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=**The Virtual Learning Network (VLN)** - **Procedures:**=

**//1. Background//**
The **VLN** is a Ministry of Education (**MoE**) owned/ supported website service that offers a number of services to the New Zealand educational community. It's primary function is to offer a brokerage service to New Zealand schools wishing to participate in a range of online programmes and activities offered by schools, tertiary institutions and 3rd party educational providers (e.g. Te Papa, National Library Service) to support the delivery of the New Zealand curriculum.

The VLN brokers connections between teachers and learners through a range of online technologies (Skype, Video Conferencing, audio conferencing, Desktop video conferencing and adobe connect). It joins e-learning cluster schools, individual schools, online communities and individuals who are sharing and learning through online programmes in utilising either synchronous or asynchronous technologies.

the VLN's secondary function is to offer educational **Communities of Practice (CoP)** a platform for them to share resources and ideas. It also promotes new web 2.0 applications and services that would enhance a clusters or schools capability to develop 21st Century education.

The VLN website is owned and operated by the Ministry of Education. All data contained within this website is owned by the Ministry of Education.

The services offered on the VLN is gratis.

**//2. Procedures://**
2.1 The VLN website while it is open to public view, the different CoP's hosted on this site are for private use. if you have been invited to join a particular CoP or you wish to apply to join, then a contact email address will be displayed. Click on this connection and you should be contacted in due course by the CoP administrator.

2.2 Individuals or Groups wishing to establish a CoP on the VLN must be eligible to do so (see policy). To establish or join a group (CoP), just sign on via the VLN website (www.vln.school.nz) Establish your group via the dashboard.

2.3 If a CoP is inactive for 12 months the administrator (Senior Adviser, e-Learning Ministry of Education) reserves the right to remove the link and passwords.