What exactly is a Community of Practice? (Definition + CoP Framework) |

A practice community can be an effective way of organizing an organization's community within the profession. Practice communities that are effective provide their members with the ability to feel vulnerable and get assistance, and to learn and improve in the same discipline.

This article will address what is a practice community? is
    Benefits of a CoP
    Community of practice examples
    A Community of Practice Framework

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What are the communities that practices?

Community of Practice (CoP) is a community of practice that has shared goals, needs, hobbies or a professional area which members can talk about their experiences, take notes, and share knowledge. Communities of practice can be used to share knowledge on best practices, knowledge, and ideas- helping people to become experts in an area of interest.

Communities of practice work because their theoretical basis shows that it's not just about the process of learning. It's about interaction with others. Therefore, joining a community of learners-even in adulthood-is a fantastic way to grow in something which is important to you. As a result, belonging to the CoP can enhance the quality of your learning and help you develop an aura of belonging to the community.

We usually talk about a group of practice that requires three elements:

• Domain: The common passion, interest, field and the like. which brings people close.
  
• Community: A group of people that gather to exchange ideas and experiences.
  
• Training: The actions that the members of the team (e.g. discussions, conferences, Q&As, etc. )
  

What is a community of practice does

• helps: A CoP offers assistance and support that ensures that you don't have to fight to get your degree.
  
• Promotes shared experience: Group members share their experiences and help others learn from their experiences.
  
• Provides new perspectives: Hearing of how other people have dealt with your issues can provide members with fresh ideas.
  
• Take lessons from others errors. Learning from our mistakes is an extremely effective technique. When you make a learning from mistakes made by others or mistakes made by others, you're less likely to repeat them. You are less likely to repeat those mistakes.
  
• Provides you with a sense of belonging The CoP is an opportunity to establish and perform identity, which in turn allows people to be part of a community.
  
• Field development: Innovations, new methods and the synergy of a CoP will push fields in the right direction.
  

Theorie of learning situated and communities of practice

The concept of a community of practice first came into existence through the writings of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger in the 1991 publication on learning that is situated. The concept was linked to theory of practice and recognized the necessity of learning in the context of everyday life. It comes with interactions that are based on power dynamics as well as the complex human interactions.

It was important to recognize that "peripheral participation"--when the participants are getting accustomed to a unfamiliar environment is an essential component of learning. Therefore, the CoP not only beneficial for core members, it is also beneficial for peripheral people too.

"Learners are always part of community of learners and learning to master the skills and knowledge of newcomers requires them to move toward full participation in the practices of their community." Situated Learning can be described as Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger

Example of a Community of Practice

• eXd Community Provides educators with the tools to develop inclusive and transformative educational institutions as well as schools.
  
• Nurses Encourage Nurses Offers nurses the chance to gather in a safe space, exchange stories, and to learn from each other.
  
• The new Legal System: Learns people who work in various posts within the law field about the ways in which technology and racism can alter the laws for the better.
  
• Indie Birth Association: The association brings midwives, doulas and pregnant women or preparing to give birth by offering resources and assistance for autonomous birth.
  
• Tuft the World A community on the internet which is completely free to the rug tufter who is new or experienced, as well as fiber enthusiasts who wish to join across the globe.
  
• The PLANTSTRONG Community An online community offering courses and other tools that are paid to assist people in taking charge of their health. Eat more vegetables and live an diet and lifestyle that's plant-based.
  
• Academy for Innovating HR: Gives HR professionals the means to increase their skill set and advance their careers.
  
• Octo Member gives professionals from the UK finance sector the tools to grow in their professional and personal life.
  

Common domains are used to establish an organization of procedures

• Healthcare
  
• Education
  
• Technology for information (IT)
  
• Human resource (HR)
  
• Project management
  
• Communication and marketing
  
• Finance and banking
  
• Legal professionals
  
• Sustainability experts
  
• DEI & Inclusion experts
  
• Social work
  
• Urban planning
  
• Non-profits
  
• Entrepreneurship
  

Learning in community = CoP

A lot of communities operate as a group of practice but without any knowledge of the group members. The majority of traditional classrooms function as a groups of practice. They can also be non-profit groups. It's likely that you've participated in a group of practice and didn't even know that you were a participant.

