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This innovative course has three linked objectives: 1) to equip you to be the most effective manager you can be; 2) to develop skills for learning from every experience; and 3) to enable you to start making a difference while you're still hereby designing and working on a project that goes beyond consulting to the manager's iterative cycle of strategy, implementation, evaluation, strategy, implementation.... a cycle that principled, innovative leaders use with their teams to improve the world. We'll work on this cycle via team projects.

The course combines interactive in-class exercises, lively discussion, focused lectures, small-group meetings, consultations with experts and practitioners, novel web-based tools, and, of course, work within an organization, MIT group or lab on a real problem for which practical management solutions are urgently needed.

A flexible design accommodates a variety of projects, including scope for student-defined projects that meet the course criteria.

What are the mechanics of the course itself?

The twelve-unit course spans this Fall H2, IAP, and Spring H1. To take this class you must be prepared to work on your project over IAP. Class size is limited to 30 this year, and enrollment by instructor's permission. You must take both half-semester courses (no grade is assigned until work is completed in the spring). Units will be distributed as follows: 3 for Fall H2, 6 for IAP, and 3 for Spring H1. The class meets Fall 06 H2, Monday, 2:30 - 5:30, with the Spring 07 schedule to be determined to best meet participants' needs.

How is 15.990 different from GLab?

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Here's a hypothetical example. An MIT Media Lab group has developed a new toy they believe has immense potential to help middle school students tackle algebra.  A 15.990 project team designs and implements pilot tests of the toy.  They collaborate with local non-profits providing after-school programming, such as Young People's Project and Citizen Schools.  During IAP, the 15.990 team conducts a pre-test with students, tests the toy with them, then gathers feedback and ideas.  They also conduct a post-test.  During Spring H1, the 15.990 team work with their host to incorporate student feedback/data into design modifications, to capture student impacts for future marketing and lay the groundwork for a second test.

So it's all about projects. What makes for a good project?

Projects for 15.990 should:

      Be substantial enough to support  the collaborative work of team of at least four students (please note that teams will be formed in the class);

      Involveinteractions with multiple stakeholders within a host organization;

      Center on a problem that cannot be solved simply by research, analysis, or application of off-the-shelf frameworks;  

      Depend on the design and execution of "mini experiments" that test hypotheses and gather data to advance learning;

      Depend on innovation---your mini-experiments should represent a new, untested strategy for your host, helping them move beyond the limits of preexisting infrastructure.

Can I do my own project? Can I select my own team? 

15.990's design accomodates some projects proposed by students. If you have a project that meets the criteria listed above, you may submit a write-up to us.

Teams will be formed in the class, be prepared to work in a novel team.  

How do I sign up?

Please email Ashley Chiampo (ashley@mit.edu) to apply for the course.  We are accepting students on a rolling basis. Please send the following :

2 or 3 paragraphs explaining why you would like to take this class---specifically, what you would like to learn.;
or,
if you have an idea in mind, instead send a 1-page project proposal that addresses our project criteria.