Dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s: Operationalising a teaching and learning community of practice

Abstract

Social theories of learning propose that communities serve as vital building blocks for knowledge sharing and construction (Bandura, 1977; Cobb, 1994). In essence, learning thrives when individuals congregate in a community where they exchange tacit knowledge and expose areas of ignorance (Wenger et al., 2002). Nevertheless, the process of cultivating a community of practice is not necessarily straightforward, as it requires meticulous planning and decision-making. This instrumental case study seeks to explicate the formation and development of a teaching and learning community of practice (T&L CoP) at a research-intensive university in Hong Kong. More specifically, it explores how the structural model of the community of practice – domain, community, and practice – are applied and manifested. Multiple sources of documents, including a project proposal, a project website, a project progress report and archival records, were analysed using deductive thematic analysis. The results reveal that the T&L CoP is constitutive of an overarching domain of teaching and learning, within which ten special interest groups are formed. The T&L CoP also bring together 150 professoriate and professional staff from across eight faculties. The community facilitates knowledge exchange through periodic professional development workshops and materials as well as sharing sessions that highlight exemplary teaching practice. The study concludes by discussing three fundamental questions regarding the operationalisation of a CoP, in terms of expansion, retention, as well as sustainability, and argues that the T&L CoP helps cultivate members’ social capital through improved networks and visibility among the teaching and learning community.