An Action Research Approach for Inclusive Homebound School Education Using ICT: Two Case Study

Information and communication technologies, particularly Web 2.0 technologies, offer a precious, sometimes irreplaceable, contribution to the education of students with special educational needs. In particular, there are students who because of physical or psychological illnesses are unable to attend normal schooling and training since they are hospitalized or confined to their homes or residential communities. In this context, Hospital School and Homebound School Education are two services present on our national scholastic scenario which guarantee all these students their right to education. This chapter presents two experiences of Homebound School Education, co-managed in an action research context. A series of scenarios related to the students" specific needs were identified; within these, Web 2.0 technologies played a fundamental role in fostering social and didactic/educational inclusion through strategies for cooperative learning, peer interaction etc.