This page will always have the most up-to-date version of the syllabus, class readings, topics for discussion and guest information.

If you are leading the discussion during a particular week, feel free to post discussion questions, additional references, etc.

 

1. Introduction to the class. [Jan 12]

 

[Jan 19: MLK day - no class]

 

I. Information Technologies and Economic Development

 

2. The New Economy: What is it? [Jan 26]

 

NOTE: If the links don't work, google the paper's title and you'll find the up-to-date link. For example, the first paper can be downloaded from a variety of places. At any given point, some will work, some won't, some will require you to be logged into the university library system for access... that's because the web changes constantly, so it's a good idea to develop skills that will allow you to find sources by yourselves.

 

• Pohjola, M. 2002. The New Economy: facts, impacts and policies. Information economics and Policy 14: 133-144. Available at http://hkkk.fi/~pohjola/The%20New%20Economy.pdf
• Quah, D. 2001. Technology Dissemination and Economic Growth: Some Lessons for the New Economy (skip the technical appendix). CEP Discussion Papers No. 0522. Available at http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/DP0522.pdf
• Cohen, S., DeLong, B., Zysman, J. 2000. Tools for thought” What is new and important about the “e-conomy”? BRIE Working Paper #138 (p. 1-40, the rest is optional). Available at http://e-conomy.berkeley.edu/publications/wp/wp138.pdf. doesn't work? check: http://works.bepress.com/brad_delong/6/
•  Benkler, Y. 2006. The Wealth of Networks, Yale U. Press. Chapter 1. available from http://www.benkler.org/wealth_of_networks
• (In case you haven't read it yet..) Shapiro, C. and Varian, H. 1998. Information Rules, HBS press. (read at least chapter 1, available from class Blackboard)

 

 

Guest:

Prof. Hernan Galperin

 

3. The New Economy and Development: The theory [Feb 2]

 

• Castells, Manuel. 1999. Information Technology, Globalization and Social Development. UNRISD Discussion Paper No. 114, September 1999. get it from google
• Steinmueller, E. (2001). ICTs and the possibilities for leapfrogging by developing countries. International Labour Review 140(2): 193-210. get it from google
• Rodríguez, F., &  Wilson, E. 2000.  Are Poor Countries Losing the Information Revolution?. infoDev Working Paper. get it from google
• The Global Information and Communications Technologies Department of the World Bank Group. 2000. The Networking Revolution: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing Countries. infoDev Working Paper. get it from google
• ITU. 2003. World Telecommunications Development Report. Chapter 4: ICTs and the Millennium Development Goals. Available at the ICTs and Poverty Reduction Workspace. get it from google

 

 

4. The New Economy and Development: The Evidence [Feb 9]

 

• Heeks , R. 2008, ICT4D 2.0: The Next Phase of Applying ICT for International Development, IEEE Computer, June 2008 (copy on the class Blackboard) - you may want to read that entire issue of Computer which is a special issue on ICT4D
• Grace, J., Kenny, C., & and Qiang, C. 2001. Information and Communication Technologies and Broad-Based Development: A Partial Review of the Evidence. Available at http://www.tessproject.com/guide/pubs/telecom/ICT_&Broad_Based_Development.pdf
• Hewitt de Alcántara, C. 2001. The development divide in a digital age: An issues paper. UNRISD Discussion Paper, August. Available at http://www.eldis.org/static/DOC12667.htm

 

[Feb 16: Pdt Day Holiday - no class] 

 

5. Mobile phones and developing countries [Feb 23]

Cate Cauguiran and Guoer Cheng

 

6. ICT and Poverty Reduction [Mar 2]

Myriam Benlamlih and Maya Vautier

 

• Underwood, S. 2008. Challenging poverty. Commun. ACM 51, 8 (Aug. 2008), 15-17. DOI= http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1378704.1378710
• Mbarika, V. W., Payton, F. C., Kvasny, L., and Amadi, A. 2006. IT Education and Workforce Participation: A New Era for Women in Kenya? The Information Society 23, 1 (Dec. 2006), 1-18. DOI= http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01972240601057213
• Slater, D, 8 Tacchi, J. 2004. ICT innovations for poverty reduction (Chapter 3). Available
• at http://eprints.qut.edu.au/4398/1/4398.pdf
• Adeya, C. 2002. ICTs and Poverty: A literature review, pp.21-23. Available at http://web.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/10541291550ICTPovertyBiblio.doc
• Spence, R. 2003. Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) for Poverty Reduction: When, Where and How?, executive summary. Available at http://network.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/10618469203RS_ICT-Pov_18_July.pdf

 

