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Communities of practice
"Introduction to communities of practice," (Wenger-Trayner, 2015)
Communities of practice (CoP) have become a fundamental practical framework that is based upon an established domain (shared interest), community, and practice. Communities of practice provide a sustainable way to leverage both face-to-face and online formation of community. As technology continues to evolve, it increases its significance in the daily lives of those in and seeking community. Despite the miss use of technology as a resource, it can be a sustainable tool for maintaining community. Therefore, online communities of practice can be used to rediscovery community through facilitating connection and meaningful practice without the limitations of time and place.
DOMAIN
The domain in a community of practice is established through shared interest
COMMUNITY
Community is about belonging and mutual commitment
PRACTICE
Practice is about the communal experience.
Domain
The domain in a community of practice is established through shared interest (Wenger-Trayner). Domain is the common purpose and identity of the community. It centers the community on it unification on meaning and shared value. It is the driver for participation and shared ownership.
Within a church context an example of shared interests can be a community that explores monastic practices or social justice. These are shared interests that may not be addressed in a traditional bible study or home group on an ongoing basis but can be an intentional group of members who have an interest and commitment to contributing to and participating in this knowledge base.
Community
"With enough common ground for ongoing mutual engagement, a good dose of diversity makes for richer learning, more interesting relationships, and increased creativity"- Etienne Wenger
Community is about belonging and mutual commitment. Within communities of practice the commitment requires the community to meet on a regular basis. Maintaining a solid domain and a regular practice gives way for opportunities for diversity in the community to flourish.
The fact that relationships form based on commitment to the domain, the community can explore tough issues, present their vulnerability in exploring nuanced questions, and expound on their expertise by contributing new solutions to the community. Conflicts that arise on issues discussed within the community demonstrate maturity of the community in how they are handled. The productivity that results from these moments allows the community to thrive and evolve. All in all community is about the mutual benefit of everyone who is a part of the community.
Practice
“an effective practice evolves with the community as a collective product. It is integrated into people’s work. It organizes knowledge in a way that is especially useful to practitioners because it reflects their perspective. Each community has a specific way of making its practice visible through the ways that it develops and shares knowledge."- Etienne Wenger
What makes a community of practice distinct from a group that just shares knowledge is that everyone committed to the group is a practitioner. Practice is about the communal experience. Practice can be demonstrated in the ways in which the knowledge is stewarded through tools, resources, new frameworks and ideas. It can also become evident in new models and practices that emerge from the group.
Online Communities of Practice
Online communities of practice (OCoP) is a framework that supports the rediscovery of community in the 21st century. This framework provides a guide as to the formation of establishing a sustainable community. Online communities of practice use online media as a means to embody the three components—domain, community, and practice. While the framework of communities of practice does not specify online media that should be used, there are online platforms that support fostering community and meaningful fellowship.
Online media provides a means to connect the community throughout the week, reconnecting the community from Monday to Saturday.It provides the community with a platform to discuss topics of shared interest that may not occur in weekly church activities. Furthermore, the use of online media can help reduce the gaps that often occur during the week or even throughout the days of the month where face-to-face interactions within the faith community do not exist. Online community engagement provides on-going support and connection that can be just as meaningful as face-to-face encounters.
Inherently, social media platforms are designed to allow for sharing, responsive interactions and one-on-one or group engagement. These social media platforms allow for the flexibility of using these platforms to engage in multiple spiritual activities meeting the needs and preferences of those within the community. Not all of them may be fitting within a specific community context, but the benefit to having multiple options allows the community to figure out which medium will provide the best outcome for a sustainable online community to flourish.
“Online community can supplement congregational life in those situations where people’s specific needs cannot be met in a congregation simply because others have not experienced the same trauma or specific challenge.”
-Lynne Baab, Reaching out in a Networked World: Expressing Your Congregations Heart and Soul