Comparative Information Technology: Languages, Societies and the Internet, which is the fourth volume in the 12-volume series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, offers a critique of the nexus between ICT and its impact on society, individuals and educational institutions. One of the most signification dimensions of globalisation has been the rapid development of information and communications technologies (ICTs). Our lives have been changed by this in numerous ways and the implications for education are en- mous. The ICTs have transformed the linguistic, cognitive and visual dim- sions of human communication, as well as our perceptions of the self, and social identity in the global culture. The ICTs have facilitated the development of new dimensions of digital literacy, such as blogging and sms messaging. In this sense, cyberlanguage continues to evolve by borrowing and adapting familiar words, coining new expressions, and embracing particular styles (Gibbs & Krause, 2006, 2007). However, information technology can be both empowering and disempowering. Individuals use the Internet, notebooks, and their BlackBerries and communicate via email. If clothing is an extension of one’s skin, then the ICT has become an extension of our bodies. In a globalised world, linked through the Internet, a n- formed identity can lead to a multiplicity of identities, some contradictory to each other, and some taking place primarily in the virtual communities of cyberspace.

The major focus of this Handbook is the design and potential of IT-based student learning environments. Offering the latest research in IT and the learning process, distance learning, and emerging technologies for education, these chapters address the critical issue of the potential for IT to improve K-12 education. A second important theme deals with the implementation of IT in educational practice. In these chapters, barriers and opportunities for IT implementation are studied from several perspectives. This Handbook provides an integrated and detailed overview of this complex field, making it an essential reference.

'Information Technology Law' examines the national and international basis for action on such topics as data protection and computer crime. The text goes on to analyse the effectiveness of current intellectual property legislation.

This is a unique reference source of high level comparative information on aspects of tax administration system design and practice covering the world’s major revenue bodies.

This is the seventh edition of the OECD Tax Administration Comparative Information series. It provides internationally comparative data on important aspects of tax systems and their administration for 55 advanced and emerging economies.

Tax Administration 2015 is a comprehensive survey of tax administration systems, practices and performance across 56 advanced and emerging economies (including all OECD, EU, and G20 members).

Aims and Scope Patients are more empowered to shape their own health care today than ever before. Health information technologies are creating new opportunities for patients and families to participate actively in their care, manage their medical problems and improve communication with their healthcare providers. Moreover, health information technologies are enabling healthcare providers to partner with their patients in a bold effort to optimize quality of care, improve health outcomes and transform the healthcare system on the macro-level. In this book, leading figures discuss the existing needs, challenges and opportunities for improving patient engagement and empowerment through health information technology, mapping out what has been accomplished and what work remains to truly transform the care we deliver and engage patients in their care. Policymakers, healthcare providers and administrators, consultants and industry managers, researchers and students and, not least, patients and their family members should all find value in this book. "In the exciting period that lies just ahead, more will be needed than simply connecting patients to clinicians, and clinicians to each other. The health care systems that will be most effective in meeting patients' needs will be those that can actually design their 'human wares' around that purpose. This book provides deep insight into how information technology can and will support that redesign." Thomas H. Lee, MD, MSc, Chief Medical Officer, Press Ganey Associates; Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Professor of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health The Editors: Drs. Maria Adela Grando, Ronen Rozenblum and David W. Bates are widely recognized professors, researchers and experts in the domain of health information technology, patient engagement and empowerment. Their research, lectures and contributions in these domains have been recognized nationally and internationally. Dr. Grando is affiliated with Arizona State University and the Mayo Clinic, and Drs. Rozenblum and Bates are affiliated with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University.