(Dec. 20, 2024) First graduates of the “Accessible Teaching” certificate program in Siegen

Pictured (from left to right): Sven Bittenbinder, Claudius Clüver, Sandra Butzek

The first pilot exams for the “Accessible Teaching” KnowledgeBadge were conducted in late November, including at the University of Siegen. The chair held by Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller (Business Information Systems, with a focus on IT for an aging society) is an associate partner in the Shuffle project. The project developed a free online course on this topic, which covers not only basic information on the diversity of user needs but also the creation of accessible documents and specific requirements in a higher education context. The course is available online free of charge to everyone.

Sven Bittenbinder, a research assistant in Claudia Müller’s department, is a member of the organizational team for the KnowledgeBadge exams and brought the exam to Siegen. He is delighted with the successful exams: “The idea of creating a compact learning course for instructors that offers a basic understanding and practical examples for direct application […] moves us and the University of Siegen further toward equal opportunity and inclusion!” The university’s efforts are thus supported by the practical focus of the course and the exam.

For the first pilot exams, two additional staff members from the Chair of Business Information Systems, specifically IT for an Aging Society—Sandra Butzek and Claudius Clüver—immediately registered. They have now demonstrated their knowledge of inclusion and accessibility with the “Barrier-Free Teaching” KnowledgeBadge.

“You can easily complete the course on the side in 2–4 weeks,” says Claudius Clüver, assessing the time commitment. “However, for those who would prefer to go into greater detail, we’re considering whether we might also offer an in-person course in the future. I would be very happy if we could get many more people interested in the topic of accessibility,” adds Sven Bittenbinder.