Misplaced Pages

#618381

36-788: Ropes courses are referred to using several different names, including Challenge Courses, Ropes Challenge Courses, Teams Course, and Low Ropes, as well as more idiosyncratic names such as the Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience ( Project COPE ) course (used by the Boy Scouts of America ). An Aerial Adventure Park (or "European-Style" Adventure Park, Tree-Top Adventure course) has a more recreational purpose. Other related terms include obstacle courses , assault courses and commando courses , although these terms also have slightly different meanings, often more associated with military training than with education and training for

72-425: A group of people to work together better, understand their common objectives, and plan how to achieve these objectives, during meetings or discussions. In doing so, the facilitator remains "neutral", meaning they do not take a particular position in the discussion . Some facilitator tools will try to assist the group in achieving a consensus on any disagreements that preexist or emerge in the meeting so that it has

108-483: A Certified Professional Facilitator can be found on the IAF website. These core competencies are: (1) Create collaborative client relationships; (2) Plan appropriate group processes; (3) Create and sustain a participatory environment; (4) Guide group to appropriate and useful outcomes; (5) Build and maintain professional knowledge and; (6) Model positive professional attitude. The International Institute for Facilitation (INIFAC)

144-424: A body of knowledge or a set of skills to be acquired. (See tutelary authority above.) Wraparound facilitators are facilitators in the social services community. The term "wraparound" refers to the broad, holistic approach used by the facilitators, taking into account a range of factors. They originally served disabled teens who were transitioning into adulthood. Now they include facilitators serving children between

180-558: A dynamic course, participants are connected to a rope, which someone on the ground will be holding onto and belaying the participant on the course. Participants on a dynamic course remain on a belay the entire time: climbing up to the element, doing the activity, and being lowered to the ground after. A vertical course is very similar to dynamic, except that the element is the climb up. Vertical courses can be: vertical obstacle courses with hanging logs, ladders, and tires or alpine towers with their unique hour-glass shape of activities. The M-Belay

216-506: A good facilitator. The basic skills of a facilitator are about following good meeting practices: timekeeping, following an agreed-upon agenda, and keeping a clear record. The higher-order skills involve watching the group and its individuals in light of group dynamics . In addition, facilitators also need a variety of listening skills including ability to paraphrase; stack a conversation; draw people out; balance participation; and make space for more reticent group members (Kaner, et al., 1996). It

252-482: A human zipper. In another exercise designed to show the importance of leadership, teams are blindfolded as they navigate through the woods, with only the people at the very front and back of the line allowed to speak. Participants progress from simple group games to low- and high-course rope activities. There are no time limits. According to the U.S. Scouting Service Project , C.O.P.E. originated in St. Joseph, Missouri, as

288-437: A number of educational, developmental , and recreational goals. High ropes course and climbing programs generally focus on personal achievements and ask participants to confront their personal fears and anxieties. Challenges may be physical or emotional. In certain cases, high element programs involve the development and mastery of technical skills to manage rope belay systems used to secure other climbers as they move through

324-830: A program at Camp Geiger in the late 1970s, under the leadership of Parvin Bishop of the Pony Express Council . After seeing challenge courses such as the Dalajamb World Jamboree International Encampment in Sweden, which offered a woodland pioneering course complete with zip lines and bridges, the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America was interested in offering similar programs nationwide. The first Project COPE took place in 1980. Following

360-420: A solid basis for future action. There are a variety of definitions for facilitator : The concept of authority (of the facilitator ) is one which can cause confusion. John Heron espouses three alternates (initially in the educational context) as being: Business facilitators work in business , and other formal organizations but facilitators may also work with a variety of other groups and communities. It

396-431: A static course, participants are attached to an upper wire, belay cable, with lanyards (ropes and carabiners) for safety. If the participant dangles, they will be caught by the wire. Advantages of a static course include needing fewer facilitators , being able to get more participants up on the course at one time, and allowing participants to do multiple elements without having to be lowered and climb back up after each. On

SECTION 10

#1732851617619

432-454: A study published in 2000 in the Journal of Leisure Research found that ropes courses also demonstrate higher-level outcomes, including increases in effectiveness and efficiency, building relationships, developing understanding, setting goals, brainstorming ideas and task accomplishment. The British Royal Marines have an extremely difficult ropes course dubbed the 'Tarzan Assault Course'. To pass

