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Book Reviews  Homework 1  Homework 2  Homework 3  Homework 4  Homework 5  Homework 6  Homework 7  Homework 8  Homework 9

Workload There will be 9 weekly assignments, along with 2 book review assignments. You are expected to complete at least 7 of the weekly assignments along with the two book reviews. (Assignments submitted beyond 7 will be treated as extra credit). Assignment policies All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day it is due. If it is not submitted through the course web site at that time, it is considered late. Since class only meets once a week, it is imperative that you turn in assignments on time. For each day it is late, 10% will be deducted from the grade. Assignments more than four days late will not be graded. Reading response papers Description: Every other week you will prepare a short paper in response to the readings you have done for the week. These papers are designed as an opportunity for you to think critically about the week’s readings and reflect on the themes of the course. These papers are not to act as a summary of the readings, rather an intellectual response to them. Answer the following: State the article you are writing the response to. What problem, if any, was the project attempting to solve? Choose at least two of the following questions to address: In this context, how do constraints or contextual/cultural factors impact design decisions? What do you see as issues for adoption in this particular case? What are the opportunities or barriers for adoption? Thinking to other readings we’re read or experience you may have had in developing countries, what critiques or comments do you have to offer in reference to this article? Technological critiques: Do you have additional technological critiques or alternative technical solutions to the ones offered in this article? If so, what would you advise? Please proofread to make sure your concepts are clear and free from typographical errors. Due dates: Week 3, 5, 7, and 9 Length: 2-3 pages Assessment: You will be assessed on the thoughtfulness of your response, clarity of concepts, and completeness. Technical research papers Description: Every other week you will prepare a short technical research paper in response to a specific design problem. In general, the scenario for the design problem is that you are a consultant being hired to bring about a technical solution to a specific problem in a specific country. Each technical research paper will have a more details about the specific problem and how to choose a specific country. You are expected to spend some time researching the topic and include at least three credible sources. Like much work in the area of ICTD, there is no one correct solution or answer to the problems posed in these assignments. Feel free to be creative in your discussion of technical solutions, but take into serious consideration the constraints or situation in the region or country you will be designing for. As a consultant, there is a bounded budget for this - so your write up should represent 5 billable hours. Please proofread to make sure your concepts are clear and free from typographical errors. Please cite the sources of research (please do not use Wikipedia as a primary source for this assignment). Due date: Week 2, 4, 6, and 8 Length: 2-3 pages Assessment: You will be assessed on clarity of concepts, completeness, and technical feasibility. Book reviews Description: During the quarter you will be asked to read and write a review on two books related to development and the themes from the course. A book review is both a description of the topic of the book but also a critical analysis of its content. You should state the topic of the book but also provide a personal response. Consider the following structure for a book review. What is the theme or thesis of the book? What are the main arguments the author states in the book? What are your responses or reactions to the arguments: do you find them compelling, contradictory, well thought out, problematic? What do you agree or disagree with? How does the book’s topic or content relate to the course themes? What role computing technology would play in addressing issues raised by the book? Due date: April 30 and June 4 Length: 2000 words (About 4 pages single spaced) Assessment: You will be assessed on clarity of concepts, completeness, thoughtfulness of your response and your ability to link the book content to course themes.

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