Technology for Developing Communities 16-871 or 08-790
Next offered in Fall 2009

Units: 12

This graduate course studies meaningful ways to use advanced technologies to support developing communities worldwide. It focuses on communities that include the poorest 4 billion people: people who today lack access to modern technologies and infrastructure. We focus on the broad space of computing, information and communications technologies which include robotics, sensor networks, etc.

The course provides an overview of social and economic aspects of development as well as technologies in the context of development. A key goal is examination of advanced technologies as applicable to sustainable development.

Because of the nature of the subject, this course will be broad and interdisciplinary. It will cover the basics of technology, economics, and policy, and we expect students to explore specific areas of interest in depth on their own (from either a technical, policy, or interdisciplinary perspective). Each student will carry out a project of the student's design, working individually on in small groups. Example topics for student projects have included: participatory GIS for empowerment, critique of the $100 Laptop, developing a computer-based English literacy tutor for Ghana, and a cost-benefit analysis of pre-paid metering for water in developing countries.

This course has no pre-requisites, and is open graduate students in all disciplines. There will be no final exam, and the project will make a significant portion of the grade.

This class has been taught several times previously (under slightly different names - ICT4B and T&D4B) and students have gone on to publish their project work or expanded it into further research.

Official website for this course

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