A virtual learning environment is a designed information space.

Any Web site is a built information space. In many cases though, this information space is just spaghetti of HTML files. We refer to the ‘architecture’ of information instead of ‘structure’ or ‘organisation’ of information in order to emphasize the fact that the structure results from analyzing the functional requirements of the environment. For learning environments, the functional requirements are numerous and have not been yet systematically studied. Here are a few examples:
• Using information in educational interactions. For answering simple questions such as “Give me an example of...” or “Give me an argument against...”, information must be stored in tables (databases producing dynamically Web pages) or in HTML files enriched with meta-information.
• Multi-authoring. The information stored in a virtual learning environment is produced by many authors: several teachers, students, domain experts, ... Who is authoring what must be explicitly stored in the system for developing mechanisms for sharing objects (e.g. «locking» an object when somebody is editing it) and workflow techniques (e.g. the document produced by X must be sent for approval to Y and Z before to be displayed).
• Indicating information source. Web information without explicit information regarding to (the authority of) its author will soon have no more value
• Maintaining information. When Web sites grow, if information has not been carefully structured, maintenance becomes very heavy: maintaining links, removing obsolete information, ... The cost of maintaining a Web site may become higher that the costs of creating the site! And despite this, it is rarely included in the budget.
• Following technical evolution. The effort devoted to developing Web sites has to survive the current technology. Structuring information and adding meta information increases the potential of reusability of information.
• Sharing information with the world. Education would benefit from richer possibilities to share information outside the environment. There are currently efforts to establish worldwide accepted  ‘resource description formats and to specialise them for educational purposes.