User-generated content effectiveness in co-creation of online higher educational services

Improvement of student services is increasingly important for institutions providing higher education in today's competitive market. Consequently, leveraging the online content generated by students is an effective means of actively involving customers in the educational process. As a result, the co-creation of innovative educational services through user-generated content (UGC) has become imperative. Engaging students in the service development process requires the adoption of an appropriate New Service Development (NSD) model, enabling the implementation of a co-creation strategy. The present study investigates this phenomenon by examining user-generated content on a website dedicated to higher education services. Employing the thematic analysis approach, 46 themes were identified that can be utilized in the development of new higher educational services. The findings demonstrate the potential of user-generated content in implementing a co-creation strategy at every stage of the new service development process.