Communities of Practice… pathing the cowpaths

1. Communities of Practice…pathing the cowpaths GTANSW Presentation Annual Conference 2007 by Martin Pluss m.pluss@staff.tara.nsw.edu.au 0402824959 http://static.flickr.com/35/70225221_e0ca739f93.jpg http://www.bahiker.com/pictures/eastbay/garin/websize/097trail.jpg

2. Robert Scoble: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scobleizer/1072339035/

9. “Communities of Practice” … Simply put they are “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly”. Wenger

10. The Model • A learning theory conceptualized by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger proposing the idea that • Learning is social and comes largely from our experience of participating in daily life • A process of engagement in a 'community of practice'. 

11. According to Wenger…CoP defines itself along 3 dimensions: • What it is about • Joint enterprise as understood and continually renegotiated by its members. • How it functions • Mutual engagement that bind members together • What capability it has produced • Shared repertoire of communal resources (routines, artefacts, vocabulary, styles, etc.) developed over time (http://www.infed.org/biblio/communities_of_practice.htm)

12. 3 Elements • The domain • The community • The Practice Domain Community Practice

13. Domain(Defines the issues) • Members have … • Identity defined by a shared area of interest • Commitment to domain • Shared competence

14. Community(People who care about the domain) • Members… • Participate in joint activities & discussions • Help each other • Share information • Build relationships so that they learn from each other

15. Practice (Shared ideas, tools, info., goals) • Members are … • Practitioners • Develop a shared repertoire of resources • Experiences • Stories • Tools • Ways of addressing recurring problems

16. Key Features of CoPs • Communication: Managed by making connections • Shared Domain of Practice, knowledge and resources • Focus on value, mutual exchange and learning • Crosses operational, functional and organizational boundaries • Defined by people, not tasks

17. What CoPs Do • Facilitate collaboration/communication • Develop/Identify Subject Matter Experts • Filter out incorrect information by peer groups • Capture knowledge (intellectual capital) • Prevent re-inventing the wheel by sharing knowledge and experiences • Share successful (best) practices • Decrease learning curve • Increase organizational learning

18. Benefits of a CoPs • Access to knowledge and experience • Build relationships with those who have expertise in a particular domain • Develop best practices through discussions and sharing of ideas • Learn how others have solved problems, instead of reinventing the wheel • Keep up-to-date at the time and pace of the individual member • Develop a community spirit.

35. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/facebook-founder-stole-our-idea/2007/07/25/1185043156358.html

38. Social Networking Sites http://mashable.com/2007/07/31/comscore-social-network-global-growth/

43. Wenger Model http://www.anecdote.com.au/WengerModel_small.jpg

45. C of P the next level • Cool Running Australia • EDNA • GTANSW