The Educational Object Economy Foundation investigates the growth and propagation of online learning communities, via the development of component-based tools for the creation and sharing of learning objects. Founded by Dr. James Spohrer as part of a National Science Foundation-funded project, hosted by Apple Computer, and including industry, university, and government collaborators, the EOE develops and distributes tools to enable the formation of communities engaged in building shared knowledge bases of learning materials. Today, EOE tools and content have been used by thousands of people around the world