First Advisor
McConnell, Christy
Document Type
Dissertation
Date Created
12-2022
Abstract
This study investigates eight college students’ perceptions of their experiences during an accredited outdoor education course entitled Technical Canyoneering. The course took place in four separate desert canyons of the Colorado Plateau, two in Arches National Park, and two on nearby Bureau of Land Management public space. Utilizing the data collection process of photo-elicitation, the participants’ time spent in the canyon settings was described in order to gain an understanding of their experiences, with particular attention paid to analyzing what perceptions those students ascribed to those experiences. The intent was threefold. First, the study makes understanding at how college students perceive the wilderness environment of the course. Secondly, the study demonstrated the beliefs, values, and commitments that are fostered and/or furthered secondary to the students’ perceptions of the place. Thirdly, the study attempted to explicate the value of the desert canyons of the Colorado Plateau and. more broadly, “wilderness” settings as educational venues. The qualitative methodology of educational criticism and connoisseurship guided the study.
Extent
297 pages
Local Identifiers
Deem_unco_0161D_11099.pdf
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by the author.
Recommended Citation
Deem, Jeremy Roger, "College Students’ Perceptions of the Desert Canyons of the Colorado Plateau" (2022). Dissertations. 914.
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations/914