Guiding and Support Young People (18-25) After Care

Over the past two decades, vast and rapid changes have been witnessed in the use and diffusion of information technologies. The introduction and growing use of the internet has exerted a substantial impact on everyday life, changing the way humans interact, consume information and conduct their daily activities. However, the adoption of information technologies has not been equally met by all members of society, resulting in gaps in access, usage and the type of on-line content consumed across socio-demographic, economic and spatial landscapes. The study of this phenomenon, known as the digital divide, is becoming increasingly important in recent years. Part of the provision within educational institutions is the design, commissioning and implementation of ICT facilities to improve teaching and learning. Inevitably, these facilities focus largely on Internet Protocol based provisions including access to the World Wide Web, email, interactive software and hardware tools. Educators should be committed to the use of ICT to improve learning and teaching as well as to issues relating to the Internet and educational disadvantage, especially with respect to access and exclusion concerns. In the workshop, I examine some recent research into the issue of inequality and use of the Internet during which I discuss the causes and consequences of exclusion in the context of social inequality, digital literacy and digital inequality In children at risk.