[Air-l] CFP Int. Congress on E-learning and Social Inclusion

[David Casacuberta]

Dear friends:

This is my first posting, an invitation to participate in a Congress we are
arraning in Barcelona next april. Hope you find it interesting and see some
of you in Barcelona. Feel free to forward it.

David Casacuberta
Philosophy Dpt. Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona
Transit Projectes

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 Call for Papers

First International Congress : E-Learning for Social Inclusion

Barcelona: April 15-16 2004. Centro de Cultura Contemporánea de Barcelona
(CCCB)
Transit Projectes (www.transit.es)
E-Learning for E-Inclusion (www.el4ei.net)

Introduction


Our transition from an industrial society towards an informational one has
clearly modified a series of social practices. Specific needs for the labour
market, new forms of democratic participation, or access to education and
culture are only three examples of how work, politics and education are
changing due to the influence of ICT.
These new possibilities also strengthen certain exclusion mechanisms, while
creating new ones. This is why the term “e-inclusion” appeared, to describe
all those practices which try to reduce digital divide and assure that
information society, besides being economically profitable, includes the
values of justice, equality and solidarity.
On the 15th and 16th of April, Transit Projectes will try to gather in
Barcelona all those people within the European Union which are investigating
the social possibilities of ICT, inviting them to describe their
methodologies and specific experiences, analysing them and assessing the
existing actions and practices.
At the same time, the two more relevant results form the project E-learning
4 E-inclusion (www.el4ei.net) will be presented: The European Charter for
Social Inclusion using E-learning and a Digital Library specialized in
social uses of e-learning. This European Project is leaded by Transit
Projectes, and the consortium includes ten more partners from France,
Greece, Italy, Holland and Spain


Call for papers

The steering committee invites both researchers in social sciences and
humanities as well as active agents and organisations in digital inclusion
to present research papers which analyse these phenomena, present case
studies or good practices towards social inclusion by means of ICT. Papers
will be published in a collective volume and the more relevant will be also
selected to be presented in parallel sessions during the International
Conference in Barcelona.

People interested in this call can send their papers and proposals related
to any of the following topics:


1. Social solutions to social problems
Social practices define how technology is finally used, and not the
opposite. If we want to have a really inclusive information society, we need
to address the social problems that have turned people into digitally
excluded, and not only consider the ones derived from lack of structure.
2. Community and awareness
ITC offers us with social software which can be used in original ways to
help real communities to expand their political, social and cultural
horizons. Isolated communities can use digital technologies to be better
known and respected among our society.
3. Towards the transparent computer
Computers and software get more improvements and new features each year and
therefore become more difficult to use. This may be fine for users that are
familiar with ICT. However, it makes things worse every year for the
digitally excluded, specially when elder people or handicapped are
considered. We have to develop strategies and technologies to turn them more
intuitive and easier to use.
4. Problem solving methodology for e-learning
Because our target has specific needs, we need to avoid academicism, and to
construct courses that are useful, practical, and motivational. This surely
implies something that is usually neglected when thinking about e-learning
strategies: the specific social and cultural context. A general course on
how to use several graphic edition software is of little use, but a problem
solving course on how to make flyers for clubs is both a good motivator and
even a job opportunity for an unemployed young in a challenging
neighbourhood.
5. Internet for everybody
Software technologies are plastic enough to be adapted to any specific need
an special collective may had. Unfortunately, very few companies,
administrations or individuals use that characteristic. We need to raise
awareness on that topic among software and hardware producers, web designers
and educators.
6. Digital empowerment
If we want an information society which is really inclusive, digital
technologies should be presented with values embedded in them, as social
instruments able to improve democratic participation and improvers of people
’s lives.
In parallel, experts are invited to participate in the development of key
conferences: half an hour speeches in which an expert reviews today
situation related to the six key subjects we have selected for the
conference, and indicates the more probable future development, plus the
more desirable one. People interested should send a description of the main
topics to be analysed in their speech plus a CV which stresses his/her
experience in the subject.

Finally, we are also interested in receiving workshop proposals, arranged as
“knowledge capsules” of two and half hours in which an expert –helped by one
or two more experts- present a series of key knowledge for a team of social
educators, pedagogues, and so on in order to organise e-learning systems
based on the criteria defined in this conference. Those interested in
organise a workshop should send a program indicate the topics plus a CV of
the organisers.
Transit Projectes (the organisation in charge of the Conference) will take
care of travel and hotel expenses in Barcelona for the six speakers in
charge of the six key conferences and the two or three people in charge of
the workshops. However, the people whose papers have been accepted for the
parallel sessions should pay for their travel and hotel expenses.

Deadlines

Key conference proposals and CV: January the 25th
Workshop proposals and CV: February the 15th
Abstract for parallel sessions: March the first
Full articles to be published: March the 20th
International conference: April the 15th and 16th


Contact
e-mail: coordination at el4ei.net

Postal address:
EL4EI International Congress
Transit Projectes
C. Bòria 17 Principal
08003 Barcelona
Spain
Phone: 0034 93 319 47 50
Fax: 0034 93 319 58 13

Languages:
Spanish, Catalan and English

Organising Committee

David Casacuberta 	Trànsit Projectes/Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
(Barcelona)
Joan Pedregosa 	ITD (Barcelona)
George Soulos	Wegre (Grecia)
Pierre Carrolagi	Greta du Vélay (Francia)
Federica Collinetti 	A.Gio/Commune di Biella (Italia)
Rosie Chaharlangy	International Training Center for Women (Holanda)



Who is Transit Projectes (www.transit.es)

Transit brings together professionals from cultural and educational fields,
placing them at the service of territorial development. We seek to provide
the means and mechanisms by which educational and cultural projects are made
accessible by all.

In short, ours is a Public Vocation. We consider it necessary that the
private and public sectors work together, in coordination with social
initiatives. Towards this end, we pursue opportunities for such cooperation
and consensus, developing strategies based on regional specifics. Our
activity takes place in five basic areas:

– Training, ongoing education and the improvement of organisations
– Management of services and facilities
– Studies and projects
– Cultural events and programmes
– Design and communication
We carry out projects throughout Spain, having offices in Barcelona, Palma
de Mallorca and Madrid. Furthermore, we have a broad network of associated
organisations all over the country and engage in activities in the rest of
Europe and Latin America.