How can barrier-free teaching with equal opportunities succeed?
To ensure that all students can benefit from your teaching, it is important to consider accessibility in lectures, presentations, exercises, teaching materials, examinations and excursions. This is often easier to implement than it seems. Below you will find helpful tips and an overview of possible measures.
The most important thing: send a clear signal!
Many students refrain from disclosing their impairment out of shame or fear of prejudice. They don't want to be treated differently or even be perceived as "disabled". In addition, many first-year students do not know that there is compensation for disadvantages and counselling services .
You can counteract this by actively signalling your support - for example, at the beginning of a course with a sentence such as:
"If you need support due to an impairment or chronic illness, you are welcome to contact me after the course or during my office hours."
To make this even easier, we provide you with a slide that you can insert into your presentations. This will create an atmosphere of trust and show your students that they are welcome with their concerns.
Course planning
Accessibility should already be taken into account in the planning phase of a course, especially when choosing the teaching format. Asynchronous formats offer more opportunities to implement accessibility, but can also be easily realised in synchronous formats.
Early provision of all materials at the start of the semester is crucial. This allows students with disabilities to prepare them in good time and actively participate in the course instead of having to spend their energy trying to understand the material during the course. Hybrid formats combine the advantages of asynchronous and synchronous teaching, but should be clearly planned and communicated transparently.
- Asynchronous teaching enables flexible learning with your own tools by providing materials and offers orientation and commitment through clearly defined milestones and communication structures throughout the semester.
- Synchronous formats primarily require accessible documents and an adapted presentation style. Short breaks during the course facilitate concentration and encourage active participation.
Deadlines
Provide information about examination dates, resit dates, registration and cancellation deadlines and regulations on compensation for disadvantages at an early stage. Clear communication helps all students, but is particularly important for students with disabilities, as they need clarity for their planning at an early stage.
Point out which submissions and deadlines exist before the examination period and when students can expect feedback from you. Record this information in writing and communicate which points the students need to take action on and which you can approach them about.
Examinations
The educational biographies and impairments of students vary, which leads to different requirements for participation in courses. Offer students the opportunity to contact you or your staff with questions to enable them to prepare successfully for examinations.
Make sure that examination requirements are realistic and in line with the course descriptions. Substitute achievements should correspond to the formulated competences.
If students approach you with an approved compensation for disadvantages, clarify which specific adjustments have been granted, e.g. extension of writing time or separate examination room. If you have any problems with the organisation of examinations, the SmB Service Centre is there to support you - please contact them in good time to ensure smooth implementation.
Availability of information
Accessibility in teaching begins with clearly communicated and easy-to-find information. Information on office hours or courses should be placed on the homepage early and clearly visible in order to increase transparency for all students. Deeper navigation makes this more difficult, especially for students with disabilities.
The content of the website should also be transparent - information on confidentiality or data protection makes contact easier for students who are concerned about stigmatisation. Clear contact details minimise misunderstandings.
Point out that you take into account the needs of students with disabilities in your teaching and offer opportunities for dialogue, preferably in coordination with the SmB Service Centre. Requirements for students should be clearly formulated in writing and easy to find so that students can adapt to them.
Veranstaltungen und Materialien anpassen
