Virtual Community of Practice?
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NOVEMBER 2013-JANUARY 2014 // ISSUE 10 [email protected] Prog A NEWS UPDATE FROM THE PROGRAMME RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AT IHQ Programme Resources Commissioner Gerrit Marseille INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY FOR PROGRAMME RESOURCES What is a Virtual Community of Practice? ast year I had the opportunity What is new is that, in more recent days, to take part in a Project Officer’s the world of education has recognised 1 Programme Resources Conference for the South the value of these groups for informal What is a Virtual American territories, held in learning. In addition, new electronic means Community of Practice? Lima, Peru. The conference of communication have opened up new Lwas ably facilitated by Jo Clark of our possibilities in this area. 3 International International Projects and Development The term ‘Community of Practice’ (CoP) Health Services Section. The meeting was set-up to help was coined in the 1990s: Trained to serve project officers from these territories to ‘CoPs are groups of people who share discuss the issues and challenges they a concern, a set of problems or a passion 4 Photo pages all share. Normally they would be far about a topic and who deepen their apart, wrestling on their own with the knowledge and experience by interacting Projects from around the world complexities of our development work, but on an on-going basis’ (Wenger, 1998). during this week of formal and informal The concept has been implemented by discussions they were able to discover that self-forming teams within organisations, 6 International they were not alone. then across geographical locations. In 2000 Schools Services Events like this, which create friendships Wenger developed a simple formula to Haiti ... a brighter future and mutual understanding, should also explain a CoP: Competence + Experience + help people to be bolder in asking each Engagement = a Community of Practice. 7 International other for advice. This is nothing new in ‘Learning occurs as individuals Emergency Services the world of human interaction; it is as old participate in their CoPs, as learning is a The million dollar question as mankind. From medieval guilds and socially mediated experience involving apprenticeships to modern hobby clubs and active participation in an engaged and 8 Communications Section Internet forums, people have always been dynamic community. Wenger (1998) Reflections on Zimbabwe found together with those of like mind, interests and activities. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 44 33CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 admits that the notion of a CoP is neither ‘In sharing with each benefit from a facilitator who keeps the new nor old and has the eye-opening momentum going in the group and can character of novelty and the forgotten other knowledge is identify the need for growth in members familiarity of obviousness. His contribution multiplied across the of the community. has been in naming what we intuitively knew about learning, yet had no vocabulary community’ The other challenge is this era of for articulating’ (Journal of Extension, electronic communication. We live in a October 2012). From my reading on the subject and global village and are linked with people In their earlier research on ‘situated comparison with my experience over on all continents through our access to learning’, Lave and Wenger relate delightful the years, a number of elements seem the Internet. As technology and high- stories of midwife cooperatives and master important. Communities of practice speed broadband became available, online tailors who formed communities of practice should be: virtual applications began to expand to pass on their skills to a new generation. opportunities for global co-learning. How These are places where on-the-job learning • Inclusive – They include a mix of can we use these resources to our greatest and learning-by-doing are a reality. Today, ‘newcomers’ and ‘old-timers’ to the advantage and what are the dangers for our a community of practice can be a group profession. Newcomers are given communications? of work-oriented professionals, a support space to ‘learn the ropes’ (Lave and A review of literature for online group for volunteers who do the same type Wenger call this ‘legitimate peripheral communities by the New Zealand Ministry of work or a group of workers/students participation’, a descriptive term that of Education showed why CoPs were that need in-service and professional makes sense when you think about it). effective: development. • Trusting/friendly – They are often based When you begin to realise it, you can on shared values. It may be competitive, • Implementation requires a shift in see them everywhere. In fact the project but it is not a combative environment. emphasis from formal training to leader’s meeting in Peru was a budding A CoP is generally supportive with a learning in practice. community of practice; as are the Catherine clear willingness to understand, learn • They go beyond traditional ‘one-shot’ Programme in Europe and the