Subject Listings

This course explores Thermal Energy Networks (TEN) drawing inspiration from local and North American expertise, with lectures based on leading professional association trainings (IDEA, California Geo, ASHRAE) including the IGSHPA Certified GeoExchange Designer (CGD) course. It will cover both fundamental topics (air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, geo-exchange, thermal energy storage, waste heat recovery), and advanced topics including TEN case studies of several leading campuses.

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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.

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Issues in international development, appropriate technology and project implementation addressed through lectures, case studies, guest speakers and laboratory exercises. Students form project teams to partner with community organizations in developing countries, and formulate plans for an optional IAP site visit. (Previous field sites include Ghana, Brazil, Honduras and India.) Recitation sections focus on specific project implementation, and include cultural, social, political, environmental and economic overviews of the target countries as well as an introduction to the local languages. Enrollment limited by lottery; must attend first class session. In-person not required. (Meets with Undergrad level EC.701J/ 11.025J)

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Look at the world with open eyes. Wonder. Question. Explore. Reflect.

Watch for the night sky, again and again, with your own eyes.  Catch a shadow; where is it next?  Spot something, move, view again.  Share observing activities with classmates, people in history and indigenous practices.  Construct geometry together.  Discover geometrical and human relations through diverse perspectives. Explore hands-on with instruments and methods from historical times. Listen to voices of others, now and in the past.   Examine injustice; question what produces and perpetuates it.  Build community that is relational, accepting, and antiracist.  Encourage each other’s curiosity, vulnerability and growth. 

Readings, journal, observations, collaborations, and a final reflective paper. Past projects include: following shadows; watching the sky; art projects with historical methods; making educational videos; collaborative experiments; conference presentations; enacting historical and feminist drama; MIT History… Whatever your interests, this is a place to explore them.

Your own story uncovers insights for educational research.

What will you notice and question, explore and express?

Contact: Elizabeth Cavicchi ecavicch@mit.edu

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An opportunity for undergraduates to participate in teaching and tutoring Center subjects and seminars. Students develop one-on-one teaching skills under the supervision of an Edgerton Center instructor.

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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.712/ 2.652J  Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.)

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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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.729)

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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 explore possibilities of repurposed electronic devices in various sectors of development, including agriculture, education, health, and energy, for positive impact on people living in low-income communities. Guest lecturers provide insight into current trends in information and communication technology for development. Students work in teams to apply principles of participatory and inclusive design to projects developed in collaboration with community innovators in refugee camps in Northern Uganda and rural areas of Tanzania. Optional travel to Uganda and Tanzania during IAP with D-Lab field partners. Graduate students complete additional assignments.

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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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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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