The Information Revolution in Latin America:
Obstacles and Opportunities through the Internet

Course Schedule:

• WEEK ONE: INTRODUCTION
  • Wednesday, September 22:
    • Introduction to the course.

  • Monday, September 27:

    • Internet Infrastructure, overview of programming methodologies, interface and other technical issues.
      Speaker: Professor Terry Winograd, Computer Science Department.
      Readings: Notes on the Internet

• WEEK TWO: INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE
  • Wednesday, September 29:
    • Admitted students present their background and pitch themselves to potential teammates. Students select countries, organize teams, and begin to survey technical capacities and idiosyncrasies of country cases.

  • Monday, October 4:
    • Computer Science Education: Overview of the challenges; Curriculum Development; The Stanford Experience.
      Speaker: Professor Eric Roberts, Computer Science Department
      Readings:
      • "Conserving the Seed Corn: Reflections on the Academic Hiring Crisis," by Eric Roberts.
      • "Curricula 2001: Bringing the Future to the Classroom," by Carl Chang, Eric Roberts, et al.
      • "Computer Scientists Flee Academe for Industry's Greener Pastures," by Robin Wilson.
      • Introduction to the Bermuda/XL Curriculum Initiative.

• WEEK THREE: HUMAN CAPITAL FORMATION, CAPACITY BUILDING, AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
  • Wednesday, October 6:

    • Cross-cultural Educational Opportunities through the Internet.
      Speakers: Charles Kern's and Reinhold Steinbeck, Stanford Learning Lab.
      Reading: "Overseas Students share findings about literary life with a little help from Web," by Elaine Rey.

    • Students continue country case surveys. Incorporate data on labor markets.

  • Monday, October 11:

    • Technology Transfer to Newly Industrialized Countries: traditional, revised and new perspectives; Indigenous Technological Capability.
      Speaker: Nahusad Forbes
      Reading: "Technology in Newly Industrializing Countries: Managing Innovation in Nations and Firms," by Nashuad Forbes.

    • Students research educational opportunities in computer science and other internet-related areas for country case study. Incorporate data on graduates.

• WEEK FOUR: ORGANIZATIONAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES; CHALLENGES OF ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY
  • Wednesday, October 13:
    • Section

  • Monday, October 18:

    • Globalization and the New Technologies; A critique of Technological Determinism.
      Speaker: Martin Carnoy, School of Education.

    • Students research nature of access and opportunity in country case studies: factors which might impede or enhance internet enterprise (organizational structure, power relations, leadership models).

• WEEK FIVE: ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY: TECHNICAL AND RESOURCE ISSUES
  • Wednesday, October 20:
    • Section

  • Monday, October 25:
    • FIRST PRESENTATIONS

    • Students research venture capital funds, other sources of finance/support for internet enterprise; research technical obstacles, barriers; incorporate data on computer purchase/use.

• WEEK SIX: GOVERNMENT POLICY AND THE ROLE OF THE STATE
  • Wednesday, October 27:
    • The effect of government policies: the role of the state in advancing computer technologies; Intellectual property and international regulation.
      Speaker: Paul Goldstein, Law School.
      Readings: "Copyright's Highway: From Gutenberg to the Celestial Jukebox," by Paul Goldstein.

  • Monday, November 1:
    • Section. Come prepared as a group to critique another group's presentation and web-site.

    • Students research tax, labor laws, incentives in country cases.

• WEEK SEVEN: THE ROLE OF THE NON-PROFIT SECTOR
  • Wednesday, November 3:
    • Internet Development in the medical, educational, and service sectors.
      Speaker: Edward Shortliffe, Medical InfoSciences.
      Readings:
      • "Health Care and the Next Generation Internet," by Edward Shortliffe.
      • "The Evolution of Health-Care Records in the Era of the Internet," by Edward Shortliffe.
      • "A Global Vision for the National Library of Medicine," National Institutes of Health, US Dept. of Health and Human Services.

  • Monday, November 8:

    • The team of Explorador.net on Venture Capital in Latin America, cases and alternatives.

    • Each team of students starts identifying a for-profit and a non-profit enterprise in each of the country cases; research case history.

• WEEK EIGHT: BUSINESS STRATEGIES AND PROGRAM/PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
  • Wednesday, November 10:
    • SECOND PRESENTATIONS

  • Monday, November 15:
    • Business Strategy Overview: Business Strategy and Competitive Forces; Core Competencies; Industrial New Product Development

    • Students continue their research case history with a for-profit and a non-profit enterprise in each of the country cases.

• WEEK NINE: BUSINESS STRATEGIES AND PROGRAM/PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
  • Wednesday, November 17:
    • Matching the Product Development Process to its Context; Product Life-Cycle; Marketing Strategy; Sales, and Profits; Media Selection

  • Monday, November 22:
    • Round Table Discussions.

• WEEK TEN: COUNTRY ANALYSES AND DISCUSSION
  • Wednesday, November 25:
    • NO CLASS! Happy Thanksgiving Break!

  • Wednesday, December 1:
    • FINAL PRESENTATIONS!
      With an introduction by Wildford Welch.

      Wildford Welch is the Publisher of "The World Times," and Director of Global Research, Information Society Index. (For more information about "The World Times," please see http://www.worldpaper.com/ ).

      Also, the slides from Wilford Welch's talk are on-line at: http://www.stanford.edu/class/las194/WebPages99/WWelchPres

  • Friday, December 3:
    • Team and Peer Performance Review (TPPR) due!

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