The range of communities of practice and opportunities for informal learning available to an employee increases with seniority in a large organisation¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · qualitative r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2003 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In the large organisation studied, the range and diversity of communities of practice one may legitimately participate in increases with seniority, expanding informal learning opportunities and types of learning. → David Boud and Heather Middleton 2003

Evidence¶

David Boud and Heather Middleton 2003¶

David Boud and Heather Middleton. (2003). Learning from Others at Work: Communities of Practice and Informal Learning. Journal of Workplace Learning, 15, 5, 194-202. https://doi.org/10.1108/13665620310483895

q2 · i? · qualitative · r2

Conclusion-level qualitative finding from the four-site study. The article states that in a large organisation the range and diversity of communities of practice "increases with seniority", expanding both opportunities and types of informal learning.

"In a large organisation, the range and diversity of communities of practice in which one may legitimately participate increases with seniority, and therefore the range of opportunities for informal learning increase as do the types of learning."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Domain Context — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• A common learning pattern: workers first consult documentary sources, then nearby peers, then distant peers or more senior roles, then supervisors — related
• Workers in the studied workgroups tended to manage their learning needs to minimise their supervisors' involvement, with supervisors not the contacts of first resort for learning — related