For example, could they be considered to be groups of practice?

• Groups of parents play which keeps the children engaged, however the parents discuss their feelings and joys as well as what they're doing to learn (hopefully the best way to help your baby to remain asleep throughout the evening! )
  
• Services for religious purposes: participating in religious services could mean sharing of knowledge and experiences.
  
• Sport teams: participating as a member of a team sports the element of community. Get together, exchange strategies and engage in.
  

Each one of these cases includes elements of the local practice community. Each one has a domain, group, as well as practices that are actually associated. That means that a lot of the communities we belong to could function as a community of practice, and we don't even know that it.

     We tend to view communities of practice as being a formal group, established and kept in place with a purpose. It's fine.

Online Communities of Practice

Communities of practice are hosted in offline and online environments, but let's take some time to think about the online communities of practice. Teaching has been completely changed through online learning platforms, blended learning and asynchronous instruction and communities have been transformed by the internet too.

The practice communities are included. The process is becoming simpler than ever to discover websites for community online and to create digital content. It's therefore no surprise that communities created on social media are growing in both social media and in dedicated software that caters to communities.

Here are a few benefits to establishing an online practice community:

• Connect practitioners from all over the world The most exclusive community of practice can work by collaborating with other professionals from all over the world. International perspectives are intriguing too.
  
• Make use of asynchronous communications groups for practitioners: Though the communities of practice may be able to meet in person and include things such as online forums and discussion groups gives an opportunity for those who work full time to get together, without the requirement of meeting in real time.
  
• Information sharing in real-time: There is no needing to wait for the next meeting of a group of practice. Online participation can occur anytime the desire strikes.
  
• Engaged and real: Online CoPs typically see higher engagement due to the structure and easy access (e.g. through a community app) allows people to participate.
  
• Accessibility & Inclusion Communities of Practice online are more welcoming and easily accessible. Are there any difficulties to reach the meetings? How much will it cost you when the event costs a lot? Can meeting rooms be accessed? How do parents be responsible for childcare? There are a myriad of issues with accessibility and inclusion which could be solved through online meetings.
  
• The ease of use: And even when there aren't any accessibility issues sometimes an online practice community could prove more useful.
  
• The advantages of having several groups of practice located within your local region are fantastic. However, there is also advantages to having multiple online CoPs and hearing different perspectives from all over the world or different approaches of different countries.
  

Community of Practice Framework

Although there isn't a right way to build an organization of practice, the framework of community of practice will assist you in starting the process of creating a brand new CoP or revive an existing one.

1. Find out the purpose and objectives

Every practice community includes an annual rallying call that has a specific purpose behind it. This is the only thing that members are overly excited over and are adamant about.

If you're seeking to set up an organization of best practices that are strong, a Large Objective is the ideal location to begin.

Select a Big Goal that is more than the format of your meeting. "We meet on Tuesdays to discuss counseling" won't cut it.

It is possible to use the three components of a practice community below to help break it down:

• Domains: What areas or knowledge fields will this particular community cover?
  
• Community: Who's in the community? What type of people are expected to be in the community?
  
• Training: What types of community-based activities can they do?
  

If it seems like something that is easy, that's because it's. The goal of forming a motive doesn't have to be difficult. The less complicated, the more effective.

2. Pick the right members

Every community has an Ideal members. The ideal member is one who requires to be in the community and has the greatest effectiveness at making a difference to.

Create your own community of practice by identifying a perfect member. It's a great idea to hold interviews with prospective members. Learn about their problems. Learn what they'd want to know. Find out what topics they'd attend a meeting with in order to share their knowledge.

One or two brief conversations could be a great assistance in the creation of an effective CoP.

Sometimes, it's mandatory. Many communities of practice grow organically from established communities, conferences live events and so on. If you're a part of a community of Ideal Participants that have developed organically, you could be in the right place.

3. Leadership

Set up your leadership structure as and a community of practice, if appropriate. If you have large CoPs it could be an executive group or board. In smaller towns, it could simply mean appointing an elected chairperson.

If you're CoP instructions are being governed by a group, you could organize regular meeting for the group and establish the goals.

