Informal Learning in an Online Community of Practice.

What role can online communities play in meeting the informal learning needs of a professional association? This article presents the results of an interpretive study of the experiences of coordinators of Alberta Community Adult Learning Councils who participated in an online community of practice designed to support informal workplace learning. Through active participation and peripheral “lurking,” new¬comers were oriented into the skills and culture of the practice, and experienced practitioners gained new insights into their own professional identities and the meaning of their work. Telling their stories helped to develop not only identity as individual practitioners, but also served to reconstruct the identity of the collective community on an ongoing basis. Motivations to participate included an opportunity to learn new skills and work practices, a means of social and professional connection to colleagues, and a mechanism to reduce the isolation that was inherent in the job function and geographical location. The role of the online moderator was identified as critical in sustaining the online community over an extended period and enhancing the learning function. Quels roles les communautes de pratique en ligne peuvent-elles jouer pour repondre aux besoins d’apprentissage informel d’une association professionnelle? L’article presente les resultats d’une etude basee sur les experiences de coordonnateurs des Conseils de l’apprentissage adulte communautaire d’Alberta (Alberta Community Adult Learning Councils) qui ont participe a une communaute de pratique en ligne concue pour soutenir l’apprentissage informel en milieu de travail. Par le biais de la communaute virtuelle, les nouveaux arrivants, grâce a leur participation active et a l’observation, ont acquis des competences et des connaissances sur la culture de la pratique, alors que les praticiens d’experience y ont acquis de nouvelles perspectives sur leur propre identite professionnelle et sur la signification de leur travail. Pour ces derniers, le fait de raconter leur histoire a aide non seulement a developper leur identite individuelle en tant que praticiens, mais a aussi servi a reconstruire l’identite collective de la communaute sur une base continue. Les participants etaient motives a participer a la communaute, car elle etait une occasion d’apprendre de nouvelles competences et de nouvelles pratiques de travail, un moyen d’entrer en contact socialement et professionnellement avec les collegues et un mecanisme pour diminuer l’isolation inherente a la fonction du travail et a la localisation geographique. Le role du moderateur en ligne s’est avere critique pour maintenir la communaute sur une longue periode et pour favoriser la fonction d’apprentissage.

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