Effect of the different types and structures of communities of practice on learning: A case study of an education service company

Abstract

Although communities of practice (CoPs) are known to facilitate learning, boundary crossing, and knowledge creation, these effects have not been examined according to different structures in the extant literature. Thus, this chapter presents an exploratory study on how the establishment of various types and structures of communities affects the effectiveness of an individual’s learning and boundary crossing. This was an exploratory qualitative case study of an educational service company, in which data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews and participative observations. Using a case study, we classified CoPs into two types based on their size and frequency of interactions: interaction and networking communities. We also conceptualized four learning styles in CoPs and investigated the relationship between the two types of communities and the four learning styles derived from previous research. We found that the CoPs examined in this study interacted with each other (through learners’ multiple affiliations with various communities) to form multilayered structures, which present advantages such as the possibility of high-level learning through multifaceted and circular learning, and the ability to build networks among communities. Therefore, we conclude that multilayered CoPs structures are effective in enhancing all four learning styles.