ArgLab
Research Projects
Learning in Communities of Practice: an argumentative approach to educational praxis

Argumentation is one of the crucial dimensions of learning at all levels and in different fields. The strategies for developing the quality of arguments and bringing to light the values underlying learning become for this reason crucial. Communities of Practice (CoPs), meaning self-governed learning partnerships among people who share challenges, passions or interests, have not been sufficiently studied in relation to argumentation practices implemented in education. This work aims to establish connections between the core values of CoPs, their meaning for social learning, and the role of argumentation in creating and sustaining such meaning. To fulfill this aim, we will first study existing successful CoPs in the field of education and identify those argumentation practices that best transmit the CoP values of expressibility, accountability, and knowledgeability of the members. We will then apply the findings of our analysis in designing and assessing new CoPs in emerging professional learning fields using philosophical analytical tools.