290-DRCA: Designing Rural Computing Applications Professor: Tapan Parikh September 2nd, 2008

Today’s Outline 1) Overview 2) Introductions 3) Expectations 4) Neal Lesh

Overview This seminar is about the practice of designing, implementing and evaluating IT projects in the rural developing world Grounded in real applications and real experiences (including insights from several guest speakers)

Introductions

Application Areas Public Health Agriculture Microfinance, Education, other topics based on student interest

Structure Guest Speakers Student-led Discussions Student Blogs In-class Group Exercises

Expectations As a seminar class, your performance will be judged based on participation –Do the readings –Ask questions –Post to your blog –Lead a discussion –Be an active participant

Student Blogs Registered students will be expected to blog about each lecture before the next class –Doesn’t need to be detailed, just insightful :-) Set up a blog by ing (non-iSchoolers: please first visit to request the professor with a link to your blog before the next class

Student-led Discussions Students who want to present topics of their own interest, please me or come to office hours (Wed 2-4 PM, South Hall 303B) Can be a general topic (ICT and Microfinance, Community Health Workers, etc.); or related to your own research and/or experiences

Outcomes Learn how it really is to work in this space Build a community of interested I-School and external researchers Brainstorm about how we can build a full Berkeley course on this topic, while staying grounded in context and real applications (could include extended field work)

For Next Time Set up your blog Subscribe to the mailing list – w/ ‘subscribe drca’ Blog about Neal’s lecture Do the reading for next week –“Establishing Relationships for Designing Rural Information Systems” –See website for link

Neal Lesh Ph.D. in Computer Science (UW), Master in Public Health (Harvard) Working at the intersection of Information Technology and Global Health for the last four years Leader in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Mobile Health communities If you have unanswered questions, stick around after the lecture