Communities of Practice: Fostering Peer-to-Peer Learning and Informal Knowledge Sharing in the Work Place - 2 views

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  #1 Todd Vens on 16 Sep 12

   

  Hara, N. (2008). Communities of Practice: Fostering Peer-to-Peer Learning and Informal Knowledge Sharing in the Work Place. Springer.
  
  Hara's book documents a fascinating study he conducted observing three listservs and the various ways they did or did not succeed as communities of practice. In comparison to face-to-face communities of practice, Hara concludes that online communities of practice fall short in one crucial area (what is described as the most important component of a community of practice), the sharing of cultural knowledge. The concept of cultural knowledge is an understanding both of one's beliefs about a practice and one's professional responsibilities within a practice. Hara believes this can be especially detrimental to young workers who are new to a profession because they have not yet had a a chance to obtain much cultural knowledge. Hara believes technological advancements may overcome these shortcomings of online communities of practice, but in the meantime they should be used to supplement face-to-face interaction.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Hara, N. (2008). Communities of Practice: Fostering Peer-to-Peer Learning and Informal Knowledge Sharing in the Work Place. Springer. <br /> <br /> Hara's book documents a fascinating study he conducted observing three listservs and the various ways they did or did not succeed as communities of practice. In comparison to face-to-face communities of practice, Hara concludes that online communities of practice fall short in one crucial area (what is described as the most important component of a community of practice), the sharing of cultural knowledge. The concept of cultural knowledge is an understanding both of one's beliefs about a practice and one's professional responsibilities within a practice. Hara believes this can be especially detrimental to young workers who are new to a profession because they have not yet had a a chance to obtain much cultural knowledge. Hara believes technological advancements may overcome these shortcomings of online communities of practice, but in the meantime they should be used to supplement face-to-face interaction.</div>

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