College Credit for Hiking

The Chronicle of Higher Education has an 'available by subscription only' article that looks a little interesting. In the snippet they give at the come-on page, one can read the beginning of "An Online Course Takes Students Down the Appalachian Trail" by Sierra Millman.

Millman writes:

"Taking an online class sounds like the ideal way for students to spend more time in their pajamas — unless they're enrolled in an online hiking class, and the Appalachian Trail is just out back.

"Offered every autumn for the last three years, this 12-week interdisciplinary course is taught by professors from the two southwestern Virginia colleges. It asks students to get to know the natural world "online and on foot" through weekly nature excursions, trail journals, photographs, and the state's vivid fall foliage. The class is offered online to allow a mix of adult and traditional students at both colleges to participate."

And to get the rest of the article, you need to hand over the cash.

Of course, there's nothing that says they can't take the class "in their pajamas." I've quite often slept and hiked in the same outfit.