Thoughts on Community

Our group
definition of community from back in February seems to be a good general view. A community is a group of people which have
a sense of belonging through common circumstance or interest often including
interaction; the level of interaction and participation exists on a continuum
from passive to active.  I think that
we caught most of what Wenger says about communities in general.  However, Wenger's focus is on learning is a
specific form of community, a 'community of practice'.  A 'community of practice' is one in which
members are united in a common enterprise or goal for which various practices
are integral to its functionality.  Thus,
learning occurs as members (new and old) negotiate the meaning of information,
practices and relative position within the community. The community of practice
is the fundamental unit in the broad nexus of constellations of communities
that interact with each other for reasons of mutual interest.

 

While I like Wenger's conception of communities of practice,
I sill wonder if social and mutual negotiation of meaning is necessary for
learning to occur.  I expressed view
while discussing
a headache.  I still believe that one
can 'learn' or negotiate meaning in the absence of social interaction.  However, I also consider that the 'best' way
to learn is in a situation in which one is participating, usually in some
limited capacity, the actual practice that is being learned.  I can teach myself how to cook simply by
experimentation, but it would be a better learning experience if a
knowledgeable chef (thus a member of a cooking community) demonstrated
techniques and assisted during training.