I think this is a really neat idea. I've talked with Terry about the course a couple of times over the last year or so. I also think there's a possibility to do some interesting capacity building with faculty as part of the process. If others are interested, this is a model I would like to explore further. I have some contacts in Rwanda that might be interested.
Cheers, Bat On 3/23/12 11:14 AM, "Gaetano Borriello" <gaetano at cs.washington.edu> wrote: >What do you think about this approach to ICTD courses? > >Harnessing Mobile Tech and Students to Promote Development in Kenya >Stanford University (03/19/12) > >Stanford University professors Joshua Cohen and Terry Winograd teach a >course that brings interdisciplinary teams of Stanford students >together with students from the University of Nairobi and local >nongovernmental organizations to design new uses for mobile platforms >that promote human development in Nairobi's informal settlements. >Cohen says the course, called Designing Liberation Technologies, is >premised on the idea that mobile tech is a promising means for >providing jumpstarts in human welfare. He says the reason the class >focuses on using mobile applications in areas of health, education, >and economic development is because mobile is the most rapidly growing >technology, especially in the developing world. The students use a >problem-solving process that involves starting with the potential >users themselves, and then developing insights about how their needs >can be solved with mobile applications, Cohen notes. The projects have >involved locating malaria drugs and checking them for counterfeiting, >helping health workers collect patient information and control patient >workflow, and helping pregnant women save money for prenatal care. The >group is readying the launch of a six-month pilot for the M-Maji >project in five villages in Kibera, which is designed to help people >find clean water, especially during water shortages. > >http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/headlines/cohen-mobile-kenya.html >_______________________________________________ >change mailing list >change at change.washington.edu >http://changemm.cs.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/change
