%0 Conference Paper %B E-Learn 2003, Phoenix, Arizona, USA %D 2003 %T Virtual Learning Communities - Theory and Practice: The case of VirRAD %A Christos Bouras %A Vaggelis Kapoulas %A Thrasivoulos Tsiatsos %A Eleftheria Giannaka %A Maria Nani %X In this paper we discuss the development of virtual communities and especially virtual learning communities, taking into account basic community requirements as well as social factors of e-learning. This paper has been inspired by the VirRAD European project and presents the intermediate results that have raised form the definition of a virtual community for the vocational training of radiopharmacists. We therefore present the user requirements that form the functional specification of such an environment along with the role model that provides a mindful but solid distribution of the access level in the system. %B E-Learn 2003, Phoenix, Arizona, USA %P 495 - 498 %8 7 - 11 November %G eng