OER Africa Communities of Practice

Numerous studies have found that people form relationships or communities through informal networks based on their common backgrounds or where they are located. The word community has become very popular, with every group sharing an interest on a website today being called a community. However, not everything called a community is a Community of Practice (CoP). A neighbourhood, for instance, is often called a community, but is usually not a CoP. A CoP is a specific kind of community that is focused on a domain of knowledge and, over time, accumulates expertise in this domain. They develop their shared practice by interacting around problems, solutions, and insights, and building a common store of knowledge. A lot of research describes CoPs that have been formed inside large organizations. They are generally made up of groups of people who have worked together over a period and who, through informal discussion, develop a common sense of purpose and a need to share their work-related stories and experiences.