468-454: A three-year pilot in Missouri, the council recommended Project COPE as an optional project across the country, and tested it across six locations. Among other benefits, Project COPE was viewed as a way to keep older Scouts engaged with Scouting as they grew older. The program also helped to popularize Scouting among the wider public. Facilitator A facilitator is a person who helps

504-705: Is a program in the Boy Scouts of America that consists of tests to develop strength, agility, coordination, reasoning, mutual trust, and group problem-solving. Founded in 1980, by 1991 there were 200 COPE courses offered across the United States. During non-summer camp months, Project COPE courses have been made available to high schools, and to private groups for team building. The project has also been part of at least one program to reduce recidivism among nonviolent juvenile offenders. Group trust events that are part of Project COPE include standing on an elevated platform or tree stump and falling backwards to be caught by

540-467: Is a tenet of facilitation that the facilitator will not lead the group towards the answer that they think is best even if they possess an opinion on the facilitation subject. The facilitator's role is to make it easier for the group to arrive at its own answer, decision, or deliverable. This can and does give rise to organizational conflict between hierarchical management and theories and practice of empowerment . Facilitators often have to navigate between

576-412: Is critical to the facilitator's role to have the knowledge and skill to be able to intervene in a way that adds to the group's creativity rather than taking away from it. A successful facilitator embodies respect for others and a watchful awareness of the many layers of reality in a human group . In the event that a consensus cannot be reached then the facilitator would assist the group in understanding

612-463: Is often appointed in place of what would once have been a chairperson's role. Along with other officers, the facilitator is appointed at the group's annual general meeting to fill the role for the year ahead. Groups that have adopted this model include prayer groups, men's groups, writing groups and other community organisations. Training facilitators are used in adult education . These facilitators are not always subject experts, and attempt to draw on

648-481: Is the most complicated of the two, and involves two separate belays. Otherwise, it is very similar to a dynamic course. Usually participants must sign a waiver before being allowed to participate on the course, because of the high risk of injury. Some participants may have a hard time completing the course due to its height and the physical challenge. Courses usually range from 25 feet through 50 feet tall, though some elements can reach upwards of 150 feet plus (as in

684-601: The Commando Course , recruits must complete this and other arduous tests consecutively under a strict time limit. Despite the rapid development of ropes course programming during the latter part of the 20th century and the increasing sophistication and professionalism in ropes course construction, there remains a lack of clear scientific consensus about the many claimed psychosocial training benefits of ropes course participation. Project COPE Project COPE , which stands for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience ,

720-612: The US, although this is highly unlikely. Patterned after a military obstacle course and similar to the course in use at the Outward Bound school in Aberdyfi , Wales, the course was constructed of hemp ropes. Belay systems were minimal or non-existent. Ropes courses were adapted for use in an education setting by Project Adventure , Inc. in Hamilton, Massachusetts in 1971. The first course built at

756-427: The ages of 0–3 years who are in need of services. Outside the meetings, the facilitator organizes meetings, engages team members and conducts follow through. During meetings the facilitator leads and manages the team by keeping the participants on track and encourages a strength-based discussion addressing the child's needs. The facilitator encourages equal participation among team members. Many skills are required to be

SECTION 20

#1732851617619

792-509: The conflicting groups (or societies) and must adhere to the rules of democratic dialogue. They may not take sides or express personal opinions. Their role is to support groups develop shared vision for the future, learn to listen to each other, and understand and appreciate the feelings, experiences and positions of the opposing side. Educators in dialogic learning and other peer instruction approaches often serve as facilitators. According to one common definition, an educational facilitator has

828-526: The course. In such cases, outcomes often include exploring the fundamentals of trust , craftsmanship , and coaching. Programs using low ropes course elements or group initiatives are most often designed to explore group interaction, problem-solving, and leadership. Some of the commonly claimed outcomes include enhancement of cooperation, decision making, self confidence, positive risk-taking, social cohesion, trust, self esteem, leadership, goal setting, and teamwork. In addition to these commonly cited benefits,

864-572: The decks of ships. “Hébertism” grew during and between the World Wars, becoming the standard for physical education training for the French military . Many ropes courses and challenge course programs in French Canada and Europe are still known as Hébertism courses today. Marble, Colorado , the site of the first Colorado Outward Bound course, has been cited as the location of the first ropes course in

