Background: Healthcare services face vast challenges in the years to come, partly due to demographic changes including ageing populations. Innovative solutions are developed and implemented in order to meet future challenges posed by an increment in the population of service receivers with a parallel decrease in the workforce available for providing the services, both in public-, private- and third sector. In line with these changes and according to the Norwegian Qualifications Framework students in bachelor programs are expected to be “familiar with new thinking and innovation processes”. Within the health- and social educational programs, social innovation and entrepreneurship are relevant topics, as well as service design, e-health and welfare technology.
Aim: The aim of the project was to develop innovative and interdisciplinary innovation and entrepreneurial activities for students at the bachelor level. Further, to strengthen the level of competence and the action room for health professionals, using unique, physical and virtual learning environments involving public and private partners
Method: Academic staff (n =85) from four bachelor programs (radiography, optometry and nursing fulltime and part-time) at three different campuses participated in the project. In the first year, the head of departments and bachelor program coordinators participated, and in the second year the group increased as lecturers and supervisors of external practical studies joined in. The project had a workshop-based co-creational design based in bricolage. Participants from different programs identified common challenges, shared ideas and developed common student learning outcomes descriptions.
Findings: The project has resulted in increased interest in and understanding of social innovation and entrepreneurship among academic leaders, program coordinators, as well as lecturers and supervisors in the bachelor programs. Student learning outcomes descriptions, as well as teaching material and assignments related to social innovation and entrepreneurship have been developed and implemented in the bachelor programs, and the course descriptions have been changed accordingly.
Conclusion: The implementation of social innovation and social entrepreneurship in bachelor programs related to health and social services can be facilitated through an interdisciplinary approach, in close cooperation with public-, private- and third sector. Student learning outcomes descriptions, teaching material and assignments developed in this project can probably be adapted to other fields and programs. A major barrier in the implementation of such topics in the bachelor programs is the low level of knowledge among the majority of the academic staff, and consequently poor initiative to implementation.
2. Social innovation and social entrepreneurship
Gullslett_et_al_paper_050617_last_ed.pdf 