Assignments

Participation

1. In-class participation — Active class participation is highly valued and graded. Class participation includes regular attendance in class, involvement in class discussions, asking and answering questions in class, and engaging in small group exercises during class.
2. Online discussion board — Students will be required to post a brief critical commentary based on weekly assigned readings. Commentaries are informal and will not be graded on grammar, spelling, etc., but should be used to critically engage with the assigned materials. Commentaries should not exceed 500 words. Students are expected to submit a minimum of 10 commentaries by the end of the semester.
3. Mid-course appraisal — About midway through the course students will be asked to complete a brief evaluation form regarding the class format, focus, etc. We will use this form to gauge student satisfaction with the course and to try to make appropriate changes in order to improve the remaining half of the semester.

Tech Tutorials

Using source material from USAID Technical Notes (PDF), WELL Technical Briefs, the Field Guide to Appropriate Technology, or other sources of comparable content and quality, students, in teams of 2, shall give a 10-minute tutorial to the class on a selected practice area or technology. Each student shall give one tutorial during the semester. (Note: No powerpoint or other electronic media are allowed in the tech tutorials. Use the chalkboard or other simple, manual, visual aids that might be available in a developing country village or neighborhood.)

Quizzes

Two brief, straightforward quizzes will be conducted during class time to reinforce your knowledge of the more technical aspects of lecture and reading materials. Each quiz will be 15-20 minutes.

Policy Memos

Students will be required to write two brief policy memos (750 words maximum) in response to a presented scenario, drawing on course readings and discussions. In these memos students will make policy or programmatic suggestions regarding what technology, policy, implementation strategy, etc. they see as appropriate for the given scenario. Policy Memo 1 is due in class, hard-copy, in Ses #5. Policy Memo 2 is due in class, hard-copy, in Ses #10.

Memo 1 (PDF)

Memo 2 (PDF)

Writing Effective Policy Memos (PDF)

Mid-Term Essay

Building on the weekly critical commentaries you post to the online discussion board, students will write a reflective essay (8-10 pages) on a policy issue, implementation issue, or case study of your choosing. Example topics will be provided.

Essay Assignment (PDF)

Final Paper

In lieu of a final exam, students will write a paper (maximum 15-20 pages double-spaced) on a topic of your choice related to water and sanitation infrastructure in developing countries. Alternatively, some suggested topics will be provided. Guidance on content and structure will be provided in class.