DtM Prepares for Bangladesh Field Study
As part of its continuing collaboration with the Center for Mass Education in Science (CMES) in Bangladesh, DtM is preparing for a field study to better assess CMES' needs and explore opportunities for DtM involvement. DtM and CMES, an NGO providing second-chance literacy and technical education to over 50,000 students throughout Bangladesh, are currently partnering on a new product development cycle around "Tools for Self-Directed Learning."
The field team, comprised of Mekayla Beaver of IDEO, Adam French of the Stanford Design School, and DtM co-founder Timothy Prestero, will visit CMES from June 26 to July 6. The primary goal of the field study is to help CMES identify its own needs and constraints by surveying the experience of the entire organization, from student beneficiaries and teachers to technicians and directors. Specific goals of the field study include observing and documenting classroom conditions at a variety of CMES facilities in rural Bangladesh, and evaluating existing education products identified during DtM's prior art research (Leappad, Kinkajou, etc). Upon conclusion of the study, team members hope to present CMES staff with their final needs assessment and lay out the next steps for the project.
Mekayla and Adam both have a wealth of experience and expertise in the product design process, and we are thrilled to have them on-board for the CMES project. Mekayla works as a Human Factors Specialist at IDEO, an internationally recognized design firm specializing in user-centered products, services, and environments, and has spent the last several years working to push the boundaries of design to facilitate people who are typically left to fend for themselves. She holds a M.S. in Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering from the University of Michigan. Adam is currently a graduate student at Stanford's Institute of Design and has been involved with numerous innovative design projects over the years. In 2000, Adam co-founded the Xtracycle Access Foundation, a non-profit partner to the U.S. bicycle manufacturer Xtracycle, that has designed low-cost and load-bearing bicycle concepts for distribution in developing East African countries. We are very excited to be working with both of them!
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