Subject Listings

Students use both film and digital photography to develop a creative imaging project of their own choice. Develops skills in the use of image editing software to enhance, select, and combine images that the student has taken. Uses the darkroom to develop film for scanning and for chemical enlargement. Discusses topics such as the camera, composition, lighting, modes and formats, image compression, and halftone and dye sublimation printing. Students are expected to produce a duplicate set of black and white and/or color prints, along with a writeup and digital copy as the project output. Credit cannot also be received for EC.310.

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Build your own bicycle

Students will each manufacture a steel single speed bicycle frame, install parts, and ride it. Students will meet with instructors for a required meeting in December to choose geometry. MIG welding training is a prerequisite and will not be taught as part of this course. One complete set of components needed to make the bike rideable will be provided.

Interested students will need to be available for December meeting with instructor. Contact Jack Whipple (whipple@) directly to confirm prereq and confirm December meeting date.

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Focuses on film and digital photography. Develops skill in the use of chemical darkrooms, scanners, digital printers and cameras to create striking still images capable of evoking strong emotional and intellectual responses from a viewer. Emphasizes the interplay between classical chemical and digital techniques and how they can be used to control the use of lighting, color, depth, and composition in an image. Students present their intermediate assignments to the class for critical discussion; at the end of the term, they submit a substantive project presenting their own creative images for critique and evaluation. Credit cannot also be received for EC.305.

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Undergraduate research opportunities in the Edgerton Center. Throughout the year, the Edgerton Center sponsors a variety of UROP positions ranging from electronics and design projects to teaching 4th to 8th graders. (P/D/F)

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Places special focus on team capacity building and the communication skills critical to design leadership. Multidisciplinary teams work on semester-long projects in collaboration with international organizations, field practitioners, and experts, building team and leadership skills used to address problems faced by underserved communities while implementing design, experimentation, and hands-on prototyping processes. Topics covered include human-centered design, design for affordability and remote manufacturing, sustainability, and strategies for working effectively with international partners. Limited to 20 students in the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program.

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A hands-on, project-focused class that engages students through community-based approaches to advance the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 7, which seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. Teams work on off-grid energy projects related to lighting, cooking, agricultural productivity, or other solutions with pre-selected community partners. Project work includes assessment of user needs, technology identification, product design, prototyping, and implementation strategies for ongoing projects. Optional January site visits may be available to test and implement the solutions developed during the semester. In-person not required. (Meets with EC.782)

Prerequisites: None, but students who have taken 2.651/EC.711/EC.791 D-Lab: Energy Fundamentals will be given preference. Enrollment limited to 20 students.

https://d-lab.mit.edu/courses/energy-applications

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Undergraduate research opportunities in the Edgerton Center. Throughout the year, the Edgerton Center sponsors a variety of UROP positions ranging from electronics and design projects to teaching 4th to 8th graders.

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Explores some of the critical actions in starting up a technology-based business, including concept generation, searching prior art and patents, protecting intellectual property, founders agreements, forming and building teams, and work-life balance. Students review case studies and complete exercises that develop practicable knowledge in these areas. Each student keeps an "idea log book," which includes critical assessments of each case study, to be presented at the end of the term. First in a two-part series (seminars do not have to be taken sequentially; see EC.075 in spring term). Preference to undergraduates; open to graduate students with permission of advisor.

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Seminar participants define and study the development stages of new enterprises at MIT, from the exciting moment a new idea for a tech product or service is realized, through to selling, customer support, and the next new idea. Follows the history of successful MIT spin-off companies with attention to the people (and their ideas) behind the start-up. Students attend MIT technology and science start-up case presentations given by individuals and teams working from zero-stage, and by partners in going concerns of historical relevance to the Institute and the economy. Second in a two-part series (seminars do not have to be taken sequentially; see EC.074 in fall term).

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Focuses on the design, analysis, and application of technologies that support the construction of less expensive and better performing schools in developing countries. Prepares students to design or retrofit school buildings in partnership with local communities and NGOs. Strategies covered include daylighting, passive heating and cooling, improved indoor air quality via natural ventilation, appropriate material selection, and structural design. Investigations are based on application of engineering fundamentals, experiments and simulations. Case studies illustrate the role of technologies in reducing barriers to improved education. Additional work required of students taking the graduate version. Limited to 20 total for versions meeting together.

