Item: ARE YOU BEHAVING OUT THERE?: STUDENT REPORTED BEHAVIOR CHANGES AFTER RECREATIONAL AVALANCHE EDUCATION IN ALASKA
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Title: ARE YOU BEHAVING OUT THERE?: STUDENT REPORTED BEHAVIOR CHANGES AFTER RECREATIONAL AVALANCHE EDUCATION IN ALASKA
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Michael A. Kerst [ Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, Alaska, USA ]
- Eeva Latosuo [ Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC, Canada ] [ Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, Alaska, USA ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: Formal avalanche education has existed in Alaska since 1976. The Alaska Avalanche School (AAS) is the primary provider of this education and serves both recreationalists and professionals. Limited formal research exists on the actual impacts of these educational experiences on student behaviors, and this study is the first to assess the impacts of the AAS Recreational Level 1 curriculum on student behaviors in the backcountry. The study was conducted using two surveys. One survey was a retrospective post-test questionnaire given to students that examined the self-reported behavioral impacts of the AAS Level 1 curriculum on students' avalanche risk management behaviors. Respondents answered questions on 14 important behaviors identified from the American Avalanche Association Recreational Level 1 course guidelines. The survey was distributed to students who had completed the AAS Level 1 course in the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 seasons, and was distributed during the 2025-2026 season. The second survey, given to instructors, focused on understanding which Level 1 learning objectives were most valuable, and which learning environments were most effective for student behavior, according to instructors. The student survey respondents were mostly male (61%) skiers (71%), with 2-5 seasons of experience (48%), and spent 6-10 days in the backcountry per season (34%). Instructors were relatively early-career (40% with 2–5 seasons), taught skiers/snowboarders (75%), and taught up to the rec 2 level. Participants in the student survey reported significant increases in 13 out of 14 behaviors after taking the course. Instructor survey results prioritized field-based teaching over classroom presentations, emphasizing terrain identification and travel techniques as the most critical skills for backcountry safety. Comparing the two survey results, instructors highly valued terrain-related behaviors, yet the student survey results did not reflect higher degrees of change for terrain-related behaviors. The results from this research will be valuable for refining recreational avalanche curricula and understanding the impact of different educational environments on the quality of these curriculaums. Additionally, this study will provide practitioners with insights into the behaviors of recreational users with basic avalanche safety training.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P1.10.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790098707
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Michael Kerst
Keywords: Avalanche education, decision making, Alaska, backcountry behaviors, recreational courses
Page Number(s): 268 - 275
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