My ARP Applied Research Project of my MALAT program requires a TF Theoretical Framework on which my research will be built. A Theoretical Framework that interests me greatly and one which I am examining further in order to see if it is applicable and appropriate as my TF is Communities of Practice. As stated by Wenger; “Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly” (Wenger-Trayner, 2015). In short, my current understanding of Communities of practice are that they are groups of people who develop knowledge around a specific topic and share that knowledge of the expertise required within that knowledge with others in the community, and by that everyone within the community contributes to the building of that knowledge that is inhabited by the group, and by each member of the group.
References
Wenger-Trayner, E., & Wenger-Trayner, B. (2015). Introduction to communities of practice [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/
December 1, 2020 at 3:37 pm
Great choice Earl and excellent description – very eloquently stated and understood.
Deb
December 1, 2020 at 5:26 pm
Hi Earl, I have struggled with the concept of a Theoretical Framework (TF) underpinning research as a guide or the foundation in which the entire research is conducted. I started looking at creating a community of practice for my research and have since learned that it would not be appropriate as a TF as it would not explain or focus on the relationships between the variables of my research focus. An analogy of a TF I found helpful is a house blueprint in which “the nature of the dissertation is such that it will begin with the blueprint, but over time will focus on the house itself instead of a representative sketch or plan.(Grant, n.d.). As I continue with the Lit Review I can see that my initial thoughts on an appropriate TF evolve as I see what connects and what does not.
References
Grant, C. (n.d.). UNDERSTANDING, SELECTING, AND INTEGRATING A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK IN DISSERTATION RESEARCH: CREATING THE BLUEPRINT FOR YOUR “HOUSE.” https://doi.org/10.5929/2014.4.2.9
December 2, 2020 at 4:28 pm
Hi Earl – I like the definition you provide about the CoP. Perhaps you kept the post short in order to expand on the CoP as part of your assignment. I was wondering if it would be worth explaining that learning occurs through the socialization of members in the community/group (Cox, 2005) rather than from the contribution of each member of the community that adds to the overall knowledge. Also, what if you further expanded that Cox (2005) suggested that COPs can be divided into four pioneering contributions that have informed the concept of CoP presented in the literature today (Smith et al., 2017). I was thinking that maybe you’d find something along your area of interest among those contributions. All the best with your writing!
References
Cox, A. (2005). What are communities of practice? A comparative review of four seminal works. Journal of Information Science, 31(6), 527-540. doi: 10.1177/0165551505057016
Smith, S. U., Hayes, S., & Shea, P. (2017). A critical review of the use of Wenger’s community of practice (CoP) theoretical framework in online and blended learning research, 2000- 2014. Online Learning 21(1), 209-237. doi: 10.24059/olj.v21i1.963