Item: A PROCESS FOR MAKING EVIDENCE-BASED UPDATES TO RECREATIONAL AVALANCHE CURRICULUM TOOLS
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Title: A PROCESS FOR MAKING EVIDENCE-BASED UPDATES TO RECREATIONAL AVALANCHE CURRICULUM TOOLS
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Emma Walker [ American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), CO, USA ]
- Ron Funderburke [ American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), CO, USA ]
- Kelly McNeil [ Eastern Oregon University, OR, USA ]
- Aaron Ball [ Ft. Lewis College, CO, USA ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: The AIARE fieldbook is the primary tool instructors use to deliver AIARE recreational avalanche courses, as well as a post-course planning and reference tool for backcountry travelers. Although the fieldbook has been a cornerstone of AIARE's curriculum for nearly two decades, it has not undergone a significant update since the 2017–18 season. The empirical foundation for the revision discussed in this paper comes from two previous studies: a three-year investigation of how AIARE 1 courses influence backcountry behaviors and a survey-based examination of fieldbook value, use patterns, and barriers. Using information from these studies to guide them, AIARE's team of curriculum specialists developed and filtered updates through multiple stakeholder groups at each step. Stakeholders included the researchers behind both studies, AIARE's Technical Committee, and a working group of approximately 70 instructors and course providers. This paper presents the fieldbook's updated learning outcomes, the techniques used to achieve them, and the start-to-finish process for making evidence-based curriculum updates that will improve the effectiveness of AIARE's recreational avalanche courses.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P1.13.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790098716
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Emma Walker
Keywords: Avalanche education, Program evaluation, Action-oriented learning outcomes, Educational best practices, Pedagogy
Page Number(s): 422 - 428
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