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| Practices are the "how to’s" of a knowledge system. Depending on the nature of your community’s work, this may include highly developed approaches to a particular set of problems, step-by-step instructions for accomplishing a particular result, a set of training materials, practical exercises, tips and tools, or best practices. In whatever form they are offered, these practical applications are derived from and should be consistent with the philosophy and theory already stated by your community. They should also be placed in context, offering thoughts or guidance about how their use might vary in different environments. They should also be as explicit and complete as possible, such that users can apply them with a minimum amount of confusion.
Reflections
1. What users, in addition to your community members, are most likely to take this new knowledge to practice?
2. What type of "how to’s" are needed to take your philosophy and theory to practice in a particular context?
3. What form will these "how to’s" take, in order to make them most useable and useful for practitioners?
Actions
Review the information at Methods, Processes and Best Practices. Then, in conversation, determine who the users are likely to be, what methods, processes, tools or best practices are needed, and what form they will take. Again, forming pairs or small groups to take on the work of drafting these materials, and putting them forth for the community’s review and comment, may be the most efficient way of doing this work. This may also be a time when the community decides to call upon additional expertise, such as instructional designers, graphic artists, web designers or others, to help document Methods, Processes and Best Practices. . When you have completed developing your system of knowledge, return to The Commons to reflect on your experiences in the Invent Space, and determine your community’s next steps.
Tools and Resources
Methods, Processes and Best Practices | |
