Community of practice · WebGlossary.info

A group of people who share a craft or a profession. The concept was first proposed in 1991 by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. A COP can evolve naturally because of the members’ common interest in a particular domain or area, or it can be created deliberately with the goal of gaining knowledge related to a specific field. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that members learn from each other, and have an opportunity to develop personally and professionally. CoPs can exist in physical settings, for example, a lunchroom at work, a field setting, a factory floor, or elsewhere in the environment, but members of COPs do not have to be co-located. ← Wikipedia