虚拟学习社区的内涵及其相关研究概述

虚拟学习社区是技术发展到一定阶段的产物，也是当前教育技术界和远程教育领域的研究热点之一。国内关于虚拟学习社区的研究主要涉及虚拟学习社区的创建、虚拟学习社区发展过程中的支持策略、虚拟学习社区对其他机构的影响等问题。目前虚拟学习社区的研究存在社区概念混淆和使用泛滥、研究肤浅等问题。纵观国际领域虚拟学习社区研究，主要集中在社区构成要素、社区测量、社区类型、社区发展阶段及促进因素、社区参与者类型、社区建设和维持策略诸多方面。梳理和分析这些研究有利于指导国内研究者厘清虚拟学习社区的内涵，促进虚拟学习社区研究从最初的平台搭建，转向研究社区的动态演变过程及其特征、影响社区发展的影响因素、社区可持续发展的机制和策略、社区对教育的价值等方面。

The Connotation and Related Researches Reviews of Virtual Learning Communities

Virtual Learning Communities(VLCs) has emerged when technology development comes to a specific stage and has been also one of the research focuses in the fields of current technology education and distance education.At present,domestic researches concerning VLCs are about their construction and their supporting strategies in the course of development and their influence on other organizations.But there exist some promblems in the research of VLCs:confusing concepts of VLCs,overuse of VLCs as well as superficial research.By reviewing researches of VLCs in the international field,the author concludes that VlCs researches are mainly concered with the components of community,community measurement,community type,community development stages,promotion factors,classification of community participants,and community building and maintenance strategies.Sorting out and analyzing these studies can help domestic researchers clarify the connotation of VLCs,shifting the focus from platform development at the preliminary stage to the dynamic evolution of VLCs and their characteristics,to factors affecting the development of communities,to mechanisms and strategies of sustainable development of communities and to the value of VLCs to education.