Types of learning communities

Focus of
Learning

Group Size
and
Composition
Key
Components

Benefits

Limits/
challenges

Professional Learning
Community (PLC)

Community of Practice
(CoP)

Professional Learning
Network (PLN)

School-wide focus on
improvement of student
learning within one school
through regular face-to-face
discussion, inquiry and data
collection

Blended learning strategy

that creates opportunities to
address both professional
and personal goals with a
small group of educators
who share an identified
domain of interest

Personal use of social

media and online searches
to find and share resources
that match professional
development interests

All teachers on staff or

grade/subject groups
Formal and may be
mandated
Developed by members
based on group goals
Teachers work together to
analyze data and improve
student learning
Members are formally
accountable to the group
Occurs regularly during
school hours over a school
year
Becomes part of onsite
regular professional
development
Builds community among
staff
Academic gains for
students
Top-down management
may decrease the
effectiveness
Small membership and
single location may limit
ideas generated

Varies small (10 50) to

large (more than 100)
Practitioners in a common
profession or area of
interest

Infinite
Includes all the people one
learner connects with
online, anywhere in the
world
Informal and voluntary,
Initiated by a sponsor, has often described as do it
one or more facilitators,
yourself learning
purpose and activities are
Individuals use social
developed by all participants networking and online tools
Learners collaborate to
such as websites and wikis
share and create knowledge to find resources on
in an area important to
personal learning interests
them
Short or long-term,
Has a life span, typically
dependent on individuals
over one school year
interests, motivation and
professional needs
Invites those who have a
Highly relevant to one
stake in finding answers to
learner
be part of the search
Global possibilities greatly
Offers solutions based on
increase learning resources
real-world experiences
Can connect with learning
network at any time or
location
The onus is on the
Quality dependent on
individual to reach out to
facilitator's skills and
make connections
members commitment to
Quality and accuracy of
share
information may vary
Focus may be perceived as Time spent online may be
limited
significant