CAEL continues to help colleges and universities set up programs to evaluate experiential learning. 10 Schools using PLA require a student to present a written portfolio that lists each experience, including dates, related job title, and the name of the organization, followed by a narrative description. The philosophy behind PLA is to award credit for college-level learning no matter how that learning took place. A Slice of Student Life Distance education programs may require students to come to a campus for several brief visits, called residencies. They are usually arranged during the summer and can last from one to three weeks.
Residencies allow students to get away from their usual lives and immerse themselves in academia.
They are also an opportunity to meet new people and discover what is going on in other nursing communities. Students have a chance to talk about courses and instructors that they have had or are planning to take. They may even make friendships that will last the rest of their lives. Most distance education institutions have a core curriculum of required courses and electives that a student must take as part of the program. Each course includes a study guide that specifies what work must be done and the required texts, which can be obtained through the college bookstore.