Opportunities and barriers

Use of multimedia

In the following sections we will examine the use of multimedia and the presentation forms selected by the lecturers concerned. Under what conditions are the presentation forms employed free of barriers? Students describe their experiences.

A further aspect investigated is the students use of learning aids. Which aids are used for which purpose?
Questionnaire: Learning scenario, students
Questionnaire: Scenario, employees

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Evaluation of the learning scenarios

Interaction during a lecture

The exchange of information, whether between fellow students or with lecturers, is considered to be an important element of a successful university course.

• Interaction between students
  Interaction between students during the course of a lecture occurs in the form of spoken questions, free discussion or group-work.
• Interaction between lecturers and students
  Interaction between lecturers and visually impaired students generally occurs in the traditional way, i.e. through direct personal contact. The evaluation of this contact ranges from very good to bad. Personal factors play a role in this assessment.
  The communication carried out during a scenario with a lecturer using a video-conference was evaluated as very good.

Communication and interaction during the work process before and after a lecture

• Interaction between students
  Karlsruhe visually impaired students prefer direct oral communication to exchange information and discuss points which need to be clarified. Notes are often borrowed from fellow sighted students to fill in any gaps whenever the documentation is not available in digital form or in order to complete the student's own notes. Person-to-person communication very frequently occurs outside the lecture, in the refectory for instance, or when students meet on the campus. Some visually impaired students have help when registering for examinations, in the library, in the computer centre (if a document needs to be printed a sighted person enters the commands), in preparing for examinations, and are accompanied to oral examinations.
  Close behind in the rankings is contact by e-mail and telephone. Group working-meetings to prepare for examinations and to find joint solutions for tasks are mentioned.
  Internet forums are used in individual cases.
  In 3 of 14 scenarios there was no interaction. A number of visually impaired students emphasise that they like to study on their own.
  All in all, interaction between students - to the extent that it takes place - is mostly evaluated as very good to good.
• Interaction between lecturers and students
  The following communication forms are used in Karlsruhe: fixed consultation hours / e-mail and telephone contact.
  These methods are used to clarify open questions, to discuss homework, examination details and organisational issues, and to ask for literature recommendations and advice.
  Both sides contribute to the success of the interaction process. Contact to lecturers is described as very good to good, depending to a large extent on the personality of the individual concerned. In some cases e-mail inquiries made to lecturers were answered late or not at all. Other students report positive experiences and rapid reactions by e-mail. Assistants occasionally answer e-mails addressed to lecturers.
  Experience: One student describes the lecturers of the University of Karlsruhe (TH) as generally very open and prepared to make concessions.

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