- Certificates of Completion will be issued by Synergia Co-operative Institute and Athabasca University for those who complete the MOOC.
- Graduate degree credits from Athabasca University will be offered on completion of the credit requirements.
Like all MOOCs, participants can explore just the module topics and skills that they need to help them understand and address climate change or basic needs provision. That said, we encourage all participants to consider posting and discussing issues and trying out the reflection exercises for their own self-education. And, while you are free to explore as much or as little as works for you, if you would like a Certificate, however, we offer two kinds with specific modest requirements.
Getting a Certificate
Certificate of Completion Level 1:
Modules 1 and any three additional modules.
For those who want to receive a Level 1 Certificate of completion from Synergia Institute, you should read up on the topics in at least four modules (Module 1 is mandatory and you start there!), make one or more posts each module, and complete all four reflection exercises.
Certificate of Completion Level 2 including Synthesis
You will participate in each module, make one or more posts for each module, complete six or more reflection exercises across modules 1 through 7, and develop a Module 8 Final Synthesis report. There are some options to choose from in Module 8.
Please contact Dr. Mike Gismondi, to ask for a copy of your Certificate upon completion of the requirements for Level 1 or Level 2 at Mikeg@athabascau.ca
Getting University Credit: 2023 Pilot
Towards Cooperative Commonwealth: Transition in a Perilous Century is breaking new ground in educating for system change and mobilizing community action.
This Synergia/Athabasca University collaboration grew out of a multi-year Canadian research program investigating the Canadian and international social and solidarity economies.
As part of the innovation, Athabasca University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and MA Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) program have agreed to pilot an evaluation of the performance of participants who want to receive university credits for their work in the Synergia MOOC.
Successful applicants will register as non-program students in the MAIS (application fees are waived for the pilot). If successful in the MOOC, they would receive three graduate credits (MAIS 5XX) in the Community Studies or Global Studies streams of the MA Interdisciplinary Studies. These will appear as PLAR or Prior Learning Assessment credits. They can be applied to any future application to study for the MA Interdisciplinary Studies at Athabasca University. The MAIS has an open admission policy. See http://mais.athabascau.ca/program/admissions/
Interested participants should check with their home university program to confirm that the Athabasca University credits will transfer to their program. This is a normal precaution.
Alternatively, you may simply wish your achievement (three graduate credits at the MA level on official university transcript) to denote a professional achievement or to show a current or future employer.
Those participants interested in university credit will be required to submit a portfolio of their performance in the Synergia/AU MOOC. You are asked to share samples of your posts and discussions, and five or more of your reflection papers, and to develop a final overall analysis of how the MOOC applies to your changemaking approach and work, and if you are an AU student, how it applies to your studies.
The evaluation process will cost $325 Canadian dollars in 2024 to cover administration costs. We negotiated this savings with MAIS and AU as one step in making higher education slightly more affordable for university students in Canada ( a typical graduate course costs over $1900 CAD). Dr. Gismondi will be your tutor and advisor.
For more information on the application process, please contact Dr. Mike Gismondi mikeg@athabascau.ca
Exception notice for current AU MAIS students: For this pilot, applications from current MAIS students are restricted to no more than six applicants who must be studying in the MAIS Global Studies or Community Studies streams. If some or all of you would like to form a study circle please contact Dr. Gismondi at mikeg@athabascau.ca and I will hook you up.
Participants should contact Dr. Gismondi mikeg@athabascau.ca early in the MOOC to indicate their interest and clarify the process to register as a non-program student, or for MAIS students to go on the short list of six pilot candidates.
We propose to start the evaluation process at the end of Module 8 in June 2024. You will have a month or so to compile and submit your portfolio for review.
Details of the evaluation process will be released upon request.