[15] Research suggests that increases in the sharing of tacit knowledge, which occurs within communities of practice, may take place in VCoPs, albeit to a lesser degree.
[16] Research suggests that through extended connections, reflections, and online discourse, OCoPs can support the growth of a collective community identity.
[17] OCoPs provide a virtual space for people who might otherwise never meet, in which they can collaborate and participate in shared activities related to the group's interests and goals.
[1] Additionally, people who are engaged in emergent and uncommon practices, or who have few local resources may have a lower barrier of entry for becoming members of online communities.
[17] Virtual Communities of Practice may be especially effective for increasing teacher efficacy and reducing professional isolation in computer science education.
[2] Social networks allow for the creation of clearly defined domains of interest in which the interactions between people can support communities with common and recorded histories.
Social network tools allow members of OCoPs to create and share knowledge and develop cultural historical processes.
The forums maintain a record of ideas, discourse and resources, creating an archive of expertise for a field of practice that can be accessed at any time from nearly anywhere.
Members with slow or unreliable equipment are unable to participate to their full potential and may find the technical difficulties so discouraging they withdraw completely.
Likewise, the technical aptitude required to participate online can be daunting to individuals unfamiliar with the software or platform being used.
[17] The lack of physical identification and body language in text-only forums can make it difficult to foster meaningful connections between members.
[17] The varying levels of knowledge, skill and experience within an OCoP can deter less confident members from participating in the community.
[27] Examples of social networking sites include: Virtual worlds, which are online community-based environments, are being used in both educational and professional settings.
Examples of virtual worlds include: Online tools are available for sharing information, which can be used to communicate thoughts or ideas, and provide a setting necessary for collaborative knowledge building.