Communities of Practice

Communities of PracticeJeffrey Laws

Definitions of CoP?In Depth

‘Community of practice’ describes social mechanisms by which novices are inducted into expert ways of knowing, thinking and reasoning in their professional or practice circle. More specifically, Lave and Wenger (1991) propose that novices’ learning involves a process of deepening involvement (legitimate peripheral participation) and greater participation in their community (situated learning). The community of practice thus contains a continuum of expertise. In essence, knowledge and cognitive skills of new members are learned through interactions with other new members and more experienced peers; their more experienced peers are in turn learning through ‘teaching’ novices and through interactions with their colleagues and more experienced peers (i.e., practitioners). Movement along the continuum of expertise is incremental which represents the migration of the limits of the novices’ knowledge and skills across ‘zones of proximal development.’

Short and Sweet “Communities of practice

are groups of people who share a concern of a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.”

Term ‘Community of Practice’ coined by Lave and Wenger in 1991. Their C4P framework also shows the components needed for a community to develop and thrive.

C4P by Lave and Wenger

Basis of CoP

The two major focal points of a community of practice are the standards of practice and the sharing of knowledge.

No matter what community, these two aspects have to be present to some extent.

A great example is of the Heavy Metal Case Study. In this study, the researcher wore the appropriate clothing, listened and learned to head-bang to specific music, and learned their slang. Then after a couple of weeks, he returned to wearing normal clothes, listening to other music, and speaking as he would regularly. The heavy metal community pretty much exiled him.

To What Extent

As is the case with my current employer (Crooked Creek RV Park & Marina), the extent of use of knowledge sharing and the standards of practice vary greatly between the park and marina.

In the park, standards of practice are used so much that parks are becoming conformities with tiny differences, and there is minimal use of knowledge sharing.

However, the marina is the complete opposite. Shared knowledge is what the water based business thrives upon with little to no standards. -conversing with others about gas prices, slip rental

rates, and popular restaurant items

Confusing Standards & CoP

Many people confuse standards of practice with communities of practice.

This is very easily done in situations, like the park, that have to conform at such a high rate and to so many standards.

Standards can also be the main contributing factor to a community of practice, and if all standards aren’t met then you are not a part of the community. (back to heavy metal study)

Relevance to Current Employer

The information found on the continuum of expertise and the manner in which organizations fit and belong on it is crucial.

Only the most innovative thinkers in such a business can have the chance to become an outlier on the continuum by taking the standards of practice and finding ways to perfect and push them to the next level. (AKA-never settling with what you have, even if it is currently rated as one of the best)