SEER
Symposium On Experiential Education Research
The Symposium on Experiential Education Research (SEER) provides an outlet and venue for researchers in the field of experiential education to present, share, dialogue, and further develop their research ideas each year at the AEE International Conference.
Research Symposium Co-Chairs
SEER 2026 CALL FOR PROPOSALS CLOSED ON MAY 1.
For questions, please contact SEER Co-Chairs:
Mike Froehly, mfroehly@mmsa.org
Rob Lubeznik-Warner, rob@delta-consulting-group.com
Cecil Goodman, cgoodman@prescott.edu
Research Symposium Co-Chairs
Mike Froehly, Ph.D., Research Associate, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance
Michael (Mike) Froehly is a Research Associate with the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. His research focuses on outdoor and environmental education, place-based education, and youth STEM programs. He is also Senior Field Faculty at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and a former Assistant Professor of Parks and Recreation at Salem State University. When not teaching or conducting research, you can find him fly fishing, cooking, or birding.
See some of Michael’s research here
Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance
"I presented at SEER for the first time as a graduate student. It was so great to meet other practitioners and researchers in the field and be welcomed into the research community with open arms. I look forward to joining this year as a co-coordinator for SEER!”
Rob Lubeznik-Warner, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, University of Utah & Principal Consultant, Delta Consulting Group
Rob Lubeznik-Warner, Ph.D., is an applied researcher, evaluator, and experiential educator with 15+ years of professional experience in the human service, higher education, and youth development fields. He conducts research and evaluation studies that inform the development of evidence-based practices and decision-making for local, national, and international organizations. Rob is a co-founder and principal consultant for Delta Consulting Group and serves as a postdoctoral fellow in quantitative methods for the Behavioral Health Innovation and Dissemination Center/Department of Psychology at the University of Utah. Outside of work, you can find Rob spending time with his family exploring the northwoods of Minnesota and beyond.
See some of Rob’s research here.
“SEER is an excellent opportunity to share meaningful research with other scholars and practitioners. I love the collegial atmosphere!”
Cecil Goodman, Ph.D., is a Full Faculty of Adventure Education at Prescott College, where, since 2014, she has led the Undergraduate Wilderness and Community-Based Orientation programs, and currently serves as the Field Risk Manager for the College. With nearly two decades of teaching experience at the university level, Cecil’s transdisciplinary teaching portfolio and research interests lie at the intersections between the environment and society, nature and justice, and education. She aspires to contribute scholarship and teaching that aids in the elimination of barriers to access, belonging, and sovereignty for individuals from traditionally minoritized and/or underserved groups, and which supports new futures and justice-oriented relationships between humans and nature. She loves the immense gifts of rivers, deserts, and mountains, especially when with her two small children, Kai and Jo, and her partner, Noah.
“I deeply value SEER’s interdisciplinary and practitioner-approach to experiential education. I have loved presenting at SEER and learning from colleagues in such a welcoming, scholarly environment. I am so excited to be joining the SEER co-chair team this year to support this scholarly community I am so honored to be a part of!”
The History of SEER
The first SEER took place at AEE's 2001 International Conference in Charleston, West Virginia. Fittingly, it was Dr. Alan Ewert of Indiana University who conceived of and led the effort to establish that first SEER. A widely published researcher and author in the field of adventure-based education, Dr. Ewert is also known for his distinguished career in academia, three decades as an Outward Bound instructor, as holder of the Patricia and Joel Meier Outdoor Leadership Chair, past editor of the Journal of Experiential Education, and as fellow and past president of the prestigious Academy of Leisure Sciences. In providing the leadership to launch SEER, Dr. Ewert was giving back to the field that he has helped develop throughout his academic and professional career.
The symposium occurs concurrently with the International AEE Conference each year and involves the presentation of research papers from leading international scholars in the field of experiential education.
Read abstracts from past years here!
The Symposium on Experiential Education Research – Asia
The Symposium on Experiential Education Research in Asia provides a regional outlet and venue for researchers in fields that use experiential education to present, share, dialogue, and further develop their research ideas. It is a free pre-conference event at the Asia Pacific Regional AEE Conference.
The symposium involves the presentation of research papers with links to the Asia Pacific who use and research experiential education practices. It is intended to cultivate a regional community of practice, and emphasis will be given to countries with lower scholarly representation.
The objectives of SEER Asia are:
- To establish a regional community of practice for scholars and practitioners interested in experiential education research
- To build a peer network and support emerging scholars in sharing research findings
- To establish and build a repository of experiential education research contextual to Asia and publish this annually in a booklet of proceedings.
- To facilitate the local and regional dissemination of experiential education research through this repository
- To support submissions to be translated into languages for local dissemination to facilitate sharing with local educators and educational authorities
- To provide mentoring by experienced scholars in Asia
Each presenter is allotted 20 minutes to present her/his/their research, which typically includes an introduction, a description of the methods employed, and the results and conclusions developed from the research.
In addition to the presentations, the abstracts will be published as a booklet of proceedings, which is distributed at the conference and electronically, which will serve as a repository for regional research about experiential education. Reading these abstracts is a great way to get a glimpse of current research interests and innovative research methodologies used for experiential education research.
SEER – Asia is inspired by the main SEER event which is in its 24th year. As this is a new event in its inaugural year, these abstracts will not be published in the Journal of Experiential Education, however scholars will be able to submit simultaneously to SEER (USA).
We trust that SEER – Asia is intended to be a place for researchers and practitioners alike to consider new ideas, develop further strategies, and contemplate alternative offerings throughout the field of experiential education.
Submissions
Submission of abstracts and enquiries are sent to the following 2 email addresses:
aaronfunnell@outwardbound.org.hk
Submission Details
Submitted abstract should be in Microsoft Word format in English. Allow 2.5cm margins on all sides, and number the manuscript pages consecutively throughout. Abstracts should be in 12-point font and should not exceed 3 single-spaced pages, including references. Proposals should use line numbering throughout the abstract to aid feedback in the review process. Submitted abstracts should follow the most current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA 7th ed.). Please ensure the file name matches the title of the abstract.
SEER Asia Co-Convenors
Dr. Susanna Ho received the AEE Distinguished Researcher Award in 2024. She has played a pivotal role in shaping outdoor education in Singapore through her research. She is the Lead Specialist of Outdoor Education in the Ministry of Education, and ger vision and dedication led to the formulation of a national outdoor adventure education master plan. Dr. Ho serves as an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Experiential Education and as a Regional Editor for the Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education.
Aaron Funnell is the Executive Director of Outward Bound Hong Kong and serves on the Global Research Advisory Committee for Outward Bound International. He also serves as treasurer for the AEE Asia Pacific Regional Council and recently completed nearly a decade on the AEE Accreditation Council. Aaron is a fellow of the Singapore University of Social Sciences and maintains a keen interest in scholarly research and its use to advance experiential education in Asia.
SEER Asia Knowledge Partner: Singapore University of Social Sciences.