Virtual communities of practice and agricultural extension

In a series of articles in the Journal of Extension, Patricia Sobrero reviews literature and experiences concerning virtual teamwork, virtual communities and learning in an electronic online environment.

The first paper - Social Learning Through Virtual Teams and Communities - contrasts virtual teams, virtual learning communities, and virtual communities of practice.

The second paper - Essential Components for Successful Virtual Learning Communities - examines ways to to build successful virtual communities of practice in Cooperative Extension and across engaged universities.

The third paper - Virtual Communities of Practice: A 21st Century Method for Learning, Programming, and Developing Professionally - looks at how virtual Communities of Practice (CoP) can support the Extension mission.