Abstract:

The issues about equity and inclusion are at top of political and pedagogical debate and they also require now necessarily to take into account the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had in every sector of human life, i.e. health, economics, education. Education deserves special attention as a key item to reduce inequalities and to promote wider inclusion. High levels of education, furthermore, may facilitate not only to access workplace but also offer dignified living conditions marked by welfare. Pedagogy, from the beginnings of pandemic, has been an influence in proposing and implementing educational projects based on the pedagogical principles of flexibility, personalization, student-centred, inclusion, equality of opportunity and equity. These are aimed at all students of any age or background. In order to achieve those goals, the collaboration among national, European and transnational educational policies and institutions is equally needed. The 2021 OECD Education at a Glance focused on international education indicators about equity, and analysed, within and among countries, how differences in gender, socioeconomic status, country of birth and regional location affect education, the job markets and quality of living. The ongoing pandemic is contributing to increase social inequalities and exclusion. Therefore today it is urgent that we devote suitable resources to lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning, crucial for personal, social, cultural and even economic development. Through this we will be able to take a step further to achieve a quality and inclusive education system, one of the key goals of the 2030 UN Agenda. According to the 2021 OECD report Skills Outlook: Learning for Life, longer life expectancy, rapid technological advances, globalization and demographic change, as well as the sudden changes resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, rely upon lifelong learning as the key role in enabling people to adapt and succeed in changing job markets and societies. Regarding technology and specifically Artificial Intelligence, many jobs and working sectors will change requiring new and specific skills. Every skill can be acquired, enhanced and updated through lifelong, life-wide and life-deep education. These will contribute to increase equity and inclusion in an ever-changing world.

To achieve some of the educational objectives mentioned above, Active Learning may be proposed. In this regard, a research project has been carried out through autobiographical methods, aimed at stimulating and strengthening self-awareness, orientation strategies, reflecting, critical and relational skills, involving university students. The analysing methodology is based on Grounded Theory. The results confirmed students had achieved greater self-awareness, self-orientation and better individual empowerment and increase equity and inclusion (especially for excluded students who live passively). So, the proposal provides a practical and flexible pedagogical strategy in line with current educational policies for equity and inclusion.

Keywords:

Equity, Inclusion, Lifelong, Life-wide and Life-deep Learning, Covid19 Pandemic, Autobiographical methods.