International Higher Education Teacher Award ^2024/25

INNklusion is a higher education initiative that combines transdisciplinary collaboration, student-centered learning, and societal impact. The program’s novel approach addresses real-world challenges faced by people with disabilities in their everyday lives. By engaging students from diverse fields (e.g., engineering, psychology, and educational sciences), stakeholders, and end-users in co-designing assistive solutions, INNklusion ensures practical and impactful outcomes. The program includes four parts: 1) raising awareness, sensitivity training, and team building, 2) engaging in a co-design process with students and people with disabilities to analyze, brainstorm, and find solutions, 3) developing and testing prototypes, and 4) presenting results to experts and stakeholders. Using design thinking and participatory methods, ideas are organized and transformed into innovations with continuous reflection. Past initiatives encompass a broad range of projects, from needs-based development and application of service concepts to app programming and the design of mechanical and mechatronic systems. These include a stimulus-reduced shopping concept for people on the autism spectrum, an accessible public transport navigation platform, a communication aid for locked-in syndrome, a bed covering device for limited mobility, and an assistive device for photography. All solutions followed a user-centered co-design process to ensure accessibility and usability. INNklusion’s flexible design-thinking-based approach is transferable to other contexts, making it a model for diversity, sustainability, and innovation in higher education. This process fosters active engagement, critical thinking, and prepares students for professional challenges by exposing them to real-life problem-solving. They can contribute to a more inclusive society by linking their academic knowledge with societal challenges. In line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, INNklusion addresses inequities by empowering people with disabilities, emphasizing their expertise in the design process, and fostering inclusion through collaboration.

Methodology

INNklusion follows a structured, transdisciplinary, and user-centered methodology to design assistive solutions for people with disabilities. The process includes four key parts: • Planning: The initiative begins with workshops to sensitize participants concerning the topic of inclusion and introduce relevant methods (e.g., design thinking, user-centered design). Participants include students from diverse disciplines such as engineering, architecture, psychology, and ergonomics as well as people with disabilities as idea contributors and experts. A broad consortium from academia (e.g., domain experts, the university’s accessibility office) and organizations (e.g., Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Autism Aid) allows diverse perspectives and expertise for collaborations and ensures inclusivity. • Implementation: Interdisciplinary teams of four to five students are formed by allowing them to rank projects based on their preferences, ensuring they work on topics that correspond to their expertise and interests. The course lecturers prioritize a balance of disciplinary backgrounds within the teams, which is crucial for a wide range of perspectives and unique knowledge. In these teams, students co-design solutions directly with people with disabilities as active team members along the method of design thinking. This project work phase emphasizes user-centered design and iterative solving of challenges to achieve novel solutions. Students are guided through the process of design thinking with workshops, material including early on prototyping as well as regular feedback and reflection sessions. • Review: Regular evaluations are conducted with end-users and experts to refine prototypes and align them with practical needs. Stakeholders such as local associations for disabled people provide external reviews. Regular feedback sessions with lecturers and peers enable students to reflect on their work progress as well as current success and challenges within the project. Moreover, each live session begins and ends with a short check-in and check-out to reflect on the personal motivation and state of mind. • Assessment: The focus of assessment is on the methodological approach rather than the result. Different examination parts combine group and individual work. A project report, as well as a final presentation amongst stakeholders, is evaluated per group, and therefore, every student can contribute with their personal skills. Individual reflective texts allow students to describe their contributions, learning experiences, and challenges. Regular feedback sessions and confidential discussions support inclusive and process-oriented assessment. • Partners and Roles: The course lecturers guide the academic and technical aspects, while participating people with disabilities and representatives of disability organizations ensure the relevance of solutions. Student assistants support project logistics, and external partners provide real-world insights. The focus on transdisciplinarity and collaboration is a crucial factor in fostering inclusion, innovation, and societal impact by ensuring to develop functional and socially impactful solutions that address the diverse needs of end-users.

Tools, equipment, technology used

INNklusion leverages a range of modern and novel tools and technologies from science and business, including: • Digital Tools: Design software (e.g., CAD for 3D modeling) and virtual collaboration platforms, i.e., Mural, enable teams to work effectively across disciplines. • Co-Design Frameworks: Tools and templates ensure structured interactions between students and individuals with disabilities, incorporating their lived experiences into solution design. • Flexible work environment: During live sessions, students are provided with boards and material for brainstorming and idea sketching and are encouraged to move within the space of the classroom. Moreover, students can use the laboratory and workshop infrastructure during workdays to prototype and test ideas if needed actively. 3D printing is used as a rapid prototyping method and enables fast iterations and visible results. • Accessible Learning Environments: The event rooms are carefully selected to ensure accessibility, e.g., by providing wheelchair-accessible access or induction loops. This is necessary for both students and external people with disabilities to enable active participation. If required, modern assistance solutions such as FM (Frequency Modulated) systems are provided. In addition, simultaneous translation services, including sign language and text interpreters, are provided to meet different accessibility requirements. The applied tools, technology, and methods support student-centered learning. They are flexibly adapted to individual participants’ needs as well as project topics of the semester.

