A virtual learning café is built on principles developed by Juanita Brown and a global network of dialogue practitioners in their work on world café conversations. World cafés are a way to create a living network of conversations around questions that matter. A face-to-face café conversation is a creative process for leading collaborative dialogue, sharing knowledge, and creating possibilities for action in groups of all sizes. A virtual learning café uses these same principles, but for asynchronous online learning and collaboration. The seven basic principles are:

• Create hospitable space.
• Clarify the context.
• Explore questions that matter.
• Encourage everyone's contribution.
• Connect diverse perspectives.
• Listen together for insights, patterns, and deeper questions.
• Share collective discoveries.

To create a “hospitable virtual space” where the participants feel safe and comfortable, participants are asked to introduce themselves and ...