Towards a new model for inclusive education based on virtual social inclusion and mobile openness

Abstract

The political and social instability in many parts of the world has led to large numbers of refugees forced to find a haven in Europe, and the social and political pressure is felt in these countries, as they see the situation worsening dramatically. In this article, an analysis of the geo-sociological assumptions within the conventional conception of social inclusion is undertaken and substituted by a new one based upon the knowledge-based, network-oriented nature of modern European society. This is referred to as Virtual Social Inclusion (VSI) and it aims primarily at two fundamental dimensions of human activity: education and employment. The article focuses on the nature and implications of VSI for inclusive education and its underlying principles, particularly mobility and openness. What VSI requires to turn from a theoretical framework into a practical reality and the foreseeable implications of its implementation are explored.

Keywords: Virtual social inclusion, social inclusion, MOOC, open education.