7. ICT4D and Gender empowerment [Mar 9]

Natalie Erdelt 

•  Huyer, Sophia & Sikoska, Tatjana (2003). Overcoming the Gender Digital

          Divide: understanding ICTs and their Potential for the Empowerment of Women

            - INSTRAW Research Paper Series No. 1 www.un-instraw.org/en/docs/gender_and_ict/Synthesis_Paper.pdf

•  Hafkin, Nancy J (2002). Are ICTs Gender Neutral? A Gender Analysis of Six Case Studies of Multi-Donor ICT Projects.  www.un-instraw.org/en/docs/gender_and_ict/Hafkin.pdf
•  Hafkin, Nancy J. , Gender Issues in ICT policy in developing countries. www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/ict2002/reports/Paper-NHafkin.PDF

 

[Mar 16: Spring Break - no class]

 

8. Free/Open Source Software [Mar 23]

Bianca Evans

 

Two background articles:

• Weber, S. 2004. Open Source Software in Developing Economies. Available at: http://www.ssrc.org/programs/itic/publications/ITST_materials/webernote2.pdf
• Debroy, B, & Morris, J. 2004. Open Source Software in Developing Economies. Available at: http://www.policynetwork.net/uploaded/pdf/open-to-development-2004.pdf

 Two case studies:

Hoe, N. 2006.The Potential of Free and Open Source Software for Sustainable Human Development: A Compilation of Case Studies from Across the World Breaking Barriers Available at: http://www.unapcict.org/ecohub/resources/breaking-barriers

• Case Study 1: “Connecting Farmers and Buyers: AgriBazaar, Malaysia” p. 52 
• Case Study 2: "Identifying and Controlling Weeds: OSCAR, India" p. 62

 

 

9. ICTs and Education (with special emphasis on Convergence Culture) [Mar 30]

Rafael Lazarini

 

Two background articles:

• The Basic Education Coalition (2004). Teach a Child, Transform a Nation.

http://www.basiced.org/images/teach_a_child_annotated.pdf

• Haddad,W (2007) ICTs for Education - A Reference Handbook

http://www.ictinedtoolkit.org/usere/pdfs/ICTs_for_Education_Essentials.pdf

 

Case studies (Optional)

• Hepp, P. & Laval, E. (2003). Improving Literacy and Numeracy in Poor Schools:The Main Challenge in Developing Countries.

http://crpit.com/confpapers/CRPITV34Hepp.pdf

• Kawooya, D. (2004). Universal access to ICT and lifelong learning: Uganda's experience. New Library World,105 (11), 423 - 428.

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do?contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=1509168&dType=SUB&history=false

Singhal, A. (2007). Popular Media and Social Change: Lessons from Peru, Mexico, and South Africa

http://www.bjwa.org/article.php?id=w7sZNBHztMik65XVP5J1by5UzHRLWV10ZPX087w8

 

Additional Source (Optional)

• Overcoming Inequality: Why. Governance Matters; Education For All 2009 Monitoring Report.

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0017/001776/177683E.pdf

 

 

10. Low Cost Technologies [Apr 6]

Jin Shin and  Amanda Fine

Required

• Out of the Labs and into the Developing World: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/itg/papers/KirkmanJHDarticle.pdf
•  The Microtelco Opportunity: Evidence from Latin America (also attached as a pdf) http://itidjournal.org/itid/issue/view/11

 

Optional:

• The Wireless Revolution and Universal Access: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/digitaldemocracy/best-wirelessrevolution-sept03.pdf
• The Global Information Infrastructure Revisited: http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=52159

• Providing Low-Cost Information Technologies to Rural Communities:

  http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/13/52/7112502.pdf

 

11. Community-based Networks [Apr 13]

Melinda Hurbi

• Rediscovering the Cooperative Advantage http://www.ica.coop/outofpoverty/documents/cooppovertybirchall.pdf
• Can Information and Communications Technology Applications Contribute To Poverty Reduction? http://itd.ist.unomaha.edu/archives/1.pdf
• Community Based Networks and Innovative Technologies http://www.undp.org/poverty/docs/ictd/ICTD-Community-Nets.pdf

 

12. E-government and Development [Apr 20]

Megan Garafola and Kaitlyn Hogue

• Heeks, Richard. 2001. Understanding e-governance for development. IDPM Working Paper No. 11.  Available at:  http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/NISPAcee/UNPAN015484.pdf
• Panzardi, R., Calcopietro, C., & Ivanovic, F. 2002. Electronic Government and Governance: Lessons for Argentina.  Available at: http://www.ejusticia.org/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,28/Itemid,174/
• Heeks, R. 2002. eGovernment in Africa: Promise and Practice. IDPM Working Paper No. 11.  Available at: http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/idpm/research/publications/wp/igovernment/documents/igov_wp13.pdf

 

 

 13. Project Presentations [Apr 27]