>I am after a best practice model for a learning organization. I am
>unsure where to get one and am hoping you can help !!
Gabrielle
I have been a member of this list for close on a couple of years, and have
seen a number of similar questions to yours .. and suggestions by members.
I am on the last day of the distance learning course run by KEU. The
instructor is one Etienne Wenger. His Ph.D. was based on Communities of
Practice (CoP). I have read about these from suggested reading websites
by LO list members. Wenger also has a book .. Communities of Practice
published by CUP. It is just about to be re-published in paperback
edition.
The course has been all about:-
1. basic definitions of a CoP,
2. some contrast v teams, informal networks, formal units,
3. the value of communities of practice,
4. how a knowledge management strategy can be based on CoPs,
5. how to develop CoPs,
6. .. and series of key subtleties found between CoPs and other learning
organizations.
The course has lasted 3 weeks, and demands about 2 hours per day, at least
1 hour on-line. There is a superb library of articles about CoPs
available from some very eminent authors and practitioners.
The course runs as a group of folk who themselves try and set up a CoP,
and their topic is ^Ólearning how to create a CoP! It has worked very
well, and I thoroughly recommend it to you.
It runs I think half-yearly.
I know that Rick (host of this list) has done the course .. I have seen
entries of his in the Cybrary! He also spoke highly of it some months
ago.
[Host's Note: And... again now: Wenger's course is excellent. ..Rick]
I suggest you access the following websites, and read through for
yourself.
http://www.KnowledgeEcology.com/keu/index.shtml
All in all, it is by far the most persuasive organizational model for an
LO I have found.. and I have looked at many. It is NOT technology based;
rather, it uses the natural willingness of folk who trust each other to
learn, and share their learning.
Roy Greenhalgh
===================================
Roy Greenhalgh Associates
Townwell House Cromhall Wotton under Edge Gloucestershire UK
Tel: +44(0)1454.294200
--Roy Greenhalgh <rgreenh@attglobal.net>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>