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Thus, the ideal class is organized around what is calledthe “50/50 rule”. At least 50 percent of the time studentsspend in the virtual classroom is spent interacting withand learning about other students. When the social aspectof the learning is missing, student dissatisfaction risesdramatically, as does the attrition rate.If we think about our own learning experiences, weremember not only what we learned, but how and wherewe learned. A very large part comes socially andinformally – from the context. It comes from therelationships we build around the content of what we arelearning. For instance, in college, it is the interestingconversations around the lunch table, an informal chatduring a professor's office hours, the insights of ourclassmates in a case study discussion. At conferences andworkshops, it is the networking. The rich context that wegain from informal situations is often what helps us makethe content more memorable and useful in the future.In most e-learning programs offered today, the burdenfor learning is placed wholly on the shoulders of thelearner. When a learner goes to a course web site, heenters a grid that does not vary from course to course,consisting of a menu of activities: announcements,documents, assignments, external links, communications,and tools. The course is served up as content that isdevoid of any context, and the learner is expected tonavigate this material on his own, without much support.E-learning should be first and foremost about creating asocial space that must be managed for the teaching andlearning needs of the particular group of peopleinhabiting that space.Therefore, when the focus is no longer content butrather the management of the learning experience, thenthe pedagogical process becomes the most importantfactor in the design and support of that experience. It isalso, what makes learning pleasurable and beautiful. Tobe effective, each course must be customized both to thepedagogical process of the teacher or subject-matterexpert and to the individual needs of the learner.Currently, customization of online learning programsoften amounts to changing colour schemes or turningfeatures of the platform on or off.TOOLS FOR COLLABORATIVE LEARNINGFirst consideration regarding e-learning tools is thetype of required communication (see Figure 1) (Novickiset. al. 2005). Synchronous communication occurssimultaneously between participants with instant accessto information and an opportunity for feedback.Technologies enable real-time communication amonglearners, remote presentations from experts or instructors,online meetings and virtual classrooms. In terms ofcommon features and functions, synchronous Web-basedcollaboration platforms and tools typically include sharedwhiteboards and chat tools. Tools such as Astound(Genesys), WebEx, PlaceWare, HorizonLive, LearnLinc(Mentergy), Interwise, Centra, Raindance, ConferenceMOOS, WebChat Broadcasting System, and MicrosoftNetMeeting are among those frequently mentioned.While there are often complaints about stability andfidelity of the video and audio elements of such training,it is likely that live or synchronous training on the Webwill become more cost-feasible and effective.Figure 1. Synchronous and asynchronous options.In addition to the synchronous training, there areopportunities for collaboration in asynchronous learningenvironments. Many conferencing tools (e.g., WebBoard,SiteScape Forum, FirstClass, CSILE/Knowledge Forum,Learning Space etc.) allow learners to discuss topics attheir leisure. Asynchronous technology also is used inweb-casting for archived presentation and in a self pacedcourse.There are no geographical or time-zone restrictions oncontributions. In fact, team meetings may take placeacross continents. For those who want to discuss issuesin real time, conferencing tools often includesynchronous chat options.Many conferencing tools are embedded in coursewareplatforms (e.g., Blackboard, eCollege, LotusLearningSpace and WebCT) and learning managementsystems (vendors such as Docent, Saba, Plateau andTHINQ). In addition, some of these tools allowinstructors to create online teams for small-group work orproduct development with associated drop boxes. Manyof them also embed real-time chat tools with a discussionforum to allow learners to collaborate and hold specialevents such as team meetings. Various feedback tools areoften built in.Selecting e-conferencing solution in each particularcase is necessary to take into consideration not onlytechnical and functional requirements, such as types ofAnnual Proceedings of Vidzeme University College “ICTE in Regional Development”, 200610