Mainstreaming the e-excluded in Europe: strategies,good practices and some ethical issues

E-inclusion is getting a lot of attention in Europe these days. The European Commission and EU Member States have initiated e-inclusion strategies aimed at reaching out to the e-excluded and bringing them into the mainstream of society and the economy. The benefits of mainstreaming the excluded are numerous. Good practices play an important role in the strategies, and examples can be found in e-health, e-learning, e-government, e-inclusion and other e-domains. So laudable seems the rationale for e-inclusion, few have questioned the benefits. In fact, e-inclusion does raise ethical issues, and this paper discusses a few of the key ones. The paper draws several conclusions, principally regarding the need for some empirical research on what happens to the e-excluded once they have access to information and communications technologies, notably the Internet.     

Contrasting computer input devices for teaching children with severe learning difficulties to read

Many teachers make the assumption that CAL systems which use a touch screen are more effective for children with severe learning difficulties than those which use a concept keyboard. These two experiments look at which is more effective in helping these children to maintain a previously acquired sight vocabulary, and to learn new sight words. It was predicted that the touch screen would prove more effective because it places fewer information processing demands on pupils. Surprisingly, no difference was found between the two systems.     

Where and When do Speech and Langauge Therapists Work with Teachers?

Jannet A. Wright, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Human Communication Science, University College, London, and Jackie Graham, Advisory Teacher, Hertfordshire, investigate the context in which collaborative working practices exist between teachers and speech and language therapists, and explore the benefits of such professional partnerships.     

The effects of racial self-esteem on the personal self-esteem of black youth

Much debate has been generated in the literature concerning reasons for positive black self-esteem findings. Although some contradiction is found in the literature, findings on black self-esteem suggest a shift to more positive self-images among blacks during the 1970s. This study investigates the relationship between personal and racial self-esteem. These data support the theoretical linkage of racial and personal self-esteem. A positive correlation was found between personal self-esteem and racial self-esteem for black youth in this study.