Sport Informatics and Analytics/Introductions/Communities of Practice/Introduction

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Introduction

A theme that pervades this course is that we live in a world of connections. Although we might not always be aware of it, we share interests with others and together we have the opportunity to form a community.

Zygmunt Bauman[1] has explored the characteristics of a community. He suggests:

Words have meanings: some words, however, also have a 'feel'. The word 'community' is one of them. It feels good: whatever the word 'community' may mean, it is good 'to have a community', 'to be in a community'[2]

Etienne Wenger[3][4] has discussed the benefits of communities of practice for learning communities. He proposes:

Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.

His definition of communities of practice has three important characteristics:

  • A domain that has an identity defined by a shared interest.
  • A community in which "members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other.
  • A shared practice that is developed through "a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems.[5]

Etienne Wenger, Nancy White and John Smith[6] have discussed how such communities might flourish in digital habitats. They identify the role technology stewards can play in such flourishing. Technology stewards are:

people with enough experience of the workings of a community to understand its technology needs, and enough experience with or interests in technology to take leadership in addressing those needs.[7]


References

  1. ↑ Bauman, Zygmunt (2001). Community: Seeking Safety in an Insecure World. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  2. ↑ Bauman, Zygmunt (2001). Community: Seeking Safety in an Insecure World. Cambridge: Polity Press. p. 1.
  3. ↑ Wenger, Etienne (1998). Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  4. ↑ Wenger, Etienne (June 2006). "Communities of practice a brief introduction". http://www.linqed.net/media/15868/COPCommunities_of_practiceDefinedEWenger.pdf. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  5. ↑ Wenger, Etienne (June 2006). [http://www.linqed.net/media/15868/COPCommunities_of_practiceDefinedEWenger.pdf "Communities of practice a brief introduction"]. http://www.linqed.net/media/15868/COPCommunities_of_practiceDefinedEWenger.pdf. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  6. ↑ Wenger, Etienne; White, Nancy; Smith, John (2009). Digital Habitats: stewarding technology for communities. Portland: CPSquare.
  7. ↑ Wenger, Etienne; White, Nancy; Smith, John (2009). Digital Habitats: stewarding technology for communities. Portland: CPSquare. p. 25.
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