Enhancing the Quality of e-Learning in Virtual Learning Communities by Finding Quality Learning Content and Trustworthy Collaborators

Virtual learning communities encourage members to learn and contribute knowledge. However, knowledge sharing requires mutual-trust collaboration between learners and the contribution of quality knowledge. This task cannot be accomplished by simply storing learning content in repositories. It requires a mechanism to help learners find relevant learning content as well as knowledgeable collaborators to work with. In this paper, we present a peer-to-peer based social network to enhance the quality of e-learning regarding knowledge sharing in virtual learning communities. From a technical viewpoint, we will present advanced semantic search mechanisms for finding quality content and trustworthy collaborators. From the social viewpoint, we will address how to support a trustworthy social network that encourages learners to share. Results of this research demonstrate that applying such mechanisms to knowledge sharing can improve the quality of e-learning in virtual learning communities.