Social Learning, Identity and Communities of Practice

Tony Barrett and Kay Fielden

Unitec Institute of Technology

What is it about?

Wenger’s (1998) theory of social learning suggest that learning is inextricable linked to our identity.  Wenger’s theory of social learning is situated in particular physical and social contexts and distributed across the individual, other persons, and tools within communities of practice. Core to this conceptual framework is the idea of communities of practice (COPs). COPs encompass four components (Smith, 2006): (i) meaning (learning as experience); (ii) practice (learning as doing); (iii) community (learning as belonging); and (iv) identity (learning as becoming). The construct of identity creates a partnership between the social and the individual that highlights the person within the practice of teaching and learning and emphasizes the importance of knowing who we are and what we believe as facilitate learning processes.

Why is it important?

If, as Wenger suggests, identity is characterised as a ‘constant becoming’ that defines who we are by the ways in which we participate then there is an inextricable symbiosis between the four characteristics of COPs. Learning takes place with others in this ‘constant becoming’ through mutual learning activities in COPs.

Significant learning experiences are pivotal in the trajectory of our lives, shaping our identity.  This workshop will allow for reflection with colleagues on a core issue of our professional lives: enhancing deep, meaningful learning. This workshop will provide a moment to step back to consider if and how learning processes informs our identity. Participants will also have the opportunity to reflect on the interaction conditions present.  There will also be the opportunity to reflect on the differences in learning experiences between on line, face-to-face, and blended learning experiences. Participants will also explore ways to foster greater engagement to encourage significant learning experiences to occur more often.

How the session will run

In this workshop, we plan to have participants first identify and reflect individually on their most significant learning experiences and then in small groups share any commonality they have with these experiences. The whole group will then come together to debrief these experiences in light of Wenger’s theory of social learning to interpret the learning experiences discussed earlier. This will allow us to explore some rich aspect of Wenger’s social learning theory in our communities of practice and see applications for our work. 

References

Smith, T. (2006). Becoming a teacher of mathematics: Wenger’s social theory of learning perspective.  Accessed 23 October 2009 from http://www.merga.net.au/documents/symp32006.pdf

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge University Press.

Wenge, E., White, N. & Smith, J. D.  (2009).Digital habitats: stewarding technology for communities. CPsquare, Portland, Oregon.