There are a variety of sources for these definitions. Many were developed by the National Society for Experiential Education.

1. Experiential education -

• a pedagogy that provides an environment for students to put theory into practice.
  
• learning activities that engage the learner directly in the phenomena being studied.
  
• Examples include cooperative education, internships and service learning.
  

2. Experiential learning -

• intentional outcomes of experiential education
  

3. Applied Research -

• a process that involves taking discovery from basic research and applying those discoveries to practical problems
  

4. Apprenticeship -

• an intermediate stage of education combining school and work; apprentices acquire specific work-related skills both on the job and in school
  

5. Career-development -

• an experiential learning process which helps learners understand their past experiences and use this understanding to choose new experiences. In this process, learners achieve greater insight into their own interests, values, and abilities. They can build on these insights as they further develop their knowledge and skills and make more informed career choices.
  

6. Clinical experience -

• the experiential component in medical and psychology education in which students practice and apply the theories they have learned in the classroom setting.
  

7. Community service -

• service for/with the community addressing a common need.
  

8. Cooperative education -

• an academic program which enables college students to enter employer paid work experiences in business, industry, government, and human services as part of academic training. It gives students an opportunity to apply academic theory to real work situations, acquire career experience, enhance personal growth, and earn an income to help defray college expenses
  

9. Cross-cultural learning -

• involves a student in another culture or subculture in a deep and significant way, either as a temporary member of a family, a worker in that society, or as a volunteer in a social agency, with the intention, as a participant-observer, of learning as much as the student can about that culture and his or her own culture.
  

10. External degree program -

• an academic degree program that enables students to complete their studies without necessarily attending class. Sometimes called "colleges without walls," external degree programs are especially designed for the adult part-time learner who needs flexibility and who can work independently
  
  

12. Independent study -

• educational program where students study a topic in-depth guided by a faculty member but do not actually attend class. Instead, they work on written and field assignments and are awarded academic credit after meeting criteria set by the institution
  
  

13. Field study/work -

• first-hand, face-to-face collection of data, whether through observation, interviewing, or participation
  
  

14. Internship -

• any carefully monitored work or service experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what she or he is learning throughout the experience. These learning goals may include:
  
  Academic learning – the individual can apply knowledge learned in the classroom to the workplace;
  
  Career development –the individual gains knowledge of the qualifications and duties of a position and can explore interest in a field;
  
  Skill development –the individual gains an understanding of the skills and knowledge required in the workplace;
  
  Personal development –the individual gains decision-making skills, critical thinking skills, increased confidence and self-esteem.
  
  Internships vary in duration; they can last from a month (or less) to two years (or more). They can take place in any work setting. Interns may be senior citizens, eighth graders, college students, mid-career executives, career changers, graduate students, adult learners, or people anywhere in between.
  
  Internships can be part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid. They may be part of an educational program and carefully monitored and evaluated for academic credit. Or, they may be part of a learning plan that the intern develops.
  
  The important element that distinguishes an internship from a short-term job or community service is the intentional "learning agenda" that the intern brings to the experience.
  
  

15. Internship (nursing) -

• an internship in nursing refers to a work period immediately following the educational program of the student. The practice experience takes place after completion of the academic program, not during it. The internship is arranged by the clinical setting and not by the academic program. Usually the new graduate is employed by the clinical institution. In nursing it represents a supervised orientation program in order to ease the transition from student to staff nurse. Though states may vary, the graduate has completed the licensing exam.
  
  

16. Laboratory experience -

• an experiential component in which students practice, apply and test the theories learned in the classroom or texts.
  
  

17. Practicum -

• hands on experience of applying classroom learning to real-life situation.
  
  

18. Problem-based learning -

• a curriculum development and instructional approach which simultaneously develops problem solving strategies, disciplinary knowledge base and skills by placing students in the active role of problem-solvers confronted with an ill-structured problem which mirrors real-world problems.
  
  

19. Project -

• A planned piece of work, with defined beginning and end points, which requires the application of problem-solving strategies and theoretical knowledge to ill-defined problems which are either real-world or mirror real-world problems.
  
  

20. Service - Learning

• is a credit-bearing educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. Unlike extracurricular voluntary service, service learning is a course-based service experience that produces the best outcomes when meaningful service activities are related to course material through reflection activities such as directed writings, small group discussions, and class presentations. Unlike practica and internships, the experiential activity in a service-learning course is not necessarily skill-based within the context of professional education. Service learning provides an additional means for reaching educational objectives, and academic credit is appropriate for service activities when learning objectives associated with the service are identified and evaluated. (Source Bringle and Hatcher, 1996)
  Examples of Academic Service-learning include:
  
  Accounting class – students develop accounting systems for non-profit organizations.
  
  Sociology class on juvenile delinquency – students visit a residential home for children to provide one-on-one tutoring/mentoring.
  
  Chemistry – students lead an after-school Chemistry Club for junior high school students
  
  A service-learning component can be added to almost any course.
  Addressing community needs and reflection are vital components to a service-learning experience.
  

21. Simulations -

• activities such as role-playing, exercises and games, and computer models that allow students to practice and apply their learning.
  
  

22. Student Teaching -

• a structured, college-supervised leearning experience for a student in a teacher education program
  
  

23. Volunteer work -

• providing a service without pay.