Design of Product-Service Systems for Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care

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Perustieteiden korkeakoulu | Master's thesis
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Date

2017-10-04

Department

Major/Subject

Service Design and Engineering

Mcode

SCI3022

Degree programme

Master's Programme in ICT Innovation

Language

en

Pages

75 + 6

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Abstract

Over the last decades, the Finnish education system has often reached the top position in international rankings, backed-up by the results of well-established international evaluations such as PISA. Along with the good reputation, there has been a surge in educational tourism and an increased interest in bringing Finnish education into other countries. This thesis aims to provide a deeper insight on the composition of the Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services and how their packaging, export, distribution, adaptation and execution can be improved with the help of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). This exploratory study follows an abductive approach, combining theoretical and empirical evidence t o determine qualitative and distinctive attributes of Finnish ECEC. It starts with an overview of the national education system, its welfare context, operational characteristics and pedagogical principles. It continues with the analysis of previous academic research related to the productization and export of Finnish education, distinguishing common characteristics and models applicable to the ECEC level. The background research finalizes with a detailed description of existing service theories and their evolution over time, leading into the field of Service Design (SD). This discipline and its key concepts are presented as a holistic and comprehensive approach to model complex product-service combinations, such as the ones found in Finnish ECEC. The second half of the thesis is the exploratory case study of a Finnish start-up that wants to sell an ECEC franchise. The author’s own observations while working inside the company are validated through SD workshops to determine the key process areas and stakeholders involved in the current business strategy. Based on the case study and the theoretical framework, the author proposes recommendations for the company and other practitioners, aiming to clarify their offerings and devise an efficient use of various technological solutions that facilitate the export of Finnish ECEC products and services.

Description

Supervisor

Smolander, Kari

Thesis advisor

N/A, N/A

Keywords

early childhood education and care, education export, services, service design, productization, social informatics

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-201710307369

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[dipl] Perustieteiden korkeakoulu / SCI