About this course
Welcome to this e-learning module on co-creation in public services!
The aim is to provide a training on what co-creation is and how co-creation may be utilized to develop public welfare service value for its beneficiaries, especially those called “hard to reach” and so contribute for a more democratic society. Our ambition is that this MOOC will function as a catalyst to empower and strengthen you as current or future service actor – manager or service practitioner!
Background knowledge
You will most likely have a particular reason for studying the Co-creation MOOC and you most likely have some contextual knowledge of public management and service production. However, also those of you with a more general interest in co-creation and its ways (approaches, know how) or with little or no pre-understandings of any public service context may also engage in the course to your own level of ambition.
The sources
The course is built upon the findings and insights from an EU-funded research and innovation project (Co-creation of Service Innovation in Europe, CoSIE), involving ten pilots from nine countries (UK, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Hungary, Spain and Italy) implemented and explored in collaboration with research teams from thirteen universities.
Target group
This MOOC is open for any student or service professional (manager or service staff) interested in how co-creation in public service may be discussed, implemented, assessed or disseminated is free of charge. It is a self-pace MOOC without supervision from teachers. This means that you are in control what parts you want to engage in; how you want to plan for your studies, your level of engagement and the output of the learning.
The layout
In this MOOC you will find a section “Pilot Level Findings” with more detailed illustrations from all these pilots, and a Section “Project Level Findings ”researchers, practitioners and beneficiaries reflections on different aspects of co-creation in public service.
Under the section “Pilot Level Findings” you have access to 10 local co-creation pilots in 9 countries to allow you to explore major factors facilitating or obstructing cocreation in their contexts (system), their approach to co-creation ethics and used tools (catalysts).
Under the section “Project Level Findings” you are offered general project insights organized under the three topics – ‘system’, ‘ethical compass’ and ‘catalysts’ Additionally, project researchers’ and practitioners’ offer their video reflections on selected questions from these broad themes related to co-creation in public services.
All teaching and learning activities are designed in a way that could be utilized for self-reflecting exercises such as under “Project Level Findings” and in the “Students portfolio”.
Certificate and where to use it
The course has no formal syllabus and will not result in any credits but it has three major intended learning outcomes (ILO). Upon completion of the course, you should be able to:
- Reflect upon the conceptual variety of understandings of co-creation, Also, how the context may influence the co-creation process, its drivers and obstacles.
- Assess the benefits of different methods and tools for co-creation, especially in relation to the students’ own (present or intended) service context and its conditions.
- Reflect upon the ethical compass of co-creation and what it may require from individuals, organisations and service systems.
To be able to finish the MOOC all questions need to be answered but the reflections are delimited in size. In the end, you will be able to extract a CoSIE certification in a PDF format that ensures that you had fulfilled the tasks given. On this certification, your reflections will be printed to accompany the certificate.
It is up to you whether to use “Student portfolio”, but good reflections can for example be important to bring with you to the job interview and be handed over as an important document that shows your competence!