Abstract
This article examines the use and benefits of communities of practice (CoPs) in academic settings. In the 2010-2011 academic year Teaching Support Services at Wilfrid Laurier University introduced four theme-based CoPs for faculty and academic support staff after a successful pilot initiative. This article explores our motivation for focusing our programming efforts on CoPs and our anticipated outcomes of the project. We highlight the successes and challenges as well as share survey data and participant feedback on their experience. Central to the article as well as our philosophy is the idea that “good talk about good teaching” (Palmer, 1993) can prompt personal reflection about one’s teaching and meaningful exchange between colleagues.
Highlights
Learning in community (Palmer, 1998) is the underlying principle of communities of practice (CoPs)
At Wilfrid Laurier University, creating a sense of community where meaningful exchange about teaching and learning could take place in a safe environment and in a manner that moves beyond mere technique was a priority for our centre
We provide context to appreciate and understand what CoPs are all about, outline how and why our institution embraced CoPs, highlight what we learned from our early experiences based on personal observation and survey data, and identify how we intend to move forward
Summary
Learning in community (Palmer, 1998) is the underlying principle of communities of practice (CoPs). As Parker Palmer (1993) noted, “the growth of any skill depends heavily on honest dialogue among those who are doing it” We wished to establish a space where faculty and academic staff could come together and embrace “the challenge of ideas, the exploration of shared practice, the uniqueness of each teacher’s genius, [and ] the mystery at the heart of...educational exchange” We provide context to appreciate and understand what CoPs are all about, outline how and why our institution embraced CoPs, highlight what we learned from our early experiences based on personal observation and survey data, and identify how we intend to move forward
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
