Recent Changes

- Belinda Allen, in her yet unpublished paper from 2008 , Professional Development for Chinese National Teachers of English, provides an illustration of her interpretation of the workings of a Community or Practice - see below. Allen (2008), preferences her her graphic by explaining a community of practice as a relationship where, "people spontaneously come together under a common theme and build trust with each other. Once trust is established people are free to share tacit knowledge and begin to step through the knowledge creation scheme thereby developing a shared practice among all the community members. This shared practice (which is a form of collective intelligence) becomes internalised in each member." (Learning in a Community of Practice section, figure 1).
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Image used with permission

- "in large organization, the range and diversity of communities of practice in which one may legitimately participate increases with seniority, and therefore the range of opportunities for informal learning increases as do the types of learning" (p. 201,202).
Interesting Addition:
in her 2008 yet unpublished paper,paper from 2008 , Professional Development
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These communities of practice are not just repositories of knowledge (p.52 ), but an intrinsic conditon for the existence of knowledge.In some of these communities, we are core members. In others, we are at the periphery.
Legitimate Peripheral Participation is the learning process by which those new to the community (novices) acquire knowledge and understanding, and move towards the core of the community, eventually becoming a more powerful, full-status, core members.
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This theorisation of learning became very influential in the field of adult and workplace education, in addition to situated learning's original ethnographic and anthropological background.
Communities of Practice have imprecise boundaries and inherent power strucutres that lead to great differentiation between various communities, as well as different experiences for people within these communities.
Research:
Two studies on workplace learning were conducted by the authors, using the lens of legitimate peripheral participation and communities of pratice.
steel industry. {http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/imagegen.ashx?Constrain=true&Compression=100&image=/media/172607/2346-ma-final-logo-2009.gif&height=140&width=210} http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/
Project followed apprentices in three very different companies in the industry, which held different expectations for their apprentices and had different past experiences with the program.
As legitimate peripheral participants, the apprentices were given the opportunity to learn by engaging in activities and work processes alongside more experienced employees.
Their data suggests that their participants' experience varied greatly and bore little resemblance to one another. There were significant differences in formal education expectations, time spent on the shop floor, team-building exercises, pay, power, interaction with veteran colleagues, and numerous other areas.
By the conclusion of the apprenticeship, some participants had become full members of the community, but not all, and definitely not inthe same manner.
the UK.
Their research involved teachers in four subject areas at two different schools over three years.
The teachers involved included heads of departments, well-established teachers, newcomers, newly qualified teachers, and student teachers.

All four departments were considered successful, although they had very different working cultures.
Hodkinson & Hoskinson found that the individual stories of these teachers highlighted "the significance of developing biographies of individual workers, as members of communities of practice." (p. 63)
Strengths & WeaknessesSummary:
"Organisational structures and the working of power relations within the Theorisation:organisations were of central significance in determining the existence of communities of practice, their nature, and their boundaries." (p. 63)
The expectation that communities of practice would exist within a cycle of continuity, constantly refreshing and renewing itself, does not always match the workplace.
LLave & W'sWenger's attempt to their communities.
L Experienced workers can also learn through their engagement with novices.
Lave & WWenger are "overly research shows.
L
Lave & WWenger tend to

Two studies on workplace learning were conducted by the authors, using the lens of legitimate peripheral participation and communities of pratice.
Fuller & Unwin's research focused on the Modern Apprenticeship program in the UK steel industry.
the industry, withwhich held different expectations for their apprentices.apprentices and had different past experiences with the program.
As legitimate peripheral participants, the apprentices were given the opportunity to learn by engaging in activities and work processes alongside more experienced employees.
Their data suggests that their participants' experience varied greatly and bore little resemblance to one another. There were significant differences in formal education expectations, time spent on the shop floor, team-building exercises, pay, power, interaction with veteran colleagues, and numerous other areas.
By the conclusion of the apprenticeship, some participants had become full members of the community, but not all, and definitely not inthe same manner.
Hodkinson & Hodkinson's research looked at schoolteachers' workplace learning in the UK.
Their research involved teachers in four subject areas at two different schools over three years.
The teachers involved included heads of departments, well-established teachers, newcomers, newly qualified teachers, and student teachers.
All four departments were considered successful, although they had very different working cultures.
Hodkinson & Hoskinson found that the individual stories of these teachers highlighted "the significance of developing biographies of individual workers, as members of communities of practice." (p. 63)
Strengths & Weaknesses of the Theorisation:
The expectation that communities of practice would exist within a cycle of continuity, constantly refreshing and renewing itself, does not always match the workplace.
L & W's attempt to "stretch legitimate peripheral participation to cover all workplace learnings is unconvincing." (p. 65). Too much learning goes on after members achieve core status in their communities.
L & W are "overly dismissive of the role 'teaching' plays", and are similarly negative towards formal, structured education. These still hold value as part of the learning process, as the apprenticeship research shows.
the learner's beleifs,beliefs, understandings, skills,

GroupGroup 4 Discussion QuestionQuestions
For this topic's discussion you will have the choice of ONE of the following questions in which to respond to:
Option 1 Question:
We each make decisions every day in our lives. Select a problem that you have recently dealt with and identify 1. the relevant pattern of learning 2. the route you took to achieve a resolution.
Option 2 Question:
Can go hereThe theorisation behind Communities of Practice expects there to be a dynamic tension between newcomers to the community and full-status members.
Has this been your experience?
Could a community of practice exist filled only with newcomers? Filled with only veterans?
Option 3 Question:
In your personal or professional life share an example of a Community of Practice that you had membership in: What was your motivation for being a member, what elements determined success (or failure)?

