The theory seeks to understand both the structure of communities and how learning occurs in them. The Institute pursues a cross-disciplinary approach to learning research, involving cognitive scientists, organizational anthropologists, and traditional educators.
People organize their learning around the social communities to which they belong.
Therefore, schools are only powerful learning environments for students whose social communities coincide with that school. Knowledge is integrated in the life of communities that share values, beliefs, languages, and ways of doing things. These are called communities of practice . Real knowledge is integrated in the doing, social relations, and expertise of these communities. The processes of learning and membership in a community of practice are inseparable.