1. Etienne Wenger Learning for a small planet P.O. Box 810 North San Juan, CA 95960, U.S.A. Phone (530) 292-9222 E-mail etienne@ewenger.com Website: www.ewenger.com Communities of practice a social discipline of learning ......................................
2. A social discipline of learning Key dimensions Sponsorship Meaning Domain Identity Nurturing Participation Learningtogether Community Practice Boundaries Competence/power Support
3. A social discipline of learning Key processes Reflect andself-design Meaning Identity Domain Push practiceforward Bring practice in Learningtogether Community Practice Boundaries Competence/power Create self-representation In collaboration with Beverly Trayner
4. Learning activities Exchanges Productive inquiries Building shared understanding Producing assets Creating standards Formal access to knowledge Visits Outsidesources Pointers to resources News Informal Information 1 Hot topicdiscussions Stories Broadcast inquiry Tips 3 Debates Exploringideas Readinggroup Document sharing 2 Jointevents Case clinics Documentingpractice Eachother With Guests From Project and after-actionreviews Jointresponse Collections Visits 7 4 Field trips Problem solving Learningprojects Formalpracticetransfer Boundarycollaboration Practice fairs 6 Mutual benchmark Helpdesk 5 Models of practice Trainingand workshops Warranting Formal External benchmark Invited speaker Systematicscan
6. Forms of participation a common picture transactional outsiders lurkers peripheral occasional experts alumni active beginners core group leaders coordinator sponsors
20. A learning partnership Lifecycle and evolution It involves responsibilities It becomes an entity in its own right private and public It is voluntary communalidentity long-termviability It is fun recognizedstewardship Maturing Sustaining Coalescing It takes initiative Transforming It evolves ongoinglegacy Potential commonground It depends on renewed passion It takes hard work and careful nurturing A community is a living entity … not unlike a couple
