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This website features work from the completion of Phase 1 of the SCALES Project.

We are currently seeking partnerships for Phase 2.

Collaborative, Small Group Learning

Working in groups of 2-6 students engage in a learning experience where the initial parameters are defined by the instructor. 

  • Final Presentation

    Second, the class will make a final, one-two hour, oral presentation of its solution in early December. This presentation will be open to the entire MIT community. In addition, a panel of experts will be invited to attend the presentation and to critique them in an open forum. Because it would be logistically difficult for everyone to speak during the presentation, the staff recommends that each team elect one member to join a presentation committee that will choreograph the final presentation. The committee member should not bear sole responsibility for the work involved in developing the presentation!

    Read more: Final Presentation

  • Final Website

    First, the class must create a content-rich web site to describe and justify its overall design.

    Read more: Final Website

  • Final Project

    The final project for class is a group project. It should, in the most general sense, explore in-depth an issue or problem in negotiation that interests you. As a starting point, you should be able to say what your point of departure is.

    Read more: Final Project

  • Design for Production

    When designing a product that is to be produced beyond just the prototype stage, attention must be given to the resources that are available and to the sustainability of the manufacturing processes. 

    As a team, determine the appropriate scale of manufacturing for your project: will they be made in the tens, hundreds, or millions? What design changes will need to be made as you shift from manufacture of a single prototype to the production of multiple units?

    Read more: Design for Production

  • Final Report

    Design reports give design engineers the chance to catalog the design process, describe how they came to the decisions they came to, and explain the rationale behind those decisions. As a team, write a 10–15 page report describing your project.

    Read more: Final Report

  • Embodied Energy Evaluation

    Embodied Energy Evaluation

    Read more: Embodied Energy Evaluation

  • Group Presentations

    Students will be assigned to choose one material represented by each of the three case study groups: glass, metal, or rubber. Each group will research one aspect of the chosen material and make a group presentation at the end of the corresponding unit.

    Read more: Group Presentations

  • Final Project

    Read the final project requirements. Think about what topic, datasets, and output technique you want to explore for your final project. This could be building on one of the sketches you did before, or starting something new.

    Read more: Final Project

  • Project of Change or Research Paper

    Beginning in week four, students should form groups of not more than four students to work collaboratively on either 1) a final research paper or 2) a proposal for a project that responds to a contemporary issue in environmental justice. The project of change or research paper may be designed in collaboration with a local public agency or community-based organization, or by the team without outside consultation.

    Read more: Project of Change or Research Paper

  • Case Question 5

    Case Write-up Questions
    The following selected case has questions to be addressed and written up. Students should work in teams of three to four. The questions address aspects of the case that need further analysis.

    Case: "A Framework to Think About Pollution," Darden UV5687.

    Comment the following Statement: Carbon Tax Markets have the chance to solve the property rights problem that exists in CO2 emissions.

    Read more: Case Question 5

Notice something that doesn’t seem right? Want to make a suggestion or provide feedback about how something is classified? 
Please reach out to esi [at] mit.edu and include SCALES Website in the subject of your email.
Feedback and any actions taken with regards to the feedback, will be shared as they are addressed.