Welcome to the Communities of Practice (CoP) Network!
One of the most exciting learning trends of recent years has been the emergence of “communities of practice,” peer-organized learning communities that bring together people from across an organization to teach one another, share resources to address challenges, and find inspiration in their connections and creativity. In business and industry, communities of practice have long been used as a cost-effective way to efficiently share information, collectively solve problems, innovate and train new staff.At UW-Madison, communities of practice have become sustained learning spaces for staff, faculty, and students, along with practitioners in business, non-profit groups, and public agencies. They address wide-ranging challenges, from promoting science education to improving workplace climate, and they do so with a spirit of collaboration and curiosity; these groups explore new practices to address these challenges, innovate on existing ideas, and apply them to new situations. As a result, the entire campus community benefits from the things they learn, as these results often lead to new approaches, policies, and programs.
Given the growing and diverse communities of practice at UW-Madison, the CoP Network was formed in fall 2011. It is intended to serve as a collective resource, benefitting conveners and facilitators of these communities as they navigate challenges of start-up, development, growth, maturity, and (as appropriate) transition into new forms. This website serves as a link to dozens of groups, fueled by the contributions of each of them to each others’ support and success. Check it out! If you know of a group that should be listed here, let us know! If you would like to see some information that can help your group, and it isn’t here yet, make a suggestion! All of us will only succeed if we each roll up our sleeves and get involved…
Resources:
2010 - List of Articles
2009 - List of Articles
2009 - Article Summaries
Resources from Dennis Bours (12/2012)