Talking up learning at work: Cautionary tales in co‐opting everyday learning

Boud, David; Rooney, Donna; Solomon, Nicky

doi:10.1080/02601370902799077

Cited by 49 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This study assists us in understanding the interplay of structured learning and everyday learning (Boud, Rooney, & Solomon, 2009) within the context of academic development. It draws on one example of each; structured learning is represented by a formal development program, and everyday learning is represented by informal 'corridor' conversations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Informal conversations about teaching and their relationship to a formal development program: learning opportunities for novice and mid-career academics

Thomson

2015

International Journal for Academic Development

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Engaging in informal activities, like conversations with colleagues, is one way that professionals can learn within workplace contexts. Informal conversations present opportunities for academics to learn about teaching. The current study investigated academics' experience of informal conversations, and their experience of the relations between conversations and one formal development program. Semi-structured interviews with 30 individual academics were conducted and the transcripts analysed using the constant comparative method associated with grounded theory. This analysis provided evidence that conversations play a developmental role in supporting academics to learn about teaching from colleagues, and these conversations can reinforce the learning from a formal development program. The results of this study suggest roles for academic developers in encouraging informal conversations about teaching, and building constructive relations between formal and informal development strategies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Informal conversations about teaching and their relationship to a formal development program: learning opportunities for novice and mid-career academics

Thomson

2015

International Journal for Academic Development

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“…Another example of this kind of transformation can be found in a study by Boud, Rooney, and Solomon () where the formalization of everyday talk resulted in it being transformed into compulsory talk, which made the workers feel it had changed into something pointless. Thus, something that is informal and inspiring may turn into “just another meeting” (Rooney & Boud, ).…”

Section: The Implications Of Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imitating CoPs: Imposing formality on informality

Dessne

Byström

2015

Asso for Info Science & Tech

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The aim of this article is to explore the claim that communities of practice (CoPs) can be designed and managed. The concept of CoPs was originally developed as a social learning theory, and CoPs were defined by their informal emergent nature. This informal nature has been recognized to be of value to organizations, resulting in a desire to design CoPs. In this article, the nature of CoPs is addressed by focusing on aspects of formality and informality in relationships and learning; CoPs are described as emergent and designed practices. Furthermore, it is questioned whether a designed CoP may realize the essential characteristics attributed to an emergent CoP. It is argued that it is crucial to recognize the informal nature of CoPs in order to either encourage them as informal phenomena or to use the concept of CoPs as inspiration for designing imitations of them. However, when attempting to design them, the original meaning of a CoP is lost, even though, in some cases, the consequences of such a design may be beneficial to organizations. Nevertheless, when not taking the nature of a CoP into account, a designed construct may have a negative impact on learning and knowing.

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“…For many purposes it might not be useful to single it out for attention. Tensions arise between naming and codifying 'learning' that may be of value to individuals for professional registration purposes, and acknowledging learning as an integral part of work and thus a normal everyday activity that would be distorted by formalization [22]. The more integral learning is to the practice of work, the more problematic it is to treat it independently of work for official recognition.…”

Section: Learning and Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Using practice theory to investigate professional engineers' workplace learning

Rooney

Boud

Reich

et al. 2012

2012 Frontiers in Education Conference Proceedings

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This paper reports on the first phase of an Australian inter-disciplinary partnership study concerned with professional learning of experienced engineers. It is a theoretically motivated, qualitative paper that aims to produce detailed descriptions of professional learning that arise within professional engineering work. The paper uses practice theory to conceptualise professional learning. By using 'practices' as the units of analysis, professional learning is understood as an integral part of everyday work practices that is embodied, relational and material rather than an individual attribute. The paper concludes by suggesting that practice theory may provide organisations with an alternative perspective of workplace learning, inviting them to reconsider how professional learning is acknowledged, rewarded and fostered in organisations.

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Talking up learning at work: Cautionary tales in co‐opting everyday learning

Cited by 49 publications

References 19 publications

Informal conversations about teaching and their relationship to a formal development program: learning opportunities for novice and mid-career academics

Informal conversations about teaching and their relationship to a formal development program: learning opportunities for novice and mid-career academics

Imitating CoPs: Imposing formality on informality

Using practice theory to investigate professional engineers' workplace learning

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