This website contains all documents/materials used in Dr. Bridgeford's Technical Communication courses. Click on the links to the right to access specific course information. Courses not being taught by Dr. Bridgeford in a particular semester will describe the official course description and objectives. Each course employs a communities of practice philosophy and method.

 

Communities of Practice: A Learning Theory

Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and who interact regularly to learn how to do it better. Members of these communities share an identity defined by a shared domain of interest—that is, an enterprise to which each member is devoted. Over time, they develop a sense of competence through mutual engagement in practice, which evolves over time and pratice. These ways of working eventually constitute a shared repertiore of practices. In practice, they adhere to certain expectations for belonging to that connects to the community's shared identity and practice. Also in practice, members develop rules for negotiating meaning for the enterprise and identity. Contributing to the community's repertiore of practices and knowledge domain is how individual members add value to the enterprise.

 

Further Reading about COPs:

• Etienne Wenger
  Communities of Practice: A Brief Introduction
• Bridgeford, Tracy.
  "Communities of Practice: The Shop Floor of Human Capital