A Methodological framework to monitor the performance of virtual learning communities

Abstract

This article presents a methodological framework developed to monitor the evolution of virtual learning communities intended as open communities of peers, tutors, and mentors from industry and academia. The proposed framework is described through an explorative case. It has been applied to observe and supervise a virtual learning community built around aMaster's program intended to create "e-Business Solutions Engineers." The framework is based on two dimensions of analysis: individual growth and team growth. The first is a function of personal development and satisfaction, and the second depends on social networking dynamics and cooperative content creation. The analysis of data, collected during 10 months of exchanged e-mails and five monthly Web surveys, has been validated through interviews with key informants and through the involvement of academic and industrial partners in the formal assessment of the learners' performance. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.