Description Methods, processes and best practices are the "how-to’s" of a coherent and comprehensive knowledge system, organized, packaged, and disseminated in such a way that they can be skillfully used by those who will take the community’s knowledge to practice in their own environments. Methods, processes and best practices are both based on and derived from the community’s philosophy, theory and principles. They include handbooks, workbooks and other guides; exercises, tools, and sets of learning activities; sets of instructions, ranging from the simple to the highly complex; assessment or evaluation instruments; course syllabi or workshop outlines; and, many other forms.
Example NewWorkSpaces is, in itself, one example of a "how to" that is both based on and derived from a philosophy, theory and principles. In this case, the philosophy, theory and principles were developed by associates of The Berkana Institute (), and can be reviewed at www.newworkspaces.net.
The NewWorkSpaces "how to" materials and offerings consist of:
Four online social spaces or processes for learning-in-community (Discover, Invent, Experiment, Influence), each of which includes four activities, which are organized by a brief description of the activity, a set of questions for reflection, a brief guide to actions to be taken, and reference to tools and resources that are available to support the activity.
A collaborative technology that supports the work of communities of practice in searchable profiles, discussions, document creation and sharing, and other online functions
Training for Design Teams and Coaches who offer guidance to communities of practice in using NewWorkSpaces social processes and collaborative technology
Downloadable and print-version materials that support face-to-face communities of practice
Steps Steps for designing methods, processes and best practices include:
Determining who the adopters of these materials will be; what their purposes and intentions are; the context in which the materials will be used; the ages, learning styles, prior experience, and sophistication of the users; what barriers exist in using the materials in this environment; and, other issues adoptees are facing in their own work.
Choosing the best means of organizing and packaging information, based on the information above and the user’s needs and expectations. Making the best decisions about packaging is often a matter of consulting with designers of training materials, technical writers, graphic designers or other professionals.
Deciding on the level of support that is required to readily adopt or adapt the materials developed and designing appropriate support, which could include instructor guides, multi-media materials, practitioner workshops, train-the-trainers, and other offerings.
Identifying any licensing, certification, copywrite or other arrangements that may restrict or limit usage, and developing processes for managing and monitoring compliance.
Developing processes for obtaining user feedback, input and engagement, including user conferences; interviews, questionnaires and focus groups; mail-in forms, or other methods.
Check Good methods, processes and best practices developed by your community of practice will be, among other things:
Supportive of your community’s knowledge vision, purpose, and intentions
Consisent with your community’s philosophy, theory, and principles
Situated in context, so that users will understand the context in which they were developed and the contexts for which they are intended
Supported by guidance for adoption or adaptation for specific audiences
Explicit in direction, offering the user step-by-step guidance for their use
More Excellent materials for designing training methods, including distance and online learning are available at . The American Society for Training and Development is also an excellent resource for developing methods, processes and best practices ().
