The starting point of the project to prepare the ground for shaping and facilitating the co-creation of the 35 MOOCs were the activities implemented under WP1 – Analysis of population cohorts and current scenarios of digital health literacy (DHL). A review of key factors, drivers, barriers and trends on digital health literacy was conducted with the purpose of carrying out an analysis of the elements that affect digital health literacy and of identifying evidence-based digital health promoting factors. Secondly, for each project country (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom) the profile of each target group’s levels of digital literacy (DL), health literacy (HL) and digital health literacy (DHL) was compiled (survey, focus groups, analysis of literature and secondary sources).
After the analysis of trends and scenarios on DHL and of IC-Health population cohorts, to pave the way for an effective co-creation process for MOOC development, the activities of WP2 – Co-creation methodology and tools were implemented. The aim was to lead to the establishment of 35 Communities of Practice (one per target group per project country) and to the effective implementation of face-to-face and online co-creation activities.
The activities for WP2 began with the drafting of a co-creation methodology aimed at guiding the co-creation process of the MOOCs with target groups, experts and other relevant stakeholders in project countries. Based on this, national coordinators were provided with theoretical and practical training on the co-creation methodology and the steps to be followed to implement it efficiently. Once the national coordinators were trained, representatives of IC-Health target groups were recruited in eight EU countries (Spain, Belgium, Italy, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden) and organised in Communities of Practice along with health professionals, educators, academics and other practitioners and involved in the co-creation and use of the MOOCs. Their involvement took place both offline and online through a community web-based platform (URL: www.ichealthplatform.eu). This platform is accessible upon registration, and individuals recruited for the Communities of Practice have been invited to register as part of the activities they consent to participate, together with other individuals interested in taking part in project online co-creation.
The tasks implemented under WP1 and WP2 were pivotal for the start of WP3 – Co-creation and MOOC development, which in fact relates with co-creation activities, development, use and fine-tuning of the MOOCs and their evaluation and impact assessment. Partners responsible for co-creation at national level drafted their strategy for carrying out offline and online co-creation, they set their calendar for face-to-face co-creation sessions and then launched offline and online co-creation starting from October 2017 until April 2018. The output of the co-creation process was the development of 35 MOOCs on Moodle Platform (URL:
https://ichealth-moocs.eu/(öffnet in neuem Fenster)). The following phase related with extending the testing of the courses by additional users for further fine-tuning of the MOOCs, whose final version was released at the end of the project (October 2018).
In parallel to WP3 activities, measures for exploitation and sustainability of project results and MOOCs were put in place under WP4. Business models and a tailored methodology for stakeholders' engagement were developed and their outcomes fed a dedicated sustainability strategy for MOOCs further dissemination and exploitation.
