Building capacity through sustainable engagement: lessons for the learning community from the GraniteNet Project

Article


Arden, Catherine, McLachlan, Kathryn and Cooper, Trevor. 2009. "Building capacity through sustainable engagement: lessons for the learning community from the GraniteNet Project." Australian Journal of Adult Learning. 49 (1), pp. 75-101.
Article Title

Building capacity through sustainable engagement: lessons for the learning community from the GraniteNet Project

ERA Journal ID20795
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsArden, Catherine (Author), McLachlan, Kathryn (Author) and Cooper, Trevor (Author)
Journal TitleAustralian Journal of Adult Learning
Journal Citation49 (1), pp. 75-101
Number of Pages27
Year2009
PublisherAdult Learning Australia
Place of PublicationCanberra, Australia
ISSN1443-1394
Abstract

This paper reports an exploration into critical success factors for the sustainability of the partnership between the University of Southern Queensland and the Stanthorpe community during the GraniteNet Phoenix Project -- the first phase of a three-phase participatory action research project conducted during 2007-2008. The concepts of learning community, social capital, university-community engagement and partnerships, and co-generative learning through participatory action research and evaluation are brought together to provide a framework for evaluating the sustainability and efficacy of the university-community relationship in the context of the GraniteNet project. Implications of the findings for the ongoing sustainability of the partnership are discussed, as well as for the relevance and utility of identified critical success factors. The paper also discusses implications of the findings for university-community engagement partnerships that utilise participatory action research and evaluation processes to build capacity through co-generative learning.

Keywordsaction research; project Phoenix; learning
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020390201. Education policy
390303. Higher education
441001. Applied sociology, program evaluation and social impact assessment
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Byline AffiliationsFaculty of Education
Community Development Services, Australia
Stanthorpe Shire Council, Australia
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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