School of Architecture and Planning

When your final presentation slides are due

We need you to post by the time you present. We don't need them before. Sorry for any confusion caused by the Stellar Homework system or by inaccurate instructions elsewhere.

Stellar only permits one deadline, though it provides a 'time stamp showing when you actually posted. So we're going to set the Stellar deadline for Thursday evening, at a time following the last presentation.

Xav

Announced on 09 December 2013  3:57  p.m. by Xavier de Souza Briggs

Final Presentation Schedule

Reminders: Bring a laptop ready to project, and bring an adapter if you're using a Mac (CRON can loan you one if needed). Please let our program assistant, Harriette Crawford (hcrawfor@mit.edu), know of any food restrictions by December 4th. We'll assume that everyone wants dinner both nights unless you tell her otherwise.

This schedule is also on Stellar, right below the syllabus, in case this email goes astray:

FINAL PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

Tuesday, December 10th, Room 9-450A&B (Expanded classroom)

5-5:30PM Leo G. and team
5:30-6PM Kassie B. and team
6-6:30PM Mike C. and team
6:30-7PM Alison T. and team
7-7:30PM Lee D. and team

Thursday, December 12th, Room 9-354

5-5:30PM Karuna M. and team
5:30-6PM Cate M. and team
6-6:30PM Tam and team

Announced on 27 November 2013  3:52  p.m. by Xavier de Souza Briggs

Reply by 2PM this Wednesday, 11/27 -- Scheduling your final presentation slot

Please select a "point of contact" for your team (someone we can coordinate with, to keep things simpler), and have that person email Xav your team's top three picks for a slot, no later than 2PM this Wednesday, 11/27, please.

Here are the slots:

Tuesday, December 10th (room 9-450A&B)

5-5.30, 5.30-6, 6-6.30, 6.30-7, and 7-7.30PM

Thursday, December 12th (room 9-354)

5-5.30, 5.30-6, 6-6.30, 6.30-7, and 7-7.30PM

And remember that we'll serve dinner and encourage everyone to stay throughout, as much as competing demands allow.

Thanks - Phil and Xav

Announced on 25 November 2013  10:59  a.m. by Xavier de Souza Briggs

Sample effective student memo, final project assignment

we've just added an effective sample from last year, on Stellar/MATERIALS under the topic 'Effective Professional Writing."

this particular sample combines a brief, team-prepared cover memo with three individually written memos, one for each case city (Boston, NYC, San Francisco). last year's class mainly produced individual memos.

for this year, as we discussed in class, it would be fine to submit (a) a longer team memo only (not to exceed 7 pp double spaced) or (b) a combined team memo (more more than 5pp) with briefer individual ones (2-3pp each).

we hope this sample is helpful as you work on your final projects.

xav

Announced on 18 November 2013  4:54  p.m. by Xavier de Souza Briggs

Change to the final project assignment

Dear students --

Phil and I talked through the team problem statements and reviewed our experience with this assignment over the past few years. We're very pleased with the team work products we have seen in years past -- and every bit as excited about the topics you're tackling this term. The issue is whether and how the oral and written elements of the assignment fit together. We're determined to improve this.

Now, once the term is underway, we strictly avoid changing assignment expectations unless we're confident that the new work obligations would be comparable in degree and timing and also that the change would substantially improve your learning experience. We think this change meets both tests.

Here's the change: Instead of asking you each to produce a decision memo linked to the team project (but reflecting your individual views), we're going to ask each team to submit a single, integrated memo, with no change to the due date.

So you'll deliver the final presentation in the final week of classes and submit the memo (as a team) early the following week, no change to the schedule.

We've updated the assignment document on Stellar accordingly, and here's the key paragraph, below. The written element is now team-based and the page limit is 7 rather than 5 pages (note: on a "not to exceed" basis, meaning shorter than 7 can still work):

• A team-produced decision memo, not to exceed seven (7) double-spaced pages with adequate margins, presenting your team’s analysis and recommendations in written form. This brief report (in effect) should not be a mere opinion piece but should cogently present the question or puzzles, the team’s analytic approach, relevant evidence, and action options and advice. As with all professional memos, the document should lead with a concise and integrative summary (the whole in miniature), not just a preview of the contents. Clearly, you can divide the labor in a range of ways, from authorship of components to making sure there is an integrated message and flow to playing devil’s advocate and proofreader for the near-final document, before submitting.

For those of you in the 11.201 Gateway course for all MCPs, we'll do an intensive workshop, in early December, on how to prepare high-impact memos to professional standards. But we've also placed how-to guidelines on the Stellar website for 11.401, for everyone's reference.

Good luck developing your projects, and let us know of any questions, of course.

Xav

Announced on 12 November 2013  12:07  p.m. by Xavier de Souza Briggs