Sue's tasks - task 2

Wenger - 'Organisation Unit'

In the text Wenger describes the differences between a community of practice and an organisation unit. A good quote i found in the reading to help explain this is below:

"Communities of practice are not a new kind of organizational unit; rather, they are a different cut on the organization's structure—one that emphasizes the learning that people have done together rather than the unit they report to, the project they are working on, or the people they know. Communities of practice differ from other kinds of groups found in organizations in the way they define their enterprise, exist over time, and set their boundaries." (Wenger, 1998, page 4)

I take this to meaning that in an organisation unit you have to respond to a 'boss' and have to stick to strict rules. Communities of practice are different in that it's the community's members that set the rules of learning for themselves and have a shared interest in an informal setting. The members develop themselves and their own practice as they go along and there is no pressure to answer to anybody.

There is a much more flexible atmosphere in a community of practice and it is less restricted then an organisation unit. Using my example of 'Danceworks' before, we did have a leader in Mrs Chalkley but she was there to help and teach us instead of ordering us to meet certain tasks and deadlines. The members of 'Danceworks' were given the freedom to participate when they wished and learn at their own pace in a community setting. All the members could learn from each other whether it be the newcomers learning routines from the other dancers, or the more respected dancers helping the leader with new ideas for the next dance show.

Do you agree in my understanding of this text and question? What did you think?