Editing Virtual community of practice (section)

== Examples of online collaborative tools ==
Online tools are the means for collaboration between individuals who may be located across the globe.<ref name="Srinivas, 2008">Srinivas, H (2008). Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. The Global Development Research Center: Knowledge Management, http://www.gdrc.org/kmgmt/c-learn.</ref> They may include online tools specifically developed to address the needs of communities of practice<ref>Implementing Best Practices (IBP) Knowledge Gateway http://my.ibpinitiative.org/</ref> or other types of tools used for OCoPs.

=== Social networking sites ===
The first [[social network]] site (SNS), SixDegrees.com, was created in 1997.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Boyd | first1 = D. M. | last2 = Ellison | first2 = N. B. | year = 2007 | title = Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship | journal = Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication | volume = 13 | issue = 1| page = 11 | doi = 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x | doi-access = free }}</ref> Examples of social networking sites include:
* [[LinkedIn]]
* [[Facebook]]
* [[MySpace]]

=== Virtual worlds ===
[[Virtual worlds]], which are online community-based environments, are being used in both educational and professional settings. In education, these virtual worlds are used to communicate information and allow for face-to-face virtual interaction between students and teachers. They also allow students to use resources provided by the teacher in both the physical and virtual classroom. In professional environments, virtual training provides virtual visits to company locations, as well as flexible training that can be converted from in-person classroom to online virtual content. Virtual worlds provide training simulations for what could otherwise be hazardous situations.

Companies are using virtual worlds to exchange information and ideas.<ref name="Heiphetz et al., 2010">Heiphetz, Alex and Woodhill, Gary (2010). Training and Collaboration with Virtual Worlds. New York: McGraw-Hill</ref> In addition, virtual worlds are used for technical support and business improvements. Case studies document how virtual worlds provide teamwork and training simulations that otherwise be inaccessible. Examples of virtual worlds include:
* [[Second Life]]
* [[Whyville]]

=== Information sharing ===
Online tools are available for sharing information, which can be used to communicate thoughts or ideas, and provide a setting necessary for collaborative knowledge building.<ref name="Gunawardena, 2009"/> Activities associated with these tools can be integrated into the presentation of online classroom and/or training materials.

Examples of tools for information sharing include:
* [[Wikis]]
* [[Google Docs]]
* [[Blogs]]

===Decision making===
Online tools and platforms can also support deliberation and voting. These may be used by political organizations such as [[Podemos (Spanish political party)|Podemos]]. Examples of tools and platforms include:
* [[Loomio]]
* [[Reddit]]
* [http://www.appgree.com/en/ Appgree]
* [https://agoravoting.com/ Agora Voting]