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Communities of Practice are defined as groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion for a topic, and who develop their knowledge and expertise in this particular topic through ongoing interaction with each other. These groups differ from formal work groups in that they focus on the development of each member’s capabilities, and building and sharing knowledge. The field of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia has many of these informal groups but, as this report suggests, more should be fostered to help VET meet increasing demands. During 2001, 16 pilot projects were funded by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) to form Communities of Practice in the VET sector as part of the Reframing the Future program (the national professional development program for VET practitioners). An evaluation was undertaken between June 2001 and February 2002 with the purpose of identifying through research and consultation the processes for establishing VET Communities of Practice nationally. The evaluation included the documentation of examples of good practice for dissemination to those VET practitioners interested in establishing Communities of Practice. This report presents the findings of the evaluation which examined a variety of types of communities, ranging from existing networks to groups working together for the first time. The report defines and describes the characteristics of Communities of Practice and identifies the structure and development process of the Communities examined by the evaluation project, and the benefits for individuals and organisations. The report then examines how the Communities supported the implementation of the National Training Framework, how they were involved in knowledge management, and critical success factors. The final section of the report examines how Communities of Practice can be sustained and their limitations and potential for VET. The appendices contain a description of the national evaluation project, the evaluator’s brief, names of state contacts in relation to the evaluation, and references.
Communities of Practice are defined as groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion for a topic, ... Show Full Abstract
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Authors: Mitchell, John Corporate authors: South Australia. Department of Education, Training and Employment. Reframing the Future Date: 2002 Geographic subjects: Oceania; Australia Resource type: Report Subjects: Vocational education and training; Evaluation; Workforce development; |
VITAL Object
VOCEDplus is produced by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), which together with TAFE South Australia, is a UNESCO regional Centre of Excellence in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). VOCEDplus receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).