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Over the last several years there has been a call to increase the quality of recreational therapy (RT) education. During this same time active learning has grown in popularity as a way to help increase student comprehension. While the vast majority of this growth has occurred in science, technology, engineering and math courses, no research has been found on the impact active learning can have on RT education. The focus of this study was to determine if utilizing an active learning framework, grounded in constructivist theory, would result in an increase in RT student comprehension. The study population consists of 45 undergraduate students enrolled in RT courses at a Midwestern university. Students were randomly assigned to either (1) active learning or (2) traditional lecture sections of the same undergraduate course that was taught in parallel. Student comprehension (assessed via final grades) was compared between the two sections using independent samples t-test. We found that active learning has a greater impact on increasing student comprehension than traditional lecture. These findings support the need for RT educators to examine active learning as a primary method of instruction.

The last 35 years have shown a greater interest among higher education professionals to adapt the principles of active learning within the classroom. Active learning, an instructional approach that allows students the opportunity to participate in the process of learning, requires them to do something more than just passively receive instruction. Increased student engagement, participation, and learning have long been linked with active learning, but little is known about any additional benefits. The focus of this study was to identify and examine any additional benefits associated with active learning above and beyond those of increased engagement, participation, and learning. A sample of 45 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: active learning or traditional lecture. Results indicate that in addition to engagement, participation, and learning, active learning also promotes increases in communication and interactivity, community and connectedness, satisfaction, and flexibility.

This article analyzes "McGarry v. Philly Rock Corp." On March 16, 2011, Rebecca McGarry and her husband went to the Philly Rock Corp. (PRC) indoor climbing gym where they had twice climbed previously. The couple decided to try bouldering, a style of climbing lower to the ground in which the climber uses bouldering pads instead of ropes, harnesses, and belay devices. After watching her husband climb the bouldering wall, Rebecca McGarry took a turn. After climbing about 4 feet up the wall, McGarry let go of the wall and jumped to the ground. When she hit the ground, she rolled her ankle and heard a cracking, crunching noise. As a result of the fall, McGarry broke her ankle, which required several surgeries and more than a year of physical therapy to recover fully. McGarry claimed that PRC was grossly negligent in their duty to instruct her in the proper way to use the bouldering wall and failed to warn of the dangers of using the bouldering wall. This case provides several examples of risk management implications relevant to climbing facility managers and owners for patrons at their bouldering walls.

In August 2012, Barbara Fakhouri visited Ober Gatlinburg, a ski resort located in eastern Tennessee to vacation with her family. Ms. Fakhouri used a wheelchair to ambulate. Despite the absence of snow on the ground, the resort operated year-round with many amenities such as an amusement park, restaurant, lounge, and shopping center to captivate tourists and for visitors to enjoy. Ober Gatlinburg operates a tramway that carries visitors and skiers up and down the mountain. Fakhouri rode the tramway up the mountain without incident. On the way back down, her wheelchair got caught on the tram causing one of the wheels to break. Fakhouri sought medical treatment for injuries to her leg and neck she sustained from the accident. Subsequently, she continued to suffer as a result of the injuries to her leg. This article describes the court case that ensued (Fakhouri v. Ober Gatlinburg, Inc. 821 F.3d 719 (6th Cir. 2016)) including the complaint, findings, verdict, and implications.

The purpose of this study was to validate a problem-based learning (PBL) approach in teaching legal aspects of recreational sport to college students, and to examine students' abilities to acquire well-structured knowledge and knowledge use flexibility as learning outcomes of the PBL process. Student satisfaction in learning about the law related to recreational sport was also investigated. A total of 282 undergraduate college students completed a questionnaire after completion of a semester-long mock court project. The study included a four-fold cross-sectional design employing four-time data collection points in assessing the PBL learning process. The results indicated that students attained well-structured knowledge and knowledge use flexibility in law and legal issues through their involvement in the mock court project. Students were also satisfied with learning law and legal issues related to recreational sport through the project. Finally, students perceived the project as having an effective level of quality. Results from the study supported the mock court project as a success and as an effective use of PBL.