CoP+Guidelines

CoP Guidelines for Participation
Our conceptualization of a community of practice is informed by Wenger’s (2006) definition that “communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.” The goal of our communities of practice is to provide both an opportunity and a forum for groups of Laurier faculty and staff to come together to discuss issues related to teaching and learning organized along a series of themes: student writing, teaching larger classes, and teaching first year students. Our groups are united under the shared goal of improving the quality of the teaching and learning experience for the Laurier community.

In the spirit of open dialogue, we encourage collegial discussion and debate on topics related to post-secondary teaching and learning and invite participants to share their successes, challenges, best practices, questions, ideas, and requests for feedback (e.g., rubric design) in a positive and constructive manner. Sometimes the reframing of a situation (e.g., a current frustration) as a question can solicit ideas and perspective that the group may not have previously considered.

An underlying premise of all our communities of practice is one of open, honest dialogue that is respectful and nonthreatening (i.e., shuts down conversation). We feel that it is important for all participants to respond to each other in a manner that demonstrates both open-mindedness to new ideas and respect for one another recognizing that we come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds and that we bring different experiences, philosophies of practice, beliefs and values ot the group. In this, we believe that in our interactions with one another, we should not lose sight of the fact that we all wish to help and learn from one another.

If community of practice members have any suggestions for statements that add or clarify these guidelines, please feel free to share them!

Wenger, E. “Communities of Practice: A Brief Introduction.” 2006. Retrieved from [] [February 5, 2010].