Examining the effect of artificial wall climbing as a leisure time activity on undergraduate's problem-solving skills

The main objective of the study is to determine the effects of university students’ artificial climbing wall experiences, which is considered among experimental learning (learn by doing) activities and defined as “high activity”, on their problem solving skill levels. Artificial wall climbing emerges as a learning point which is both a game as of its content and an activity providing people to be active, not passive, through experimental learning activities and creating people opportunities to know better about themselves and others as well as their limits. Pretest- posttest control group experimental model was used in this study.  Experiment group participated into the practice twice in a week, totally for eight weeks. During this time, the control group continued their normal daily routines and not joined any activity. To collect data, Problem Solving Inventory developed by Heppner and Peterson (1982) was used. As a result of statistical analysis, statistically significant differences (p <0.05) were found between subscales and total scores of hasty approach, confident approach and planned approach. Consequently, activities done during artificial wall climbing have been causing positive development in problem solving skills & perception levels of university students.