Strengthening the Knowledge of Cooperatives Among Social and Healthcare Students Through Online Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to gather course material for a future online course on cooperatives for social and healthcare students at Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku UAS). The thesis was commissioned by two principal lecturers at Turku UAS and had as its starting point the larger KEMUSOTE project, in which Turku UAS investigated the feasibility of the cooperative model in providing social, healthcare, and well-being services in sparsely populated areas. Service design methods and tools were used to develop course material for an online course and to answer the research questions: 1) what do social and healthcare students want and need to know about cooperatives? and 2) how is an online course best structured to increase social and healthcare students’ interest in cooperatives? Theory related to service design, online learning, innovation pedagogy used at Turku UAS, and cooperatives was discussed. Material produced during the KEMUSOTE project was analyzed and benchmarking of courses on cooperatives, a survey, and an interview with a subject matter expert were conducted. Finally, cooperative course structure and course material were ideated, co-developed, and prototyped. The insights gathered during the project and thesis were compiled into a suggested course structure in the form of a course framework and storyboard as well as personas and suggested course material. Suggested course material included a PowerPoint presentation and instructions for a group project that made use of a modified Business Model Canvas. The recommendations were that mentorship, social interactions, and easily approachable course content be taken into consideration when planning the online course on cooperatives.