While much attention has been paid to what students learn in outdoor education settings, little has been paid to the process through which that learning occurs. The purpose of this study was to identify the mechanisms through which students report learning one of six targeted objectives on courses offered by the National Outdoor Leadership School. Results suggested five broad domains through which learning occurs: structure-oriented mechanisms; instructor-oriented mechanisms; student-oriented mechanisms; student- and instructor-oriented mechanisms; and mechanisms that are a result of environmental qualities. The relative importance of each of these domains is discussed, as are recommendations for practice.

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espite the popularity of avalanche education courses, snow avalanches kill or injure hundreds of winter backcountry users each year (Tremper, 2001). From 1998 to 2008, there have been 308 avalanche-related fatalities in the United States and 129 in Canada (American Avalanche Association, n.d.). Experts claim that accidents are often a combination of both environmental factors and human factors (Fredston, Fesler, & Tremper, 1994). Investigation of variables present during decision-making in hazardous outdoor terrain may inform experiential educational programs designed to teach students about these factors and ultimately, increase safety in the outdoors.