Inclusive digital education on open platforms:A case study of the complexity of the future of education

Abstract

Open education platforms can be a valuable bridge supporting inclusive education. This article reports an international open education program conducted within the context of COVID-19. The guiding question was: What challenges lie ahead in the future of education, allowing open platforms to facilitate an inclusive digital education that considers special educational, contextual, and diverse learning needs? A case study involved 959 participants in five webinars. The results reported: (a) challenges facing open platforms for inclusive education, (b) current open practices for inclusion, (c) production of open educational resources for inclusion, (d) processes necessary for the production of open platforms, and (e) institutional requirements for inclusive digital education. The study is interest to academic, scientific, governmental, and societal communities and designers, computer developers, and decision-makers interested in educational practices promoting digital equity and inclusive education.