Communities of practice are broader than action learning groups. In fact, action learning groups can be a part of communities of practice. Communities of practice exist inside and outside of organizations. Communities of practice engage in the process of collective learning; they are like a tribe learning to survive. Communities of practice are groups with a common interest or domain. They share resources: tools, stories, shared practices and ways of addressing reoccurring problems. They are involved in individual and collective learning and growing.
The concept of communities of practice is not new. The Transcendentals–Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott—met formally and informally in Boston in the 1800s and talked philosophy. The ...
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