The Virtual Learning Community, VLC, exploits the documented advantages of this type of learning community while addressing one of its most serious limitations, the problem of scalability. The VLC expands student contact beyond the walls of their residence, and permits group meetings, seminars, and other interactions to occur anywhere and anytime. We create a curriculum coordinating courses in Chemistry and Mathematics to improve quality of learning, increase excitement for mathematics and science, retain more mathematics and science students, and improve critical thinking and analysis skills. The VLC extends the benefits of interactivity and cooperative learning afforded by learning communities to a significantly wider audience by providing a Virtual Collaborative Environment (VCE) that integrates rich data sharing, multi-way communication and location aware services. The VCE enables faculty and students to seamlessly exchange information containing text, data, formulae and graphics, anywhere, anytime.
