Communities of Practice

What is a CoP?

Mike Baird, flickr.bairdphotos.com

What is a Community of Practice?

Communities of practice are groups whose members "share a passion for something they know how to do and who interact regularly to learn how to do it better" (Wenger, 2006). A CTLT community of practice allows people to share knowledge, expertise, scholarship, ideas, and suggestions, both face-to-face and electronically.

Why join?

Have you ever wished you could connect with others on campus who are doing work similar to yours? Do you have a great idea or approach that you'd love to pass on to those who work in your field? Communities of practice are a great way to share with and learn from others on the UBC campus and beyond. You will share ideas and suggestions, both face-to-face and electronically, about teaching and learning topics most relevant to you.

Who can join?

Anyone with an interest in teaching and learning! We welcome undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and all others with a teaching or learning role or interest. To join a community of practice, visit the links below or email ctlt.copdeveloper@mail.ubc.ca

Communities of Practice at UBC

Active Communities of Practice

The following communities are facilitated by CTLT in partnership with units across UBC campus.

• Course Design
• Instructional Design
• Library Outreach and Engagement
• Interdisciplinary Community of Practice
• ISW (Instructional Skills Workshop) Community of Practice
• New Faculty
• Open Education
• Peer Review of Teaching
• Portfolio
• Problem Based Learning Network
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Community of Practice
• Sustainability Across the Curriculum
• TA Training
• Teaching and Learning for the Heart and Mind

Past or Dormant Communities of Practice

The following commmunities were previously active on campus, but may not be active currently.

• Aboriginal Initiatives Community of Practice
• Community Service Learning
• Global Citizenship in Teaching and Learning
• International Learning Programs
• Qualitative Data Analysis
• Team-Based Learning

Other Communities of Practice at UBC

CTLT appreciates the work of communities of practice that are not directly affiliated with CTLT, but do excellent work connecting practitioners on campus. If you know of a community of practice related to teaching and learning that you'd like to see on this list, email ctltcopdeveloper@exchange.ubc.ca.

• This Changed My Practice: a free online educational initiative for medical professionals from UBC Continuing Professional Development
• UBC-Okanagan Communities of Practice
• UBC-Okanagan Scholarly Writing Communities of Practice
• Connect Community of Practice

Want to Start a CoP?

Whenever we meet regularly to share ideas, best practices, 'tips' with others who do work similar to ours, we are engaging in a community of practice.

CTLT hosts many communities of practice, and is open to supporting existing communities and/or helping foster the development of new communities of practice. Take a moment to browse through the materials on this site, as well as resources for community of practice facilitators.

If you are interested in initiating, starting, or revitalizing a community of practice on campus please contact ctlt.copdeveloper@ubc.ca. CTLT staff can provide support and experience with facilitation, process design, and community development expertise to help your community thrive.