Course Info:
Course Title & Number: Interactive Design for Developing Communities: IMM-470-02
Professor: Mark Thompson
Office Address: AIMM 312
Email Address: thompsom@tcnj.edu
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11am-1:30pm or by appointment
Class Meets: Fridays, 9:30am-12:20pm
Room: AIM 226
Course Description:
For most of us, Interactive Multimedia implies broadband and rich media. However, for many in the U.S., and most in the developing world, broadband is still out of reach.
This class expands the range of multimedia choices available to students, so they can develop solutions based on the bandwidth and device capabilities of their audiences, whatever they may be, including narrowband alternatives.
Working as a design studio, students will develop prototypes using the Twilio API, Textit.in, HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, and PostgreSQL. We’ll explore Interactive Voice Response systems, SMS, Responsive Web, Geolocation, Digital Maps, Databases, Open Data through 3rd-party APIs and messaging apps like Twitter, SnapChat and WhatsApp. Case studies will include projects in Healthcare, Emergency Response, Food & Agriculture, Conservation, Education and Human & Civil Rights.
Course Materials:
- The Course Blog
- Freedom Fone User & Advocacy Guide
- Twilio Documentation
- Textit.in SMS Documentation
- Amazon Echo Documentation
- IFTTT Guide
- Apache Cordova Documentation
- Xfinity Developer Portal: Whats Possible
- Xfinity Developer Portal
- Course Github Repositories
Alternative Messaging Platforms
- Slack Bot
- Plivo (US, International)
- Clickatell (International, South Africa)
- Nexmo (API, International)
- WhatsApp, WhatsApp API
- SnapChat, Casper, SnapChat API
- Google Messenger
Supplementary Course Materials
Design Process
Policy, News & Research
- ITU Development Website
- InfoDev Website
- World Bank ICT Website
- UN Millennium Goals & Beyond 2015
- The Gates Notes
- USAid
ICT Stats
- AudienceScapes
- Pew Internet Project
- ITU ICT Facts & Figures 2015
- ITU ICT Facts & Figures 2014
- MSU globalEDGE
Technology
Partner Organizations
Suggested Books (Optional)
- Freedom Fone User & Advocacy Guide (hard copy)
- The Best Interface is No Interface
- Race, Technology, and Everyday Life
- Measuring and Improving Social Impacts
Course Requirements:
- Design Notebook
- 2 Partner Organization Site Visits
- User Personas, User Stories
- Vision Document
- Final Presentation
Course Purpose & Learning Goals:
The purpose of this class is to expand the range of multimedia choices available to students for communicating with audiences, based on their bandwidth and communication capabilities, emphasizing voice & narrowband alternatives.
Using the Twilio API, Textit.in, Leaflet.js and Ushahidi, students will develop prototypes using a range of multimedia components including:
- SMS messaging
- Interactive Voice Response systems (IVRs)
- Geolocation & Interactive Maps
- Open Data & 3rd Party APIs
We’ll also review case studies of needs & solutions in Healthcare, Emergency Response, Food & Agriculture, Conservation, Education, and Human & Civil Rights.
Course Schedule:
Jan 29 – Intros & Syllabus
Feb 5 – Partner Project Presentations, Intro to Twilio SMS
Feb 12 – Teams, Projects & Twilio SMS cont.
Feb 17 – Twilio Voice
Feb 24 – Twilio Voice Recordings
Mar 4 – Twilio Polls
Mar 11 – Data & APIs, Vision Documents
Mar 18 – Spring Break
Mar 25 – Project Vision Documents due, Textit.in SMS
Apr 1 – Textit.in Voice
Apr 8 – Project Team Pages
Apr 15 – Open Discussion
Apr 22 – Project Implementation Documentation
Apr 29 – Prep for Partner Presentations
May 6 – Prep for Partner Presentations
May 11 – Final Presentations
Grading:
Grades with be determined according to the following formula:
- 30% Final demonstration
- 20% Vision document
- 10% User Personas
- 10% User Stories
- 20% Site Visits
- 10% Design Notebook
Note: Details of how each of the above will be scored will be provided at the time of assignment.