Community of practice and situated learning

Abstract

The importance of everyday life learning or situated learning is growing, and new models for interpretation and re- search are being developed in concordance with new knowledge concepts and theories of learning. The article brings an analysis of situated learning as a type of learning without a fixed structure which develops (transforms) into an organized and structured learning form. The first part examines the concept of situated learning and the theoretical context of the model of communities of practice. The second part presents a comparative analysis of two models of situ- ated learning, action learning and the community of practice, as the forms which support transmission of information and knowledge and imply innovation development. Both models are rooted in the context of poststructuralist practice theory and transformative learning theories. Advantages and deficiencies of the analysed models direct the practical use of action learning or communities of practice.