Background:
Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger developed a model of learning in the early 1990s that focused on situated learning in communities of practice.
experience of partipationparticipation in everyday of knowledge (p.(p.52 ), but the community (novies)(novices) acquire knowledge a more pwerful,powerful, full-status, core member.members.
This theorisation became very influentialininfluential in the field ethnographic and anthropoligicalanthropological background.
Communities of Practice have imprecise boundaries and inherent power strucutres that lead to great differentiation between various communities, as well as different experiences for people within these communities.
tension between noviesnovices & veterans. the "new capitalism". this often looks likecapitalism"; workplaces where things like self0-managedself-managed teams, flexible and flatter organiztionalorganizational structures.
Research:
Two studies on workplace learning were conducted by the authors, using the lens of legitimate peripheral participation and communities of pratice.
Fuller & Unwin's research focused on the Modern Apprenticeship program in the UK steel industry.
Project followed apprentices in three very different companies in the industry, with different expectations for their apprentices.
learn by engaginengaging in activities one another. TheirThere were significant pay, power, interaction with veteran colleagues, and numerous apprenticeship, some particpantsparticipants had become same manner.
Summary:**
Strngths
Hodkinson & Hodkinson's research looked at schoolteachers' workplace learning in the UK.
Strengths & Weaknesses the Theorisation:
L & W's
The expectation that and renewing intself,itself, does not
L & W's attempt to "stretch legitimate peripheral participation to cover all workplace learnings is unconvincing." (p. 65). Too much learning goes on after members achieve core status in their communities.
L & W are "overly dismissive of the role 'teaching' plays", and are similarly negative towards formal, structured education. These still hold value as part of the learning process, as the apprenticeship research shows.

Legitimate Peripheral Participation is the learning process by which those new to the community (novies) acquire knowledge and understanding, and move towards the core of the community, eventually becoming a more pwerful, full-status, core member.
This theorisation of learning became very influentialin the field of adult and workplace education, in addition to situated learning's original ethnographic and anthropoligical background.
Communities of Practice have imprecise boundaries and inherent power strucutres that lead to great differentiation between various communities, as well as different experiences for people within these communities.
Communities of Practice also involve a dynamic tension between novies & veterans.
The idea of communities of practice has been adapted by a number of workpalces as part of the "new capitalism". this often looks like workplaces where there is greater employee involvement and feature things like self0-managed teams, flexible scheduling, and flatter organiztional structures.
Research:
Two studies on workplace learning were conducted by the authors, using the lens of legitimate peripheral participation and communities of pratice.
Fuller & Unwin's research focused on the Modern Apprenticeship program in the UK steel industry.
Project followed apprentices in three very different companies in the industry, with different expectations for their apprentices.
As legitimate peripheral participants, the apprentices were given the opportunity to learn by engagin in activities and work processes alongside more experienced employees.
Their data suggests that their participants' experience varied greatly and bore little resemblance to one another. Their were significant differences in formal education expectations, time spent on the shop floor, team-building exercises, pay, power, and numerous other areas.
By the conclusion of the apprenticeship, some particpants had become full members of the community, but not all, and definitely not inthe same manner.
Summary:**
LStrngths & Weaknesses of the Theorisation:
L & W's expectation that communities of practice would exist within a cycle of continuity, constantly refreshing and renewing intself, does not always match the workplace.
L & W's attempt to "stretch legitimate peripheral participation to cover all workplace learnings is unconvincing." (p. 65). Too much learning goes on after members achieve core status in their communities.
L & W are "overly dismissive of the role 'teaching' plays", and are similarly negative towards formal, structured education. These still hold value as part of the learning process, as the apprenticeship research shows.

Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger developed a model of learning in the early 1990s that focused on situated learning in communities of practice.
Their central tenet is that learning is social and comes largely from our experience of partipation in everyday life, and especially within special communities of practice.
existence of knowledge.
Inknowledge.In some of the periphery. The learning process
Legitimate Peripheral Participation is the methodlearning process by which wethose new to the community (novies) acquire knowledge and understanding, and move from legitimate peripheral participanttowards the core of the community, eventually becoming a more pwerful, full-status, core member.
This theorisation of learning became very influentialin the field of adult and workplace education, in addition to full participant.situated learning's original ethnographic and anthropoligical background.
Research:
Summary:**

- "in large organization, the range and diversity of communities of practice in which one may legitimately participate increases with seniority, and therefore the range of opportunities for informal learning increases as do the types of learning" (p. 201,202).
Interesting Addition:
her 2008 yet unpublished paper, Professional
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