The Centre for Social Partnerships in Lifelong Learning SPiLL was established in 2007 to support and research the interagency and interdisciplinary relationships that enable effective learning in different disciplines, workplaces and training sites. SPiL is based at the Charles Darwin University.
SPiLL’s research seeks to understand and enhance the ways individuals, groups and organisations work together to achieve positive outcomes. It focuses on developing innovative and successful approaches to working, learning and living in remote, regional and urban contexts with Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, necessitates effective partnerships. Partnerships are complex; they involve the recognition of diverse knowledge systems and their interactions as they relate to the worlds of work, community engagement and learning.
SPiLL’s research is aiming to analyse the challenges of working in communities of practice across multi-scale, multi-dimensional and diverse cultural knowledge environments. Issues of diversity of scale, dimension, technology and culture underpin the research centre’s activities, and these issues are recognised as the disconnects that can occur at all levels – between federal and state policy makers, regional bodies, industry partners, scientists and traditional owners.
By understanding the ways groups and individuals work together, and the frameworks that inform their practice, we can build the capacity of communities to address their issues of importance and negotiate complex issues SPILL had a successful strategic planning day that outlined the SPILL researchers’ vision and the three interdisciplinary thematic areas that frame our work:
- Transitions in lifelong learning, teaching and work,
- Transdisciplinary and Indigenous methodologies
- Teaching and learning, and ICT in diverse educational contexts.
