Communities of Practice: Lessons Learned from my Doctoral Research Project
Workshop Description:
Communities of practice, a term coined by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, can be defined as groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. From humble beginnings in apprenticeship studies, the concept was grabbed by businesses interested in knowledge management and has progressively found its way into other sectors. It has now become the foundation of a perspective on knowing and learning that informs efforts to create learning systems in various sectors.
This workshop will outline the core elements that define a community of practice, share how application of those elements impacted my doctoral research, and finally how communities of practice can benefit the interpreting and Deaf community. Specific examples will be given from my research that could be replicated in other areas as well as spark discussion on future work for interpreting practitioners.
Workshop Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
- Explain the core elements of a Community of Practice and select 3 elements that apply to a local interpreting practitioner group.
- Identify elements of von Pingel's research that resulted in a strengthened community of practice for both the interpreting group and the associated Deaf participants.
- Prepare a 6-month action plan to build a Community of Practice with the Deaf community and/or interpreting practitioners, on a local level.
Presenter Bio:
Teddi von Pingel is currently enrolled in the Ed.D. Program in Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University. As a doctoral student, she has engaged in preliminary cycles of research to collect data on the interactions between ASL/English interpreters and Deaf consumers prior to medical appointments. The data collected will shed some light on perceptions of both Deaf consumers and ASL/English interpreters related to the ‘first impressions’ prior to any appointment.
The presentation will highlight themes found in the research and provide participants an opportunity to share their own experiences as interpreters or consumers in a medical setting. Together, the participants will brainstorm solutions to common issues faced when meeting a client/interpreter prior to a medical appointment. The presenter will share narratives from past research participants on their ideas about improving ‘first impressions’.