Community of practice

Community of practice

A community of practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a common interest or profession and engage in collective learning through regular interaction. The concept was first introduced by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger in their 1991 book, Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. CoPs are characterized by the sharing of knowledge, experiences, and best practices among members, which helps to foster a deeper understanding and improvement in their field of interest.

Characteristics

A community of practice typically exhibits three crucial characteristics:

• Domain: A CoP has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Membership implies a commitment to the domain, and therefore a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people.
• Community: In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other.
• Practice: Members of a CoP are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems—in short, a shared practice.

Development Stages

Communities of practice typically evolve through five stages:

• Potential: People face similar situations without the benefit of a shared practice.
• Coalescing: Members come together and recognize their potential.
• Active: Members engage in developing a practice.
• Dispersed: Members no longer engage intensely, but the community is still alive as a force and a center of knowledge.
• Memorable: The community is no longer central, but people still remember it as a significant part of their identities.

Benefits

Communities of practice offer several benefits, including:

• Knowledge Sharing: Facilitates the sharing of tacit knowledge that is often difficult to document.
• Innovation: Encourages the development of new ideas and practices.
• Professional Development: Provides opportunities for continuous learning and professional growth.
• Problem Solving: Offers a platform for members to seek advice and solutions to challenges.

Examples

Examples of communities of practice include:

• Open source software communities
• Medical and healthcare professional groups
• Educational and academic networks
• Corporate and business teams

Related Concepts

• Knowledge management
• Social learning theory
• Collaborative learning
• Professional learning community

See Also

• Jean Lave
• Etienne Wenger
• Situated learning
• Legitimate peripheral participation
• Knowledge management
• Social learning theory