Placements as Communities of Practice (CoP): Insights from a student and a lecturer’s exploration of CoP in a placement module in higher education

Placements are becoming an integral part of undergraduates’ experiences of higher education. They are offered in various subject areas, including education, and can be taken by students as different types of work-based experiences, such as placements. The literature supports this focus on placement experiences through the publication of long lists of benefits for students, universities and employers. However, there is also evidence of limitations in placement experiences that hinder this generalised view of placements as beneficial. Therefore, this article offers a reflective account by a lecturer and a student of their experience of using the framework of Communities of Practice (CoP) and socio-cultural concepts in a placement module in higher education. Through this reflective account, the article argues that CoP, as a framework for social learning rooted in participation, can support students to engage with the setting, people and knowledge in the placement when integrated into a module. The article also suggests the need to consider additional features of the placement experience, such as structure and pedagogical approaches, thus offering valuable insights to other placement modules in the UK and beyond.