Replying to LO24779 --
Communities everywhere!
Communities of practice, communities of interest, knowledge communities,
communities of excellence, learning communities, support communities, web
communities, on & on ......
What elements of design and practice are key for learning in these
communities?
Creating meaningful and evolving member profiles:
Knowing your cohorts and colleagues can be a powerful leverage point, it
helps with knowledge sharing, role assignment, problem solving and in
decision making.
Encourage and strive for deep dialog:
Having a container to 'voice' opinions, critique, comment and inquire is
key. Trust, curiosity, a desire to inquire, a bond to encourage
reciprocity, serve to motivate and enliven discourse.
Rituals that encourage familiarity and stability:
Regular summaries, time limited events to drive action, performances from
visiting experts to stimulate new ideas, celebrating achievements and
significant events. These help to culture a group identity, build bonds
and encourage communication.
Allowing self-selection and sub-groups:
Capturing intrinsic motivation, co-design and decision, using the
attraction of like interests, the pull of inquiry and exploration.
In successful learning communities I see distributed leadership, cohort
engagement, strong reciprocity, equal participant identity strength,
explicit learning desires, rituals around reflection, questions everywhere
and respect for 'voicing'.
WHAT HAS WORKED FOR YOU?
--Denham Grey <dgrey@iquest.net>
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