WBG Community Learning by Bev Wenger-Trayner

Black box

Information processing

Apprenticeship

Journey through a landscape

Learning metaphors

Personal knowledge construction

Behaviourism - black box

• Memorization, drills, repetition

• Reward and punishment

• Conditioning leads to behavior change

Cognitivism - information processing

• Internal mental processes

• Transmit - explain - process - apply

• “Has it gone in?” - responsibility of trainer

Constructivism

• Construct new knowledge from experience

• Collaborate to understand principles

• Responsibility lies with learner

Social theories of learning

• Creating, climbing,, bridging, contesting ….

• Landscapes of practice

…communities of practice

Community of practice

A community of practice is… …a self-governed learning partnership among people who:

• share challenges, passion or interest • interact regularly • learn from and with each other • improve their ability to do what they care about • define in practice what competence means in their

context

In gangs… …they learn to survive on the street

In organizations… …they provide better service to clients

Practitioners need a community to… !

• … help each other solve problems • … hear each other’s stories and avoid local blindness • … reflect on their practice and improve it • … build shared understanding • … keep up with change • … cooperate on innovation • … find synergy across structures • … find a voice and gain strategic influence

Learning

activities

New ideas,

insights,

connections Put new

ideas, insig

hts,

connections

into practiceSee results

Learning capabilityPrinciples:!• Relevance • Participation • Continuity

!• Boundaries • Value • Activity design

Information! Informal!

Formal!

With!From!

Models of practice!

Project/ "after-action"

reviews!

Case clinics!

Document sharing!

Collections!

Learning "projects!

Hot topic"discussions!Stories!

Formal"practice "transfer!

Visits!

Invited!speaker!

Mutual benchmark!

External benchmark!

Broadcast inquiry!

Reading "group!

Problem solving!

News!

Joint "response!

Boundary"collaboration!

Training"and workshops!

Pointers to resources!

Systematic " scan!

Guests!Joint "

events!Documenting "practice!

Field trips!

Exploring"ideas!

Each "other!

1!

2!

7!

4!

3!

6!

5!

Tips!

Practice " fairs!

Warranting !Help"desk!

Outside "sources!

1.  Exchanges!2.  Productive

inquiries!3.  Building shared

understanding!4.  Shared memory!5.  Creating standards!6.  Formal access to

knowledge!7.  Visits!

a great variety

Debates!

Q&A! Role play!

Case "studies!

Peer "assist!

Polls!

Learning activities

Follow "practitioner!

Demos!

Challenge!