Lately the adjective “virtual” has become popular in the learning community to describe an array of services, many of which have little to do with holograms, ill-defined structures, or instant answers and a lot more to do with leveraging technology to structure learning activities that simply join learners with a network of knowledge.

But when discussing the term “virtual,” the conversation often gets lost in the fog of technology speak, operating systems, configurable interfaces and cool apps. The intent of this analysis is to define virtual learning, offer practical approaches to deliver training and provide a perspective on free, available resources to facilitate continuous, virtual learning (VL).

As I looked for a good definition of VL, I found many; most seemed overly complicated and complex. But as you sift through the various perspectives, a definition emerges based on identifying a consistent set of operational features:

• Web-based access to a classroom or meeting.
• Shared materials including images, videos, documents and Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Synchronous interaction via tweets, instant messaging, polling, and discussion boards.

Engagement is encouraged, as this is a collaborative environment. Therefore if we integrate these thoughts into a practical explanation of virtual learning it might sound something like “learning in a real-time, online classroom designed for active participation and sharing of information.”