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Provides an overview of thermodynamics and heat transfer through an international development context to impart energy literacy and common sense applications. Students survey various alternative energy technologies and strategies for implementation in developing countries. Focuses on compact, robust, low-cost systems for generating electrical power and meeting household-level needs. Labs reinforce lecture material through deconstruction, system assembly, and sensor installation to track performance. Team projects involve activities, such as researching community needs, assessing the suitability of specific technologies, continuing the development of ongoing projects, and assessing the efficacy and impacts of existing projects. Optional summer fieldwork may be available. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Enrollment limited by lottery; must attend first class session.

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Students develop teaching skills as they prepare to lead an IAP (Independent Activities Period) event/workshop supported by the Edgerton Center.  A uniquely MIT tradition, IAP provides faculty, students, staff, and alumni with an opportunity to share and/or explore a wide variety of academic and non-academic topics. IAP offerings are distinguished by their innovative, playful spirit and fusion of fun and learning. The offerings created by students in this course can range from 1 event to a series of workshops.

Through weekly hands-on meetings, students choose topics, design and pilot lessons, learn from each other, and finally schedule their IAP offering.  Open to students of all levels and disciplines who will be on campus during IAP and willing to offer an event/workshop.

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Focuses on product development of technologies for people in less industrialized markets. Students work in interdisciplinary teams to develop previously established prototypes or technologies towards manufacturing-ready product designs. Topics are presented within the context of the developing world and include technology feasibility and scalability assessment; value chain analysis; product specification; design for affordability, manufacturability, usability, and desirability; and product testing and manufacturing at various scales. Lessons are experiential and case study-based; taught by instructors with field experience and by industry experts from product development consulting firms and the consumer electronics industry. In-person not required. (Meets with EC.797)

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Students will each manufacture a functioning internal combustion engine. Advanced mill and lathe skills, both CNC and manual, will be taught and practiced. Previous milling or turning experience is good to have but not required. All materials and tools will be provided.
Very limited spaces.

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Provides an introduction to the field of computational psychiatry from the perspective of technology platforms that can be applied to mental health and wellness. Identifies current needs and challenges informed by clinical practice, and reviews emerging technologies, including chatbots, social robots, wearable sensors, virtual reality, mobile phones, and digital phenotyping. Discusses related topics of privacy and ethical use. Students complete weekly written assignments as well as three design exercises over the course of the semester. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. (Meets with EC.744)

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Provides an overview of pedagogical theories and core teaching skills that allow students to craft their own K-12 curriculum using the design process. Working in groups and collaborating with an international partner, students use the design process to create a final project for a specific audience that emphasizes hands-on, inclusive, project-based learning. Suitable for students with varying levels of teaching experience. Local fieldwork and K-12 classroom visits are required throughout the semester and international fieldwork may be available to students in the summer. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Limited to 10.

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Opportunity for independent study under regular supervision by a staff member. Projects require prior approval, as well as a written proposal and final report. Students work with international community partners to continue developing projects, focusing on one or more issues in education, design, or public service. Final presentations and written reflection required. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of 12 units.

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Addresses mitigation and adaptation to climate change as it pertains to water and health. Focuses on regions where water-borne illness, malnutrition, and vector-borne diseases - problems that will worsen with increasing temperatures and urban overcrowding - represent the top three causes of morbidity and mortality. Includes readings, workshops and films that address water, climate change and health challenges and explore solutions. Field trips include coastal watershed restoration, flood protection, carbon sequestration, and zero-carbon sites in the Boston area. Students complete a term project and/or teach a class, setting the stage for a life-long commitment to communicating climate science to a broad public. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

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Explores gender roles, illuminates the power dynamics and root causes of inequality, and provides a framework for understanding gender dynamics. Develops skills to conduct a gender analysis and integrate gender-sensitive strategies into large- and small-scale development solutions. Prompts critical discussion about social, economic, and political conditions that shape gender in development (particularly design and implementation of appropriate technology) as well as agricultural and job creation initiatives. In project development workshops students apply key tools to real-life situations, e.g., providing a gender analysis and making recommendations on how to incorporate gender considerations into an existing organization; developing programs in low-income communities; or building a gender component to be incorporated in a new initiative. Opportunities may be available for international fieldwork over IAP. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Limited to 12; must attend first class session. (Meets with EC.718J/ WGS.277J)

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