What is Virtual Forum

The goal of this chapter is to illustrate how the concept of authentic learning can be implemented in a web-based distance course. We present a collaborative e-learning scenario, inspired by socio-constructivist and situated learning theories, which encourages authentic learning. Developed as the main learning scenario of a graduate distance education course, it requires students to participate asynchronously in a simulation of an online scientific conference. We describe the learning scenario, the technological environment developed to implement this scenario, as well as some results of a course evaluation completed by students.