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Leveraging Knowledge Through Communities of Practice

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Emerging Practices in Scholarship of Learning and Teaching in a Digital Era

Abstract

This chapter presents a case study of cultivating communities of practice (CoP) for leveraging knowledge for higher education institutional development. CoPs have been shown to encourage member participation in collaborative learning and to enhance knowledge acquisition from one member to another (Wenger, Ivey Business Journal, 2004). This is a knowledge management tool for capturing organization knowledge. However, to launch a CoP in any organization is difficult, for it cannot be mandated or created, but it can only be coordinated, facilitated, and cultivated (Wenger et al., Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge, 2009). The model of communities of practice is based on the idea that one cannot separate knowledge from practice. Through participation in the CoP’s activities, knowledge of CoP members could be captured and codified into tangible capital, and this “making things real” process is called reification. Participation and reification are intertwined and interdependent in cultivating a CoP for leveraging knowledge in organizations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong

    Eric Chi-Keung Cheng

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  1. Eric Chi-Keung Cheng
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Correspondence to Eric Chi-Keung Cheng .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong

    Siu Cheung Kong

  2. Department of Mathematics and Information Technology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong

    Tak Lam Wong

  3. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong

    Min Yang

  4. Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong

    Cheuk Fai Chow

  5. Department of Chinese Language Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong

    Ka Ho Tse

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Cheng, E.CK. (2017). Leveraging Knowledge Through Communities of Practice. In: Kong, S., Wong, T., Yang, M., Chow, C., Tse, K. (eds) Emerging Practices in Scholarship of Learning and Teaching in a Digital Era. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3344-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3344-5_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-3342-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-3344-5

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