the real learning zone; and (4) sharing of learning and transfer of experiences and their educational and personal meanings. Despite the obstacles of cost, fear, uncertainty, and lack of support, the novelty, the openness to feeling and thinking, the ease of giving meaning and educational intentionality to activities, culture, and history can be seen as gains from the experience. Recreation, tourism and education are combined experiences that enhance learning and develop interpersonal skills.