Virtual Learning Communities

Abstract

The synthesis of global communication networks available at low cost, enormous growth in popular uptake of personal computers and communication devices, and the need for more sophisticated discussion of complex issues are continually pushing the boundaries of our expertise. Virtual learning communities (VLCs) are emerging constructs that depend on the notion of socially constructed learning to provide a focus for informed discussion and lifelong learning. They make use of increasingly sophisticated technologies to establish, support, and maintain communities—collections of individuals with a common purpose, acting in social settings, and geographically disparate.