Communities of Practice…pathing the cowpaths

GTANSW Presentation Annual Conference 2007 by Martin Plussm.pluss@staff.tara.nsw.edu.au

0402824959

http://www.bahiker.com/pictures/eastbay/garin/websize/097trail.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/35/70225221_e0ca739f93.jpg

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

“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

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'. 

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)

3 Elements

• The domain

• The community

• The Practice Domain

Community Practice

Domain(Defines the issues)

• Members have … – Identity defined by a shared area of interest– Commitment to domain– Shared competence

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

Practice (Shared ideas, tools, info., goals)

• Members are …– Practitioners

• Develop a shared repertoire of resources– Experiences– Stories– Tools– Ways of addressing recurring problems

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

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

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.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

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

Social Networking Sites

http://mashable.com/2007/07/31/comscore-social-network-global-growth/

Wenger Model

http://www.anecdote.com.au/WengerModel_small.jpg

C of P the next level

1. Cool Running Australia

2. EDNA

3. GTANSW

GTANSW CofP

• GO to the GTANSW Home page and enter GTANSW Portal:

http://www.groups.edna.edu.au/gtansw

• You will be taken to this page. Click Register.

Technology Adoption Cycle

Web 2.0 makes it work

My definition• Communication• Collaboration• Connectedness

http://www.andybudd.com/dcontruct05/images/zen2.jpg

Top 13 Web 2.0 Products • www.bloglines.com rss feeder• www.del.icio.us online favourites• www.flickr.com online photos• www.wikispaces.com collaborative learning• www.youtube.com online videos• www.facebook.com social networking• www.43things.com goals organiser• spreadsheets.google.com online spreadsheets• podomatic.com host your own podcasts• www.rollyo.com/ roll your own search engine• www.digg.com collaborative favourites • www.ning.com/ social networking• www.secondlife.com 3d online digital world• www.gliffy.com/ draw and share diagrams on the web

A Student Survey

“Why do I have to watch a teacher struggle to use yesterday’s technology?”

The Next Curve Mick Waters 2006

A Conference in Belfast

Lisa Smith Batchen – Ultra Runner

• "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things youdidn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sailaway from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.Dream. Discover."    --Mark Twain

Creating Passionate Usershttp://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/08/are_your_users_.html

You should try new things and…

…sometimes things go a cropper…and

…then you live to tell the story