6.976/MAS.962/HST.481/SP.716
ICT4D: Information and Communication Technologies
for Development
Class Meetings
Term: Spring 2008
Prereq.: None; the course is open to both graduates and undergraduates
U, G: 3-1-5 (9 units)
Size: 30 students
Cross-listings
Undergraduate Design Lab:
SP.716: D-lab II - ICT4D
6.976: D-lab II - ICT4D Information and Communications Technologies for
Development
HST.481: D-lab II - ICT4D Information and Communications Technologies for
Development
Graduate Design Lab:
MAS.962: Special Topics in Media Technology: Information and
Communications Technologies for Development
6.976: D-lab II - ICT4D Information and Communications Technologies for
Development
Course Description
D-Lab II-ICT4D is a design studio course in which students learn about, and work on, applications of information and communication technologies (ICT) for use in developing countries and underserved communities. Students work in multidisciplinary teams on term-long projects in collaboration with community partners, field practitioners, and experts in relevant fields. They will be expected to leverage hands-on technical skills in both mobile and fixed digital technologies together with social insight in order to address relevant development problems in areas such as health, microfinance, entrepreneurship/economic innovation, education, and civic activism/people empowerment. Emphasis will be placed on projects aiming to serve actual underserved communities (through international project partner organizations). Students with technically viable, sustainable projects may apply to obtain funding for travel and stay in their target communities, in order to truly understand the constraints faced when designing for developing countries (subject to guidelines and limitations).
The course will consist of in-class discussion, guest speakers, hands-on labs, and a guided design process with reviews by experts and professionals in design and international development. This course builds on SP.721; however, it is not a required prerequisite. D-Lab II-ICT4D is also a partner course to SP.722/2.722J D-Lab II: Design (at the undergraduate level), as well as MAS 664 Digital Innovations and MAS 665 Developmental Entrepreneurship (at the graduate level).
We welcome students with a past background in this area as well as those interested in learning more and getting involved. In the event that the class is oversubscribed, students will be selected based on their personal interest and skills as stated in the online course questionnaire to achieve the right mix within student teams during the course.
Course Goals
* To understand the impact that ICTs can have in low-income communities in
developing countries
* To learn to design, implement, and apply ICTs that are technically appropriate and
socially informed, so as to enable true and sustainable adoption
* To practice creative design in an extreme, real-world context
* To learn evaluation methods and metrics for the impact of ICT projects on the ground
* To help shape the vision of how connectivity can bring about social and economic
improvement for low-income people, in qualitatively new ways
Instructors
Course Assistants
Project Partners
Course Structure
This course has two components: "lecture" and "lab". For the most part, the "lecture" component shall be scheduled for Tuesday class, and the "lab" component for Thursday's class; however, special lectures and case studies are interspersed throughout. The "lecture" component focuses on teaching and discussing general topics, while the lab component focuses on enabling and supporting students as they work on their projects. Lectures consist of a 90 min session, once a week, wherein instructors and guest speakers will lead class discussion and present case studies on key development topics. Labs consist of a separate session, once a week, which will include hands-on work, discussions on particular technical topics, as well as scheduled meetings between student groups with their Project Advisors.
E-mail Lists, Blog and Website
Project Teams
All Project Partners will present their projects to the class on Thursdays: Feb. 7th and Feb. 14th.
Each student will rank his/her preferred 4 projects, and send them to the Course Assistants; they will seek to accommodate everyone’s main preferences. We will seek to balance all teams with complementary skills between their members; teams will have between 4 and 6 members
Each project will have a Project Advisor to provide local guidance to student teams.
Requirements and Grading
This is a 9 unit class: 90 minutes a week will be spent in class lecture sessions, 60 mins will be spent in scheduled labs and group meetings, and the remaining time will be spent doing research and team design projects. Because much of the work for this class will be done during class and lab time, attendance is essential. Students missing a class meeting should notify their teammates in advance and make arrangements to make up the work.
Deliverables are:
• Class participation and attendance: 20%
• Final Presentation: 20%
• Final Project, Weekly Blog and Documentation: 60%
Final Project: teams should aim to demonstrate a working prototype, and a document its ‘Sustainability Plan’. Teams will be interdisciplinary including both graduates and undergraduates. A short, simple weekly blog will be required from teams to monitor their progress.
Grading will be team-based; teams themselves should agree on the specific deliverables of each member to ensure a proper distribution of work and responsibilities.
Additional Resources