However, you should think about making your leadership fluid and flexible. Communities of practice can prove extremely valuable, even without elaborate strategies for leading. Leadership energy tends to be best spent on the CoP in itself, rather than the administrative responsibilities of leadership.

4. Establish a platform

Your CoP has to be able to get together somewhere and in some way.

If the meeting is held in person, the meeting organizer could include arranging the meeting's location and time. It can include:

• At a normal event or gathering (e.g. an industry meeting)
  
• Somewhere that fits the CoPs schedule (e.g. An office CoP might meet at the break during lunch)
  

If you're planning to hold a meeting via the web, it's important to decide how you will organize and organize Asynchronous or Synchronous meeting along with conversations.

As an example, you could consider:

• A method for creating the newsletter      
  
• An online social network      
  
• Hosting an event on the internet      
  

What is the most suitable option for your family and neighborhood? It depends. If you've completed the process of finding your perfect partner You'll get a good concept of what they want as well as their preferred choices when it comes to joining. Choose a match that is.

5. Establish Guidelines and a Structure

Many communities are benefiting by having guidelines for community members to define the basic guidelines and rules. Although it's tempting to view setting up rules as a burden, however, they can help create a trusting community that lets people feel secure and participate--IF they're well communicated and followed. If your group is on the internet, it's crucial to add moderation in addition.

When people feel safe from being bullied, harassed, mocking, etc. This means they're more likely to be able to contribute to the community in a positive way.

Another option you can develop is a group structure. Each community of practice has its own unique structure, but here are some examples of structural aspects you could consider putting in place for:

• Regular set meetings
  
• Special guest speakers every month
  
• Training sessions and workshops
  
• Task forces of working groups
  
• Open discussion forums
  
• Community "listening"
  
• Buddy programs or mentorship
  
• Sessions to get feedback
  
• Themes for quarterly or monthly themes
  
• Sessions for learning through skill
  
• Social and networking events
  

6. Promoting and Launching

Once everything is in place and you are ready to start the community of the practice. You can think about a live or virtual launch that brings the entire community together and create enthusiasm. This could involve the participation of speakers, or an area for socializing. It should be able to provide the value that makes this event successful however, it will also provide the foundation for subsequent activities.

How you plan to market the practice of a community depends on the objectives you've set. If you're seeking to expand, here are some methods to advertise your place of practices:

• Invite people directly (especially those who are Ideal people you've talked with).
  
• Create a webcast for free or event.
  
• Ask an industry professional to deliver a lecture.
  
• Email existing lists or subscriber lists.
  
• Advertise in trade magazines or on relevant websites.
  
• Have a booth or presence at a relevant conference.
  

7. Create a database of knowledge

Certain communities of practice decide to create a knowledge database, a way of collecting and sharing the knowledge. This can be done through sharing documents, courses notes, content or even an instructional guide that is distributed.

A group of practitioners can be an excellent source for innovative ideas, as well as ideas for new solutions to problems The knowledge database can be used for:

1. In the process of establishing an "institutional memory"
   
2. New members are reminded of past discussion
   
3. Using prior work and sessions to address issues that occur
   

8. Take feedback

When you're hosting a community of practice, it is crucial to collect the opinions of your participants about how things are going as well as what's not working. One of the best ways to gather feedback is by anonymous means, particularly in the case of an extensive CoP.

You can:

• Make use of a survey platform such as SurveyMonkey for anonymous feedback.
  
• Utilize the features of platforms (e.g. polls and questionnaires) for gathering feedback.
  
• Participate in member interviews and feedback sessions that are informal.
  
• Live sessions provide feedback.
  

9. Celebration and recognition

Some communities of practice choose to acknowledge the very best in their fields through awards and other recognition. It could be a matter of recognizing members of the group to acknowledge their hard work. This could also include identifying a company or organization in the community who has done outstanding work, and then honoring them.
    The idea is that as you attain competence and excel in your field, acknowledging that the excellence inside your own group and also out in the world is an excellent opportunity to acknowledge those and groups that have worked hard in your field.

10. Develop and grow

Every community that is successful requires growth and evolution. Goals change. The members evolve and develop. New members join the club with fresh visions.

A practice community can change and evolve along with your practice, constantly changing to meet the needs of the members. it.

Are you prepared to start?

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