Marine education research designs are discussed, and student learning outcomes while monitoring a coral reef is evaluated. Changes in environmental knowledge and attitudes, ecological intention to act, and direct reef experience were investigated. Differences between student pre-test and the post-test responses were observed, and analysis is considered consisting of empirically generated results and student accounts. Environmental knowledge, environmental attitudes and intention to act were evaluated using a multi-method quasi-experimental design, and their affect by reef experience is investigated. Initial environmental knowledge scores were low and were most changed by a classroom presentation and reef monitoring trip combination, the reef learning experience elicited the largest positive shift in environmental attitudes as well as ecological intention to act, and students who had never been to the reef showed the greatest amount of change. This article reports on methodologies developed for evaluating marine education and investigating outdoor marine learning with Australian high school students. Research limitations are also discussed, and information is provided for researchers interested in evaluating education programs.(Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)