What Does "Virtual Learning" Mean?

Abstract

The internet is considered "virtual". Communities on the internet are therefore "virtual communities" and learning via the internet is "virtual learning". However, virtual is also considered "not real". This refers to a range of meanings that divide reality into the "real" and the "virtual", up to and including a diffuse idea of non-"real" worlds. Given this diversity of uses, it is unclear what is meant by "virtual learning". What does "virtual" mean and in what ways can learning be "virtual"?