900-488: The differences that divide it. Facilitators also require good understanding of processes – how to enable group decision-making, structuring agendas for appropriate results, problem-solving, etc. The International Association of Facilitators (IAF) was founded in 1994 to promote and support facilitation as a profession. The IAF maintains the Certified Professional Facilitator program. The competencies of

936-434: The existing knowledge of the participant(s), and to then facilitate access to training where gaps in knowledge are identified and agreed on. Training facilitators focus on the foundations of adult education: establish existing knowledge, build on it and keep it relevant. The role is different from a trainer with subject expertise. Such a person will take a more leading role and take a group through an agenda designed to transmit

972-460: The general public. It is unclear where and when the first ropes course was created. Obstacle courses have been used by the military to train soldiers as far back as the ancient Greeks . Those courses, however, were primarily used for the training of extremely fit individuals and not necessarily aimed at the development of unremarkable persons as is common practice on ropes courses today. The use of belay and risk management systems on such courses

1008-497: The participants independently run a variety of trails of increasing difficulty levels. Each trail consists of several poles or trees that are connected by different acrobatic elements. A high course can be a pre-fabricated, professionally installed course, built of utility poles, cables, and bolts, or it can be a course that is hand-built in a wooded area, where ropes and wire are attached to different trees. Ropes courses can be described as static, dynamic, vertical, and M-Belay. With

1044-661: The public for recreational purposes and are generating increased publicity. Adventure Parks with a more recreational-orientation are booming in Europe and awake a great interest in the US and around the globe. They are usually designed for a larger volume of visitors. They do not follow a specific educational concept, but see the individual, physical and mental challenge as a predominantly recreational activity. Neither climbing techniques nor special/specific physical fitness experience are necessary. Typical slogans are: Have fun, Test your Courage and Overcome your Own Fears. In an Adventure Park,

1080-523: The redwoods and some jungle courses). In order to climb up onto the course participants usually must climb, such as by using a cargo net or Jacob's Ladder , which could be made of rope, or an artificial climbing wall . Low ropes courses consist of a series of real and imaginary obstacles designed to challenge groups and individuals to work together to accomplish a task. The classification of low ropes courses can be further broken into several types of activities: Ropes course advocates claim that they meet

1116-486: The risk to end users and to the natural environment . Modern courses make use of a variety of materials other than trees, including utility poles and steel structures. A recent trend of themed courses has created a whole new genre of challenge course aimed at recreational pay-to-play users. New, mobile high ropes courses (originally designed by Jim Liggett of Ropes Courses, Inc.) and climbing walls built on flat bed trucks have made challenge courses more readily available to

Ropes course - Misplaced Pages Continue

1152-405: The same level of knowledge about both education and the subject matter as a teacher , but works with the goal of having students take as much responsibility for their own learning as possible. Instructors at Shimer College , for example, are often referred to as facilitators due to their role in provoking learning by facilitating a conversation among students about the text rather than instructing

1188-447: The school still stands and is in use today. Since the 1980s, ropes course sophistication has evolved considerably. Modern ropes courses incorporate sophisticated belay and safety systems using wire rope, friction devices, and climbing harnesses to manage what before were unmanaged risks. Recent technological advances in pole hardware and climbing equipment along with industry-accepted installation and design practices have greatly reduced

1224-407: The students directly. In language teaching , teachers may shift to a facilitative role to increase student ownership of the learning process. Effective facilitation requires self-monitoring and careful attention to the details of interaction as well as the content of the material. Facilitators can help participants in small and medium-sized groups to work through a meeting agenda. The facilitator

1260-412: The two, especially where overt statements about empowerment are not being borne out by organizational behaviors. Conflict resolution facilitators are used in peace and reconciliation processes both during and after a conflict . They support constructive and democratic dialogue between groups with diverse and usually diametrically opposite positions. Conflict resolution facilitators must be impartial to

1296-500: Was limited and often non-existent. Many practitioners cite Georges Hébert as the originator of the "modern" ropes course. A French naval officer in the early 1900s, Hébert developed his own method of physical education, apparatus, and principles to train in what he called the “Natural Method,” which included the development of physical, moral, and “virile” qualities in an outdoor environment. Drawing from his naval background, Hébert patterned some of his obstacles on obstacles found on

#618381