General’s from and help each other. Ambitious and ‘face-to-face’ models of event-based, Consultative Council, and so on. competition can destroy the interactions expert-novice forms of professional The point is that we do not often in a community. development. recognise these groups for the learning • Focused – There is a knowledge base • They allow teachers to act as co- hubs they really are. Some weeks ago I for an activity, craft or profession. In producers of knowledge, which visited the Centenary World Scouting sharing with each other knowledge requires greater personal responsibility Jamboree and in a discussion with a senior is multiplied across the community. for professional growth. (Lai, Pratt, scout leader we reminisced on the things A common understanding emerges Anderson and Stiger, 2006) we had learned about life through scouting and it becomes a lived-in world where in our teenage years. Scouting functioned knowledge is socially constructed. Communities of practice are an as a CoP for us! • Motivated – There is an intrinsic intriguing new way of learning, and yet Neither do we ask ourselves ‘What motivation among members to they are as old as the world. We need to do makes them effective?’ Learning may not be perpetuate the CoP and to continue to more thinking about this but do not want automatic or guaranteed. What attributes learn. What we learn is personal and to wait because we know what is needed. should be strengthened in a group for it to dependent on our investment in the As Nike says – ‘Just do it’! Start your truly be a place of learning? What qualities community. community of practice and learn as you are essential? • Facilitated – Many communities go along. 2 International Health Services Major Dean Pallant UNDER SECRETARY FOR PROGRAMME RESOURCES AND INTERNATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES COORDINATOR Trained to serve Developing Salvation Army health worker training ccording to the World Health There is no doubt that more health 3. Have local policies and practices that Organisation, a billion people in workers are needed. However, I am mirror Christ’s model for living and 57 countries face a daily struggle concerned that students should graduate serving in community. Ato access basic health care due from Salvation Army schools and colleges 4. Include a specific teaching/learning to health workforce shortages and uneven with an integrated, holistic understanding experience that ensures every student is distribution of health workers within of the people God created us to be. It is not thoroughly familiar with The Salvation countries. Hundreds of thousands of men, enough to be scientifically and technically Army’s local health ministry vision. women and children, mostly in rural areas competent. It is vital that health workers 5. Include a specific teaching/learning of the world’s poorest countries, live and die also understand and display Christ’s model experience to enhance the holistic health without ever seeing a trained health worker. for living and serving in community. and the spiritual well-being and maturity From its earliest years in health ministry, Captain (Dr) Judith Christensen – a of each student. The Salvation Army understood the New Zealand Salvation Army officer and 6. Have a major focus on primary importance of training workers – hundreds experienced nurse educator – developed a health care as close to the family as of thousands of nurses, biomedical set of seven key principles for all Salvation possible, with a priority for the poor scientists, medical and dental students have Army health worker training schools. (Her and marginalised, as a vertical thread been educated, influenced and inspired full report can be downloaded from www. through every stage of the programme. in Salvation Army hospitals, schools and salvationarmy.org/ihq/healthdownloads) 7. Have a specific strategy for attracting colleges of health worker education. The principles were approved by the and retaining qualified teaching staff, This continues today. In the past decade, General in 2009 and continue to be strongly and also assisting current staff to there has been a major drive to expand and supported by IHQ. upgrade their qualifications when the upgrade Salvation Army health worker Every Salvation Army school/college school/college/centre is unable to meet education programmes in many countries of nursing/health worker training centre the current minimum requirements, or including India, Indonesia, Zambia and should: any higher requirements arising from Zimbabwe. I recently returned from upgrading a programme. Zambia where the existing training schools 1. Be an integral part of the local for nurses and laboratory assistants have expression of The Salvation Army’s The Salvation Army is committed to been upgraded into colleges for nurse and mission. health worker training and must ensure that biomedical scientists. The Government of 2. Be established and maintained with quality is not sacrificed for quantity. Zambia – with support from international the facilities and resources required donors – is funding a major expansion of to meet the local standards and other health worker training.