Social Learning in Higher Education: A Clash of Cultures?
Social learning is a natural part of being human. Wenger’s theory of social learning is also the theoretical underpinning for communities of practice. Learning is a key outcome of higher education. Yet, my experience suggests that communities of practice
- PDF / 266,701 Bytes
- 19 Pages / 439.37 x 666.142 pts Page_size
- 102 Downloads / 226 Views
Social Learning in Higher Education: A Clash of Cultures? Alice E. MacGillivray
Abstract Social learning is a natural part of being human. Wenger’s theory of social learning is also the theoretical underpinning for communities of practice. Learning is a key outcome of higher education. Yet, my experience suggests that communities of practice are not thriving in higher education compared to some other fields and sectors. This conceptual chapter explores cultural elements that may be inhibiting the emergence, nurturing and effectiveness of communities of practice in higher education. The chapter focuses primarily on faculty work. Social learning inhibitors may include higher priorities, boundaries that divide groups with potentially common interests, the disciplinary nature of leaning norms and the potentially overwhelming nature of diversity. The chapter lists benefits of enhanced community of practice work and includes ideas for future research.
Keywords Community of practice Higher education Social learning Culture Boundaries Epistemologies
2.1
Introduction
This book includes successful examples of social learning through communities of practice (CoP) in higher education. Each example illustrates benefits to individuals and groups. The book fills an important niche; there is no book like it. And yet is that not surprising? Several researchers estimate that 80 % of our learning is informal (Cross n.d.). We learn as we practice. We learn through dialogue with each other. We learn when we reflect and share our successes and especially our failures. We learn socially: not just with a psychological perspective on interactions as described by Bandura (Wenger 1998, p. 280) but through our practical and reflective experiences with each other, as described in subsequent theory development (Lave and Wenger 1991; Wenger 1999). And is education not the sector in A.E. MacGillivray (&) Gabriola Island, BC, Canada e-mail: [email protected] © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 J. McDonald and A. Cater-Steel (eds.), Communities of Practice, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-2879-3_2
27
28
A.E. MacGillivray
which we care most about learning? In which we strive to deeply understand learning as a service to students, colleagues and communities? If we deeply value and understand learning, we can more effectively share important new findings from our research. And therefore, communities of practice should be thriving in all facets of higher education. This chapter explores this paradox: why aren’t there more thriving communities of practice in higher education? Through this chapter, I hope to open a safe space for dialogue and learning about higher education cultures in relation to social learning. Learning in higher education is associated with credentials. The validity and value of those credentials is determined within the higher education community through standardized tools such as credit hours, hierarchically organized degrees, criteria for quality within disciplines and methodologies, and double-blind peer-review proce
Data Loading...
