Through social networking and computer-mediated communication, people work as a community to achieve a shared learning objective. Learning objectives may be proposed by an instructor or may arise out of discussions between participants thsat reflect personal interests. In an online community, people communicate via textual discussion synchronous or asynchronous, audio, video, or other Internet-supported devices. Blogs blend personal journaling with social networking to create environments with opportunities for reflection.

Online learning communities may focus on personal aspects, process, or technology. They may use technology and tools in many categories, synchronous such as instant messaging, asynchronous such as message boards, content management such as Moodle and Lectureshare.