Design for Social Innovation (5 op)

Tavoitteet

The students will be able to
• explain the role of design and innovation in fostering positive social and (environmental) impact
• recognize opportunities to solve societal problems through design and critically analyse their impact
• use design methods to develop and manage social innovation processes together with the (future) beneficiaries

Oppimateriaali ja suositeltava kirjallisuus

Academic and case literature on social innovation. For example:

Manzini, E. (2014). Making things happen: Social innovation and design. Design issues, 30(1), 57-66.

Murray, R., Caulier-Grice, J., & Mulgan, G. (2010). The open book of social innovation. London: National endowment for science, technology and art.

The list is subject to changes. A complete literature list will be provided on Canvas.

Toteutustapa

"Design for Social Innovation" course focuses on providing students with a holistic and immersive learning experience that equips them with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to address pressing social challenges through innovative design solutions. Students will gain an understanding of social innovation through theory, individual self-study assignments, a group project assignment, and contact sessions (both in-person and online). The course revolves around experiential learning, practical engagement, and the development of a deep sense of empathy and social responsibility. Students will leave the course with the ability to initiate positive change in society through collaboration with real case organization's challenge and by injecting innovative design solutions into their own environment/practice.

For the "Design for Social Innovation" course, a real local organization will be selected to be a case study to provide real context, giving students the opportunity to work on authentic social issues.

Participation in contact sessions is mandatory, in order to achieve successful collaboration around projects.

Blended learning implementation:

A Canvas learning environment is used to support the implementation. The study unit includes scheduled teaching and guidance both on campus and online. Online teaching is not recorded. The study unit includes working in groups. You will receive individual feedback for assignments from the teacher, and working life or peer feedback may also be utilised.

Työelämäyhteistyö ja/tai TKI

The "Design for Social Innovation" course represents a collaborative effort between Holis School, an external case organization, and Laurea University, fostering Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) in the field of social innovation. This partnership provides students with an engaging and immersive social learning experience, underpinned by a real case project design practice, thereby promoting the development of innovative solutions to address real-world social challenges and advance the knowledge and practice of social innovation. Through this collaboration, students can engage with practical real-world projects and directly collaborate with organizations, benefiting from Holis' extensive experience in working with these organizations.

Toteutuksen tärkeät päivämäärät

The Canvas online learning environment opens on 26 January. Before the first contact session, students will do a self-study pre-assignment.

The first contact day will be held at Laurea Leppävaara campus. The location for the second contact day might change and will be communicated closer to the course start. The third and fourth contact days are online (Zoom).

Kansainvälisyys toteutuksella

The course is developed and implemented in collaboration with an international instructor, enriching the learning experience with diverse perspectives. Additionally, the course welcomes a diverse and dynamic international student group, fostering a rich exchange of ideas, and experiences, further enhancing the global dimension of social innovation education.

The course instructor team includes Justyna Turek, a renowned professional in social innovation and sustainable design. With expertise in design research, process facilitation and sustainability consulting, she has worked across diverse industries and internationally for more than 10 years. As the CEO of Holis, she's driven innovation and transformative solutions for NGOs and non-profits. Justyna's proactive approach and ability to turn ideas into action have made her a respected leader. Her role as one of the “Design for Social Innovation” course instructors ensures students benefit from her practical experience in social innovation and sustainable design.

Toteutuksen valinnaiset suoritustavat

All students are entitled to demonstrate their competence. The recognition and accreditation of prior competence is initiated by the students themselves. The competence is recognised and accredited by the teacher responsible for the studies or another person designated to the position. The assessment is carried out according to the same assessment criteria and, as a rule, same grading scale as that adopted for the corresponding study unit or module. The student is entitled to apply for accreditation of prior competence regardless of where, how and when the competence has been acquired. The student may also seek accreditation of competence to be acquired on the job as part of their degree (work-based learning). ... The student is responsible for demonstrating and verifying their competence and for providing sufficient information.

Opiskelijan ajankäyttö ja kuormitus

5 credits is equal to approximately 135 hours of work.

Sisältö ja sen jaksotus

"Design for Social Innovation" course focuses on providing students with a holistic and immersive learning experience that equips them with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to address pressing social challenges through innovative design solutions. Students will gain an understanding of social innovation through theory, individual self-study assignments, a group project assignment, and contact sessions (both in-person and online). The course revolves around experiential learning, practical engagement, and the development of a deep sense of empathy and social responsibility. Students will leave the course with the ability to initiate positive change in society through collaboration with real case organization's challenge and by injecting innovative design solutions into their own environment/practice.

For the "Design for Social Innovation" course, a real local case partner will be selected to be a case study to provide real context, giving students the opportunity to work on authentic social issues.

The course format encompasses various key components to ensure a comprehensive learning journey. These elements include introduction to social innovation (theory), team building, group work (collaboration), understanding the challenge (design brief, collaboration with a partnering NGO), reflective time, peer-to-peer exchange, social innovation methodology and tools, development and prototyping of the solution and final project presentation.

This course format is designed to offer a balanced blend of theory, practice, and real-world engagement, ensuring that students not only grasp the theoretical foundations of social innovation but also gain practical experience in applying their knowledge to address authentic social challenges.

Arviointiasteikko

H-5

Lisätiedot

The study unit corresponds to the requirements of Master's level education.

Sstudents must be present for the first contact teaching session, or they must notify the responsible teacher of their absence to confirm they intend to participate in studies.

If the student has a justified reason for not attending the first contact teaching session or for not notifying the teacher of their intention to be involved in studies in the manner required by the teacher, the student must contact the responsible teacher to agree on participation in the studies. Their registration for the study unit will be rejected, of the student does not notify the teacher of being absent from the first contact teaching session or the reason for their absence cannot be considered justified, Another student who is in line for the study unit can be selected in their place.

The study unit has a quota of 10 study places reserved for Open UAS.