not a new kind of organizational unit; rather, they are a different cut on the organization's structure–one that emphasizes the learning that people have done together
outsiders and newcomers learn the practice in concrete terms, and core members gain new insights from contacts with less-engaged participants
defined by knowledge rather than by task
produces a shared practice as members engage in a collective process of learning
develop the knowledge that lets them do these other tasks
development ultimately depends on internal leadership.
have intrinsic legitimacy in the community
They are nodes for the exchange and interpretation of information.
They can retain knowledge in "living" ways
They can steward competencies to keep the organization at the cutting edge
They provide homes for identities.
Identity is important because, in a sea of information, it helps us sort out what we pay attention to, what we participate in, and what we stay away from.
recognizing the work of sustaining them
giving members the time to participate in activities
value communities bring is acknowledged
The art is to help such communities find resources and connections without overwhelming them with organizational meddling.
No community can fully design the learning of another; but conversely no community can fully design its own learning.
Communities of practice develop around things that matter to people. As a result, their practices reflect the members' own understanding of what is important. Obviously, outside constraints or directives can influence this understanding, but even then, members develop practices that are their own response to these external influences. Even when a community's actions conform to an external mandate, it is the community–not the mandate–that produces the practice.
One behaviour in online groups that has been extensively studied is that of the non-participating members, termed the ‘lurkers’ - Etienne Wenger[2] calls them Legitimate Peripheral Participants. Lurkers are widely known to be among the majority of defined members and they have been found to make up over 90% of most online groups. They are perhaps the most important members in view of their potential to contribute to online groups.
Are lurkers also part of the community or are they standers-by? IF they become part of the ocmmunity only after participating, after what amount of activity would they then be considered part of the community?
If they ARE part of the community, what distinguishes them from mere interested on-lookers?
online learning communities are grown, not built
online learning communities need leaders
personal narrative is vital to online learning communities.
all you need is love
control the environment, not the group
lead by example
let lurkers lurk
I'm a tech-lover myself, and absolutely revel in this kind of technological exploration and comparison, but I've found it's helpful to hold these conversations within a separate thread so they don't dominate the more community-oriented conversation, which they otherwise tend to do.
I didn't push back, bit I'm not at all sure I agreed with Bron. Imagine a bunch of art students arriving at a class. They need oil paints, canvas, sharpened brushes, pencils, thinners etc.