As humans we’re conditioned to alleviate rather than cause anxiety. It’s a good instinct. But it might be hurting us in higher education with big downstream effects. I take a look that in U.S. News & World Report today:
Tap Tapley, the legendary Outward Bound instructor, is said to have described the crux of the experiential outdoor experiential learning school’s approach as “inducing anxiety and then releasing it in a constructive manner.”
And for a half century, Outward Bound courses have done just that – putting students in challenging and uncomfortable situations with real and immediate consequences. Students find themselves climbing mountains, paddling rivers, exploring remote canyons, traveling in the wilderness in winter conditions or sailing. Students learn skills to survive and thrive in these settings. But more importantly they learn about themselves; compassion and empathy for others; their capabilities; and tenacity and resiliency in pursuit of challenging goals.
But this model is pretty much the exact opposite of the scene at many residential colleges today, especially our most elite ones…
You don’t need a lot of resiliency to read the entire piece, just click to read it all here.