Social Learning Systems and Communities of Practice

Chris Blackmore

ISBN 10: 1849961328 / ISBN 13: 9781849961325

Published by Springer 2010-05-31, 2010

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 6666-IUK-9781849961325

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Social Learning Systems and Communities of Practice
• Publisher: Springer 2010-05-31
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1849961328
• ISBN 13: 9781849961325
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Social Learning Systems and Communities of Practice is a collection of classical and contemporary writing associated with learning and systemic change in contexts ranging from cities, to rural development to education to nursing to water management to public policy. It is likely to be of interest to anyone trying to understand how to think systemically and to act and interact effectively in situations experienced as complex, messy and changing. While mainly concerned with professional praxis, where theory and practice inform each other, there is much here that can apply at a personal level.

This book offers conceptual tools and suggestions for new ways of being and acting in the world in relation to each other, that arise from both old and new understandings of communities, learning and systems. Starting with twentieth century insights into social learning, learning systems and appreciative systems from Donald Schön and Sir Geoffrey Vickers, the book goes on to consider the contemporary traditions of critical social learning systems and communities of practice, pioneered by Richard Bawden and Etienne Wenger and their colleagues. A synthesis of the ideas raised, written by the editor, concludes this reader. The theory and practice of social learning systems and communities of practice appear to have much to offer in influencing and managing systemic change for a better world.

About the Author

Chris Blackmore is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental and Development Systems at the Open University. She develops open learning courses in systems and in environmental decision making at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Her main research area, in which she has a range of publications, is in learning systems and communities of practice for environmental decision making, including issues of social learning, systems thinking, systemic change, sustainability and responsibility.