A research partnership

A research partnership needs to be cultivated and nurtured – through open exchanges of information and expertise that forge a shared understanding on the way to building new knowledge.  Our large and dispersed project team of over 20 researchers and 15 partners has worked hard in the last year to build strong collaborative relationships through regular meetings, communication and consultation. From Malmo to Grand Rapids, Auckland to Brisbane and Sydney to Adelaide – our Melbourne based team connect by video conference, face to face meetings, email and phone regularly with all our partners.

Last week we held our annual meeting of all partners and project team members to discuss progress and inform future directions.  While there was much for the team to present in terms of progress and findings, the focus of the day was on discussion, consultation and sharing information.

Our large group of partners from government, business and education bring a rich and diverse range of perspectives, discipline knowledge and expertise, which inform both our approach to research and dissemination.  One partner compared our project to a railway network, where trains (partners/ideas/opportunities) enter a turntable (our core activities/focus) and leave in a new direction.  We are building a network, both within the project group, and beyond in order to tackle some big questions:

• What is it that space makes possible, that was not possible before?
• What can be done to assist teachers to use the spaces they have more effectively?
• What happens when the teachers recognise these new possibilities?

In building this network it is important that we create a map – so that our directions and intent are clear. Sharing our progress with others is part of this, read more …