Defined largely by usage, the term virtual learning environment (VLE) has most, if not all, of the following salient properties:

• It is Web
  World Wide Web
  The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
  
  -based
• It uses Web 2.0
  Web 2.0
  The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
  
   tools for rich 2-way interaction
• It includes a content management system
  Content management system
  A content management system is a system providing a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based...
  
  
• It models real-world education by integrating a set of equivalent virtual
  Virtual
  The term virtual is a concept applied in many fields with somewhat differing connotations, and also, differing denotations.The term has been defined in philosophy as "that which is not real" but may display the salient qualities of the real....
  
   concepts for tests, homework, classes, classrooms, etc., and perhaps even museums and other external academic resources

Virtual learning environments are frequently utilized in distance learning, but they may be used equally well when integrated with a physical learning environment.
A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a set of teaching and learning tools designed to enhance a student's learning experience by including computers and the Internet in the learning process.