Definition+-+Community+of+Practice+(CoP)

=__ Communities of Practice - a working definition __= A community of practice involves "...group(s) of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis", (Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002, p. 4).

Wenger, et. al. (2002) outline some key points about CoPs*:
 * the individuals involved do not necessarily work together every day
 * they share information, insights, and advice,
 * they solve problems together,
 * they discuss issues, explore ideas, and become sounding boards for one another,
 * they may develop tools, manual, documents, etc.,
 * they find value in learning together,
 * the learning is key for their work, but also can contribute to personal growth and satisfaction. (pp. 4-5)

Eventually the individuals involved in the CoP "develop a unique perspective on their topic as well as a body of common knowledge, practices, and approaches. They also develop personal relationships and established ways of interacting. They may even develop a common sense of identity. They become a community of practice." (Wenger, et. al., p. 5)

Etienne Wenger, renowed expert and consultant on knowledge management and communities of practice speaks... media type="youtube" key="63rQ3S8EHoA" height="390" width="640"

A key point that Wenger makes is that a CoP is not a wiki (like this one!) or a discussion board, for example, but a CoP is the **shared learning partnership** that develops - it is the actual interaction and learning that occurs between the individuals involved. Discussion boards, wikis, blogs, files, to name a few, are all useful **tools** for the CoP to use.

Stated simply, CoPs are 'knowledge-based social structures" (Wenger, et. al., 2002, p. 5).

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Barret, Ballantyne, Harrison & Temmerman (2009) describe the **purpose** of CoP "is knowledge creation, management and exchange that benefits both groups and individuals within a particular //domain// of knowledge", (p. 405).

The concept of the CoP is firmly situated in **social learning theory**. It is considered to develop individual's both personal and professional growth. As it has developed it has also become a **management tool** for businesses in order to improve the organisation's competitiveness (Li, Grinshaw, Nielsen, Judd, Coyte and Graham, 2009).

According to Li, et. al. CoP is a concept that is **evolving** even now and has not remained static since its burgeoning use over 20 years ago.


 * CoP = Community of Practice