This article aims at discussing e-government website usability in relation to concerns about digital inclusion. E-government web design should consider all aspects of usability, including those that make it more accessible to all. Traditional concerns of social exclusion are being superseded by fears that lack of digital competence and information literacy may result in dangerous digital exclusion. Usability is considered as a way to address this exclusion and should therefore incorporate inclusion and accessibility guidelines. This article makes an explicit link between usability guidelines and digital inclusion and reports on a survey of local government web presence in Portugal.
Over nearly 20 years, Brazil has shown constant efforts to develop the Internet not just on a national scale, but in Latin America as a whole. It became one of the most important promoters and financial supporters of the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC) and also hosted the UN Internet Governance Forum in Rio de Janeiro in 2007. Today it has the biggest IT market of the continent and still a lot of challenges to accomplish. This article presents a historical introduction about the development of the Internet in Brazil and also focuses on current tasks to participate in the global Internet Governance process and to further digital inclusion.
El trabajo que presentamos se centra en el análisis de las políticas TIC para las escuelas en Argentina a partir de la discusión e implementación de los programas de acceso masivo a computadoras en el sistema educativo de gestión estatal. Estas son impulsadas, a partir de mediados de la década de 2000 por el gobierno nacional para el nivel secundario y por algunos gobiernos provinciales para el nivel primario. Como resultado de estas políticas se expande el denominado modelo 1 a 1. Nuestro análisis recorre, en primer lugar, los sucesos y los debates a través de los cuales se llega a la adopción del modelo y los supuestos que lo orientan. Propone algunas dimensiones para el estudio de las propuestas a las que el modelo 1 a 1 da lugar como forma de inclusión efectiva y que devienen, en algunos casos, en prácticas enriquecidas. Recorre las visiones de los docentes que avanzan en la implementación del modelo 1 a 1 en el marco de Conectar Igualdad y propone algunas interpretaciones acerca de la formación y la especialización docente en los escenarios de la contemporaneidad. Para finalizar explora las limitaciones de la tríada acceso a computadoras – capacitación docente – contenidos digitales y propone la construcción de meso políticas que aprovechen el acceso masivo para la revisión de abordajes clásicos de la enseñanza y ofrece perspectivas de trabajo a partir del diseño, las prácticas recreadas, la investigación y la formación docente de grado ; The article presents an analysis of ICT policies for schools in Argentina, focusing on the debates and implementation of access programs in the public educational system. Since mid-2000s, these initiatives have been driven by the National Government covering the secondary level and targeting primary schools by some provincial States. As a result of these policies, the 1:1 model is becoming a trend, reaching three million devices delivered in a few years. Our analysis reviews the events and debates that concluded in the adoption of the model. We propose some criteria for studying the 1:1 teaching practices ranging from the effective inclusion to the examples of enriched classes. By analyzing the visions of the pioneers in adopting the implementation of the 1:1 model, we develop an approach to teacher training in contemporary scenarios. Finally, we explore the limitations of the triad access – teacher training - digital content. The article proposes the construction of meso policies that harness the massive technological access to review classical educational approaches supported by a framework that includes design, recreated practices, research and pre-service teacher training as its basis
This article aims ats evaluating the results of the process of digital inclusion among the supposedly included users of digital inclusion points, promoted by programs and projects of the Government and its partners, after having gone through qualification processes, workshops and other forms of mediation. The evaluation has as base the identification of variables that better explain the inclusion process and a multivariete analysis of these variables. Thus, factors had been identified that would allow to detect factors that have an impact in the inclusion process, such as the context of the user, his or her demographic profile, the social conditions, the use of and access to information and comunication technologies - ICTs, but also the evaluation, use and search of information by the user. An example is the search and employment of the information for the welfare of the community. In this study changes were detected to the degree in which explanations of variable or indicators are considered for the user to feel included, such as: sex, color/race, access to broadband Internet, infrastructure, available cellular telephone, available digital information in the Internet and social nets and a computer at home. The multivariate analysis selected that the determining factors of digital inclusion are in constant change, as the ownership of cell phone, a fixed telephone and computer at home. It was evidenced that the ones that say they are digitally included were people who believe that Internet changed their lives, know and use the Internet, participate in relationship sites, have the habit of reading the press and news in the WEB. In the study, the issues of schooling and range of income and geographic region continue to determine whether users feel included. Because of the universalization of cellular phones, this represents little to the included ones, which is different from having a computer at home. These results must be seen to the light of the research universe, of people of a disfavoured class, living in places with little telecommunications infrastructure, where the satellite is the most viable means to provide broadband Internet. ; Impacto de los talleres, formación y mediación de los multiplicadores (formadores de formadores) y las sesiones con participantes en los programas de inclusión digital en Brasil: una evaluación desde un análisis multivariable. Este artículo tiene por objeto evaluar los resultados del proceso de inclusión digital de los usuarios supuestamente incluidos en los puntos de la inclusión digital, promovida por los programas y proyectos del Gobierno brasileño y sus socios, después de haber pasado por procesos de capacitación, talleres y otras formas de mediación. La evaluación toma como base la identificación de las variables que mejor explican el proceso de inclusión y un análisis multivariado de estas variables. Los resultados obtenidos deben ser vistos a la luz del universo de investigación, de las personas de una clase desfavorecida, que viven en lugares con poca infraestructura de telecomunicaciones, donde el satélite es el medio más viable para ofrecer Internet de banda ancha.
Access to and engagement with information and communications technologies (ICTs) are increasingly important aspects of social inclusion. This paper draws upon analyses of UK survey data and a review of research on communications and social exclusion published in the UK between 2001 and 2006 to examine the social distribution of access to and uptake of ICTs and to explore key factors restricting the digital engagement of young people from lower income households and communities. It argues that effective strategies to bridge digital divisions in the UK must pay more attention to the social rather than technological barriers which inhibit communications inclusion.
