Virtual Learning Communities: a learning object integrated into e-learning platform Patricia Alejandra Behar, Ana Paula Frozi de Castro e Souza and Maira Bernardi Education College – Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) Av. Paulo Gama, 110 – 90.046-900 – Porto Alegre – RS – Brazil {pbehar, mairaber}@terra.com.br, nanafrozi@yahoo.com.br home page: http://www.nuted.edu.ufrgs.br Abstract. COMVIA (COMunidades VIrtuais de Aprendizagem – in portuguese language, is a learning object that cares about virtual learning communities based on standard interaction. In this paper we describe the final results of this study highlighting the ways in which the students interact through the COMVIA object in e-learning situations. Also present in the article are the main characteristics of a learning objects and how it can be integrated into a virtual platform. The present article is a reflection upon the theoretical references of the learning object COMVIA 1 , its building steps and its application for tests and validation in a post graduate 2 discipline that has resulted in the formation of virtual learning communities. It is an object about Virtual Learning Communities, the use of COMVIA in the afore mentioned discipline was precisely to check the level of the object resources in relation to these requirements. It was used in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in the graduate and post graduate courses of the Education College. It was integrated in the virtual learning environment called ROODA 3 used by this institution. 1 Available in: http://www.nuted.edu.ufrgs.br/instrumentalizacao_em _ead/comvia 2 Discipline SA: Oficinas Virtuais de Aprendizagem - in post graduate level in Education and Computer Education throughout 2007/1. 3 Rede cOOperativa de Aprendizagem – distant learning education platform from UFRGS. Available in: www.ead.ufrgs.br/rooda 1 Introduction Please use the following format when citing this chapter: Behar, P.A., Frozi de Castro e Souza, A.P. and Bernardi, M., 2008, in IFIP International Federation for Information Processing, Volume 281; Learning to Live in the Knowledge Society; Michael Kendall and Brian Samways; (Boston: Springer), pp. 163–166.