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Social innovation

Understanding Social Innovation

A 2-week introductory e-course on what social innovation is, why it matters, and how it differs from traditional innovation.

13 lessons · about 5 h of lessons · 8 h total · Beginner · Taught by Jaseel C K, Naji Mahfood

This 2-week course provides an introductory exploration into social innovation, focusing on the fundamentals, its significance, and how it differs from traditional innovation.

Through a combination of reading materials, assignments, and quizzes, participants will learn to understand the need for social innovation in addressing pressing societal issues. They will also explore real-world examples of successful social innovations and understand how these solutions differ from general innovation practices. This course is designed for individuals interested in understanding the role of innovation in driving social change.

Course details

  • Course duration: 2 weeks
  • Total learning hours: 8 hours (2 hours per day for 4 days per week, including reading, assignments, and quizzes)

Course objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  1. Define social innovation and its importance.
  2. Identify the key characteristics that differentiate social innovation from traditional innovation.
  3. Analyze examples of successful social innovations.
  4. Understand the global and local needs that drive social innovation.

What is inside

Module 1: Week 1 · Day 1–2: What is social innovation?

  • Reading Defining social innovation (20 min)
  • Reading Why does it matter? (15 min)
  • Quiz Quiz: Defining social innovation (10 min)

Module 2: Week 1 · Day 3–4: Why society needs it

  • Reading Pressing societal issues (20 min)
  • External link Explore the global goals (20 min)
  • Assignment Assignment: A problem near me (45 min)

Module 3: Week 2 · Day 1–2: Social vs traditional innovation

  • Reading Key differences (20 min)
  • Reading Characteristics of social innovations (15 min)
  • Quiz Quiz: Social vs traditional innovation (10 min)

Module 4: Week 2 · Day 3–4: Learning from real examples

  • Reading Examples from India and the world (25 min)
  • Reading Local needs, local solutions (15 min)
  • Assignment Assignment: Analyse a social innovation (60 min)
  • Quiz Final quiz: Understanding Social Innovation (15 min)