MOOCs "can play a role in enhancing social inclusion for the more marginalised students," writes the author, "so long as the platforms are designed in such a way as to foster this inclusion." This paper reports on a language-learning course in Turkey and examines the factors that influence inclusion. "Social inclusion is not just about having 'access' to, for instance, open educational environments like MOOCs, but how those environments cater to the needs of the students given their diverse backgrounds and needs." The study could have been broader and more diverse - it's remarkable that all participants reported wireless 'mobile' internet access (as opposed to cable, fibre or DSL). But the identification and categorization of factors influencing inclusion is useful. Though I would have asked whether the typology of inclusions (digital, social, educational) could be mapped to the typology of presences (social, teaching, cognitive), and what influence each should have on the other.
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