Evaluating the Impacts of Outdoor Orientation Programs at The Ohio State University
Loading...
Date
2016-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
Across higher education institutions, pre-enrollment programs (PEP) have been developed to improve the transition experience for incoming students. Of these PEP, outdoor orientation programs have been highly successful in increasing student retention, improving sense of belonging, and increasing student GPA. While there has been previous research looking at programs offered for incoming students at The Ohio State University, there has not been a focused project looking at the differences in outcomes between the various types of programs. Anecdotal evidence suggests that outdoor orientation programs have had success at OSU, but only limited evaluation of these programs has occurred. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of outdoor orientation programs on incoming students through the use of quantitative measures. Additionally, this study will examine student outcomes from the other types of PEP. This study utilizes a survey completed by the participants of PEP (n=150) before and after their experience. The survey was developed and administered through the Center for Higher Education Enterprise (CHEE) Department at OSU. Findings indicate differences in student outcomes vary between the type of PEP students participate in. This study will help to further advance our knowledge of pre-enrollment programs offered at The Ohio State University and guide future evaluation initiatives of these programs.
Description
Keywords
Outdoor education, Program Evaluation