Social learning and COPs: Sum-up

"What advantages and disadvantages CoPs might have over other ways of operating?"
(OU, 2010, p. 136).

"as Wenger (2010b) has discussed in Chapter 11, the concept of a community of practice is well aligned with the perspective of systems traditions" (OU, 2010, p. 137).

CoPs and systems traditions (as per Wenger, 2010, in Blackmore, 2010, ch. 11);
"
Wenger distinguishes what he refers to as simple and complex social systems. He argues that a CoP can be viewed as a simple social system and a complex social system can be viewed as interrelated communities of practice. The use of ‘as’ rather than ‘is’ suggests that Wenger is seeing systems and ‘interrelated communities of practice’ as constructs. His reference to dynamics and active processes such as participation and reification, and the intertwined relationship between them, appears to be highly systemic. His thinking here is clearly contextual or systemic thinking.

Wenger’s two main viewpoints at the start of the chapter are of:
. a social systems view of learning, where he develops the case for a community of
practice as a social learning system, and
. a learning view on social systems – the case for communities of practice in social learning systems.

In presenting learning as the structuring of systems through landscapes of practice, Wenger uses many systemic concepts, such as boundaries and multiple levels and scales in relation to communities of practice which he is here conceptualising as systems (simple social systems) or as subsystems (in complex social systems). He also takes a critical view of the ideas of communities of practice, contextualising them in other discourses, which is also a systemic approach. His examples of learning citizenship at the end of the chapter could certainly be seen as emphasising dimensions of being, engaging, contextualising and managing practices.
"
(OU, 2010, pp. 172-173).

A landscape of practices; "Wenger ... elaborates his idea of a [dynamic] landscape of practices ... particularly concerned with what occurs at the boundaries" (OU, 2010, p. 139; cf. Wenger, in Blackmore, 2010, chs. 8, 11); "conceptualising ... practices as a landscape" (OU, 2010, p. 140).

"This kind of integration would come from the higher level awareness – i.e. the act of drawing a boundary around these diverse practices. In effect, understanding integration through systems thinking by moving up a system level and becoming aware of the connections", consider networks and practices (OU, 2010, p. 141); "to consider our communities and practices in relation to others", as a "journey" and "identity as trajectory, multi-membership" (OU, 2010, p. 141). "[Wenger] does however strike a note of caution about wasting time and effort in boundary interactions" (OU, 2010, p. 141)

-> identity trajectory 'questions'  (cf. OU, 2010, p. 142).

[This study] as "a landscape of social learning systems praxis" (OU, 2010, p. 142, referring to Blackmore, 2010, ch. 12: 'Social learning systems and communities of practice').

Themes

Refer: Blackmore, 2010, ch. 12.

(a) Choose (or add) themes

(b) Consider what questions arise for you concerning managing systemic change when you bring together the themes. 

i.e.

(c) consider boundary potentials

(OU, 2010, p. 143; cf. OU, 2010, pp. 179-180).

Relating ‘landscapes’ to each other;

(a) Compare and contrast a ‘landscape of practices’ in the way that Wenger uses it with ‘a landscape of social learning systems praxis’ used by Blackmore (2010).

(b) What larger landscapes might both of the landscapes you discussed in part (a) be a part of?

(cf. OU, 2010, p. 174) [play with category 'errors'].

Reflection

• Past, present and future practice?
• Which aspects of your current ways of interacting with others do you think might help or hinder you in influencing and responding to systemic change?
• Do you think (or not) you could influence and respond to systemic change more effectively through changing the way you interact with others? If so, how using social learning concepts?
• Review learning outcomes.

Type of interaction	Aspect [attribute] of interaction	Helps or hinders, and why	Future aspiration and how to change interactions or rationale for no change
Process A	...

Table to assess past, present and future interactions for managing systemic change (From OU, 2010, p. 145).

"Good luck!" (OU, 2010, p. 145).