Unpacking the nature and practices of inclusive education: the case of two schools in Hyderabad,India

This paper reports insights into the nature and practices of inclusive schools in India using a case study methodology. Being a signatory of the Salamanca Statement, the Government of India has undertaken to implement an inclusive system of education in schools. An initial survey conducted to identify sample inclusive schools showed that inclusive education is being adopted by many schools on a superficial level. In fact, it was found that the term ‘inclusive school’ was more of an ornamental name used to create an impression of inclusion. Deliberations with the managements and teachers of these schools revealed that the concept was being adopted and implemented in Indian mainstream schools albeit in the absence of any clearly defined ideas on the subject. An in-depth exploration was undertaken into the inclusive practices followed in two case-study schools. Interviews were conducted with the school heads, class teachers, students and their parents. This was accompanied by observations of the practices followed by the so-called inclusive schools. Data thus collected were analysed using qualitative analysis. Results of the study demonstrate lack of resources, infrastructure, teaching practices, curricular and co-curricular activities which if incorporated would actually bring about inclusive practices beneficial to students of diverse needs. The paper concludes with policy proposals with respect to a clear definition of the concept of inclusive education and the various provisions that should be made available in the inclusive schools.     

Analytics of Organized Spontaneity: Rethinking Participant Selection,Interaction Format,and Milieu for Academic Forums

In an effort to enhance the odds of “organized spontaneity,” this article advances analytics for selection of participants, format of

interaction, and milieu within which the interaction occurs. The analysis proceeds in a two-part process. First, three creative environments far removed from the present-day academic forums—18th-century French salons, the 18th-century London coffeehouses, and Mensa—are examined to generate analytical distance from our current practices. Second, with these three locales in the background, current practices are analyzed and the following thoughts are offered for deliberation: (1) Low threshold to entry is not necessarily a bad thing. (2) Creative environments require an artful mix of homogeneity and heterogeneity. (3) Sociality, which is essential for a creative environment, limits the extent to which a disagreement can be pushed. (4) The selection–format–milieu interaction greatly shapes the character of what gets produced in a creative environment.     

Universal Service Expansion: Two Perspectives

It is now widely accepted that universal service will have to be redefined time and again as the technological environment evolves. Accordingly, policymakers have sought to institute a process for a periodic review of the universal service package. In order to "automate" the initiation of the review process, they have devised market-indicators-based trigger mechanisms to flag new technologies that should be considered for inclusion in an expanded universal service package. This article interrogates the majoritarian assumptions behind the design of the trigger mechanisms. It shows how the pressures generated by systems to induce adoption of a new technology by citizens/consumers play as important a role as their uncoerced choices in the emergence of new consumption norms. The article calls for balanced thinking that also considers the system perspective.     

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

The design and use of information technologies are not as easily separated as they may seem. Designers have much at stake in the use of their software, while users are greatly influenced by the design of the software that they use. In this article, I explore the complex relationships built up between the designers and users of human anatomy simulations, including processes of cooperation and conflict. I develop and apply a three-step process for studying the design and use of a software product in its social context. First, it is important to focus on the social worlds of designers and users that influence the development of the technology. Next, the emphasis shifts to the technology itself, which can be viewed as a boundary object emerging from the intersection of the contributing social worlds. Finally, the technology exhibits agency by reshaping the relationships and interactions among the contributing social worlds.     

Universal Service: Separating the Grain of Truth from the Proverbial Chaff

The prevailing notions of information egalitarianism impel us to seek uniform solutions for all those who lack adequate access to information and communication resources. However, a careful separation of the symbolism of universal service from the real issues reveals that uniform solutions make sense for some resources and not others. This article proposes that uniform solutions should be formulated for resources used in the communication mode, but a segmented approach should be adopted for those used in the information access mode.     

Human Behavior Based Exploratory Model for Successful Implementation of Lean Enterprise in Industry

ABSTRACT Currently available Lean tools such as Lean Assessments, Value Stream Mapping, and Process Flow Charting focus on system requirements and overlook human behavior. A need is felt for a tool that allows one to baseline personnel, determine personnel requirements and align system requirements with personnel requirements. Our exploratory model ‐ The Personnel Behavior Based Lean Model (PBBL), attempts to ingrain the human perspective into Lean design. The model is both a result of our research into the workings of the human element in Lean production, as well as a tool for research. The model can baseline the current state of personnel and develop a strategy for behavioral change to aid Lean implementation efforts. Accumulation of historic data using the model can help to develop a human capability index in the lines of process capability index. The paper describes the development of the model and subsequent validation of the model through a case study. The case study also serves as a stepping‐stone for future work and research suggested at the end of the paper.