PBAF537A -- SCHEDULE

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September 27 Introduction

October 2 ICT4D: Why all the fuss?

Warschauer, Introduction & Chapter 1

UNDP. (2001). Human Development Report 2001: Making new technologies work for human development . New York , NY : UNDP. Chapter 2.
[Available online: http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2001/en/ ]

Feather, J. (2003). Theoretical perspectives on the information society. In S. Hornby and Z. Clarke (Eds.), Challenge and change in the Information Society , (pp. 3-17). London : Facet.
[Available on electronic course reserves]

Mann, C. L. (2003). Information technologies and international development: Conceptual clarity in the search for commonality and diversity. Information Technologies and International Development , 1 (2), 67-79
[UW electronic subscription]

October 4 Rethinking the “Digital Divide”

Castells, M. (1999). Information technology, globalization and social development (UNRISD Discussion Paper No. 114). Geneva , Switzerland : UNRISD
[Electronic course reserves]

Cisler, S. (2005). What's the Matter with ICT? Unpublished paper.
[Electronic course reserves]

Verhovek, S. (2000) “Bill Gates Turns Skeptical On Digital Solution's Scope,” New York Times , November 3, 2000.
[Electronic course reserves]

Mansell, R. (2002). From digital divides to digital entitlements in knowledge societies. Current Sociology , 50 (3), 407-426
[Electronic course reserves]

October 9 Global Efforts to Address ICT4D: Case -- The Asia Foundation

(Guest: San Ng, Asia Foundation)

This session will introduce you to a selection of Asia Foundation programs that up to three groups will work on for their class projects.

Asia Foundation program on Information & Communications Technology. Read overview and descriptions of program areas (eGovernance, ICT for Economic Growth, eCivil Society)

http://asiafoundation.org/ICT/overview.html

Warschauer, pp. 172-191

Andy Carvin and Mark Surman ed., From the Ground Up: The Evolution of the Telecentre Movement , Introduction & Empowering
[Available online: http://ebook.telecentre.org/]

October 11 Telecenters: Answer to the Access Dilemma?

*Current Topic discussion #1

Warschauer, Chapter 4.

“Behind the Digital Divide,” Economist , March 12, 2005, Vol. 374, Iss 8417, p. 21.
[Electronic course reserves]

“The Real Digital Divide: Technology and Development,” Economist , March 12, 2005, Vol. 374, Iss 8417, p. 9.
[Electronic course reserves]

Ernest Wilson, Michael Best, and Dorothea Kleine, “Moving Beyond the ‘Real Digital Divide,'” Information Technologies and International Development, March 2005, Vol 2., No. 3: iii-v.
[UW electronic subscription]

Proenza, F. (2001). Telecenter sustainability: Myths and opportunities. Journal of Development Communication , 12 (2), December 2001.
[Electronic course reserves]

Leech, B. (2002). Asking Questions: Techniques for semistructured interviews. Political Science and Politics, Vol. 35, No. 4 (December 2002), pp. 665-668.
[Electronic course reserves]

October 16 Introduction to Evaluation Research

(Guest: Ricardo Gomez, Microsoft)

This session will introduce you to a selection of organizations supported by Microsoft's Unlimited Potential program. Approximately 7 groups will use these projects as a basis for your research project. For this session, you should first peruse all of the Unlimited Potential project descriptions. Then, select one project and do a little more background research on it -- visit the organization's website, learn a little about the development challenges the program aims to address, etc.

Unlimited Potential project descriptions
[Electronic course reserves]

[Recommended]
Center for Global Development (2006). When will we ever learn: Improving lives through impact evaluation. Chapters 1-3
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/7973

October 18 Access as a multidimensional concept

*Current Topic discussion #2

Warschauer, Chapters 2 (pp. 31-38) & 3

bridges.org. Access to technology must mean more than just computers and connections: bridges.org's 12 Real Access criteria
[Available online: http://www.bridges.org/Real_Access]

October 23 The hole-in-the-wall

*Current Topic discussion #3

Warschauer, Chapters 2 (pp. 38-48) & 5

Dr. Sugata Mitra, Dr. Ritu Dangwal, Shiffon Chatterjee, Dr. Swati Jha, Ravinder S. Bisht and Preeti Kapur (2005). Acquisition of computing literacy on shared public computers: children and the “hole-in-the-wall.” Australasian Journal of Educational Technology , 21(3), 407-426.
[Electronic course reserves]

October 25 E-Government

*Current Topic discussion #4

“Gyandoot: A Cost Benefit Evaluation Study,” Centre for Electronic Governance, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, October 2002
[Electronic course reserves]

Madanmohan Rao, “Bridging the Digital Divide: Gyandoot - The Model for Community Networks. By Rajesh Rajora.” Book Review. New Delhi : Tata McGraw-Hill. 2002, in Information Technologies and International Development , October 2003, Vol. 1., No. 1., 91-93.
[UW electronic subscription]

Re-read Gyandoot references in Warschauer

November 30 E-Government: Gyandoot continued (revised)

*Current Topic discussion #5

No readings

November 1 Puget Sound CTCs

In this session we will conduct an exercise based on your visit to a Puget Sound CTC.

November 6 Internet: How does it all work and why should I know this?

*Current Topic discussion #6

Zuckerman, E., & McLaughlin, A. (2003) Introduction to Internet architecture and institutions. Cambridge , MA : Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School . [available online: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/digitaldemocracy/internetarchitecture.html ]

November 8 The Wireless Revolution

*Current Topic discussion #7

Best, M. (2003) The Wireless Revolution and Universal Access. In Trends in Telecommunications Reform 2003 , (Chapter 7). Geneva , Switzerland : ITU.
[available online: http://itc.mit.edu/itel/docs/2003/michael_best.pdf]

Leblois, A. (2003). A global standard meets local policies and politics. The Wireless Internet Opportunity for Developing Countries . Wireless Internet Institute, World Times, Inc. pp. 7-14.
[Electronic course reserves]

Galperin, Hernan (2005). “Wireless Networks and Rural Development: Opportunities for Latin America ,” Information Technologies and International Development , MIT Press. Volume 2, Number 3, Spring 2005, pp. 47-56 (10).
[UW electronic subscription]

November 13 Mobile Phones: A Better answer to the access challenge?

*Current Topic discussion #8

Sullivan, Kevin, “In War-Torn Congo , Going Wireless to Reach Home,” Washington Post , July 9, 2006, A01.
[Electronic course reserves]

Donner, J. (2004). “Microentrepreneurs and Mobiles: An exploration of the uses of mobile phones by small businesses in Rwanda ,” Information Technologies and International Development , MIT Press. Volume 2, Number 1, Fall 2004, 1-21.
[UW electronic subscription]

November 15 Global Efforts to Address ICT4D: Case – Atlantic Philanthropies

(Guest: Anne Thatcher, Atlantic Philanthropies)

Warschauer, Chapters 6 & 7