WINTER 2001 SYLLABUS

Draws from multiple disciplines to analyze the opportunities and obstacles the Information Revolution presents for newly developing countries in Latin America. Students develop framework and tool set for formulating, evaluating and recommending possible policy changes and courses of action through case studies. Topics include Internet infrastructure; technology transfer; human capital formation; organizational and cultural issues; challenges of access and opportunity; government policy and the role of the state; the role of the non-profit sectors; strategies for enterprise and program development. Enrollment limited.

Head TA: Heidy Maldonado, heidym@cs.stanford.edu

TA: Stuart Miller, estuart@stanford.edu

Meeting Times: Monday and Wednesday 4:30-6pm Sequoia Teaching Center, Rm. 101

Because several winter quarter holidays fall on class days, the course will meet for an extra evening panel presentation on February 12^th (with dinner) and an additional Friday afternoon session on March 16^th. These sessions are mandatory.

The purpose of the course is to explore from a multidisciplinary perspective the opportunities and obstacles posed by the Internet in Latin America. Invited experts will present theoretical and practical issues in the class sessions. Subsequently, students will work in teams to develop specific country case studies that incorporate information ranging from technical restrictions and economic barriers, to the specifics of

computer science training, to public and private initiatives for Internet expansion.

If you are interested in taking the class, you must fill out the Application Form, and give it to the Course Staff before the end of the first lecture. There will be limited enrollment for the course.

We will email accepted students by Friday, January 12^th. We will also post the Class List outside Bolívar House, as well as outside TCSeq101. Students on the small Waiting List will be similarly notified.

If you are admitted to the class, come prepared on Wednesday, January 17, to "pitch" yourself to your potential teammates. We will be organizing into country teams that day, and you will be asked to give a two-minute presentation on your background and the particular expertise that you would bring to the team.

Prepare for class meetings and, as appropriate, make insightful comments and contributions. In class discussion, do not repeat questions or restate points already made by others; class time is limited. Come prepared to also speak about your group’s progress every meeting, since you will occasionally be called upon to report.

You will be grouped into interdisciplinary teams by the second class meeting and will remain within that team for the rest of the quarter. The number of teams and students per team will be announced during the second class meeting, once the course list stabilizes. The more disciplines and experiences featured in your team, the easier it will be for you to complete the assignments and meet the presentation benchmarks.

Choose your partners wisely and realize that they will be grading your performance as a teammate. You will also get to grade their contribution as a teammate at the end of the quarter in the TPPR. The TPPR is due Monday, March 19^th by 6pm (after the final presentations). We are looking for a very concise reflection and analysis of your team and teammate’s performance, short falls, and team dynamics. Criticism, when due, must be constructively presented. Points will be taken for petty complaining and rambling. The maximum length of the TPPR is three double-spaced pages.

There are two presentations: a mid-quarter presentation and a final presentation. Each team will give a brief (20 minute for mid-quarter; 30 minute for final) presentation of the research it has completed. These reports, which should be accompanied by Power Point slides (or those of a similar product), should highlight the main points of the team’s analysis. The focus should be on analysis, not mere presentation of facts.

Time limits on presentations will be strictly enforced. If your team goes overtime, your team’s grade will suffer. As soon as your time runs out, the next team will be allowed to start its presentation. Time yourselves wisely and rehearse accordingly!

The final presentation must build upon all the research completed during the quarter -- make sure to draw upon, and take into consideration, your team’s previous research. By the end of the quarter, your team should have assembled a comprehensive picture of Internet development in your chosen country.

You decide who will present for your team; not every teammate must present every time.

We are looking for high-quality presentations, that sparkle and sizzle with wit and information, so pick speakers accordingly! Remember that your peers will be grading your presentation and report along with the course’s staff, and that the teams responsible for the best presentations may be invited to participate in an international congress or conference in the spring.

On-line Reports:

On the day of the presentations and prior to class, each team must mount a report on the team’s web page. The web-page report should show what is required to understand the research that has been done and the reasons behind the team’s analysis and conclusions. We will give you specific data-collection benchmarks that must be met, or recommend others.

All the data you are using for your analysis, as well as your presentation slides and written commentary, must be in your group’s web page. You are responsible for maintaining the web page and updating it with the required on-going research. The information presented must be factual, verifiable, and linked to the appropriate areas of your presentation.

Remember that the web-based report is due the day your team presents and before class begins

The web page is your team’s showcase to the world. It will communicate your team’s analysis and results; offer legitimacy when approaching research contacts; and serve as a means to exchange information with other research labs around the world.

Please maintain the reports for each presentation separate and up-to-date. At the end of the quarter, we will take a web-capture of your reports and archive them in the course web site, which you can link for future reference.

Each team must include a feedback option to their web page and post any comments received as well as the responses to them.

You can be as creative with the layout as you want, and although content is the key, the navigability and logic of your page affect access to as well as understanding and utility of the content.