levels of participation

In any group of decent size, some people will be more involved than others. For years I learned and taught about communities of practice (CoPs) in public health. The principles I learned have applied to pretty much every group I've worked with since. Social theorist Étienne Wenger studied how people participate in a community of practice. These levels of participation are fluid and move from the outside in: Transactional members interact with the community of practice only on occasion. They may dip into a meeting or gathering for help with a problem or to access a community-built resource. Or they may have a specific expertise that they sometimes offer the group.Peripheral participants attend gatherings more often than transactional members. They will observe what happens in the group but rarely take part in the proceedings. Their frequent presence gives them familiarity with the group's activities, vocabulary, and norms.Active members make up about 15-20% of the group. They…