The document discusses Appalachian State University's AET Zone, a virtual world environment used for online education. It was created over 8 years ago using ActiveWorlds software to build a community of learners across North Carolina based on social constructivist principles. The AET Zone has over 2400 members and features discussion boards, voice chat, wikis and other tools to facilitate collaboration and interaction between instructors and students. Necessary aspects include instructor presence, modeling, and structuring courses to require small and large group work around common goals.