Instructor Insights pages are part of the OCW Educator initiative, which seeks to enhance the value of OCW for educators.
Instructor Insights
We thought that looking at water and climate change in terms of human health, animal health, family health, and planetary health, and placing an emphasis on solutions would help to expand the circle of people who embrace the importance of responding to climate change.
— Susan Murcott
Below, Susan Murcott describes various aspects of how she and Juliet Simpson teach EC.719 D-Lab: Water, Climate Change, and Health.
Assessment
The students' grades were based on the following activities:
30% Participation
10% Tutorial
40% Term project
15% Showcase final event
5% Further development of term projectCurriculum Information
Prerequisites
None
Requirements Satisfied
Unrestricted elective credits ![]()
Offered
Every spring semester
Student Information

Breakdown by Year
A mix of undergraduate and graduate students
Breakdown by Major
Various majors, including mechanical engineering, urban studies/planning, and management
Typical Student Background
Extremely varied, including American and international students from various institutions and with varying levels of previous experience
During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:
In Class
Met 1 time per week for 3 hours per session; 14 sessions total; mandatory attendance
Out of Class
Completed readings; attended four field trips; met with team members to plan tutorials; worked on term project and presentations
Semester Breakdown
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No classes throughout MIT
Class meeting
Term project deliverables due
Project presentations
No class session scheduled
D-Lab showcase
Field trip