Outcomes and outputs, main results

Key results of the INNklusion initiative include: • Assistive Solutions: Several user-tested assistive solutions were developed by students in recent semesters, including a stimulus-reduced shopping concept for people on the autism spectrum, a prototype for an accessible public transport navigation platform for people with mobility and visual impairments, a mechatronic communication aid for locked-in syndrome, a bed covering device for limited mobility, and an assistive device for photography. Results from 21 projects range from individual assistive technologies to general concepts for a more inclusive society. • Empowered Stakeholders: People with disabilities actively shape solutions, resulting in innovations tailored to their needs and fostering collaboration and expertise sharing. • Student Development: Participants gain critical competencies in interdisciplinary teamwork, inclusion, and practical problem-solving within broader contexts. Additionally, the initiative helps alleviate any fear of contact with people with disabilities by fostering direct interaction and collaboration. • Exchange between Academia and Business: Students involve stakeholders (companies and implementing organizations) in the development process in order to initiate concepts developed as part of follow-up projects. • Community Impact: Enhanced awareness and understanding of inclusion among the university community and the broader public to promote networking between various institutions involved in inclusion and to facilitate collaboration and exchange of knowledge. The project’s active network contains more than 40 contributing parties (i.e., organizations, companies, associations). • Societal and Scientific Dissemination: The initiative’s outcomes reached a broad community from higher education representatives, disability associations to scientific researchers. Through its commitment to student empowerment and its social impact, INNklusion was shortlisted for the Ars Docendi 2024 and awarded the Austrian Inclusion Award for Digitalization and Technology by Lebenshilfe 2024. Internally, the initiative was honored with the Best Practice Award 2023 and shortlisted for the LehrePlus Prize nominees for 2024. The approach of INNklusion with its course concept and feedback was presented at the international conference HRI '24: ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction and DiStA 2024 (Disability Studies Austria).

Lessons learnt

Key lessons of INNklusion include: • Early Engagement: Involving stakeholders from the beginning ensures relevance and acceptance of the solutions. We have learned that it is essential to discuss and clarify expected project outcomes of all involved stakeholders to avoid ineffective and time-consuming approaches and personal dissatisfaction. • Evaluation of Past Courses: Feedback from previous courses is considered (during preparation for the new semester) and is adapted to the needs and desires of students and people with disabilities by having regular feedback rounds (during the course), facilitating continuous improvement and better alignment with participants' expectations. • Iterative Design: Continuous evaluation with end-users and other involved stakeholders improves design quality and usability as well as secures a match of requirements and expectations. • Resource Allocation: We have experienced unbalanced group sizes resulting in students’ personal overload, perceived unfairness with respect to the other groups, and incomplete project outcomes. Therefore, adequate and equal-numbered assignment of students per project team is crucial to manage the iterative co-design process effectively. • Project Output: Time constraints and methodological input in academic settings limit project depth. Integrating longer preparation phases and more streamlined processes could alleviate this. Moreover, extensive projects are split into several semesters or completed in follow-up projects. These insights are essential for continuous improvements and to replicate and scale the initiative at other higher education institutions.

Adaptability and sustainability of the best practice (for other institutions)

The INNklusion initiative – especially the lecture’s structure – is well adaptable to other institutions due to its modular framework. • Adaptability: The co-design process can be applied in various disciplines and for diverse project challenges. Partnerships with local disability advocacy groups ensure contextual relevance. The initiative's focus on student participation and user involvement can be easily integrated into other curricula and educational levels by adapting complexity and focus respectively. Despite having students from only one field, we have also successfully transferred the course concept and design for a Bachelor’s course in the mechatronics curriculum. • Sustainability: Institutional support through funding, faculty involvement over at least the upcoming three semesters, and partnerships ensure long-term viability. Projects addressing Sustainable Development Goals (e.g., reducing inequalities, ensuring accessibility) align with broader policy frameworks, enhancing their longevity. The initiative’s emphasis on inclusive design principles ensures its relevance in diverse educational and societal contexts.

Promotion of best practice

The initiative's promotion strategy includes: • Dissemination Channels: Presentations at national and international conferences, workshops, official events of ministries, public institutions, and organizations as well as clubs and associations, and scientific events. Content and results are shared via the project website, social media channels, and Thingiverse (https://www.thingiverse.com/innklusion/designs). • Target Groups: University students and staff, disability associations, policymakers, and the general public. Students from different project teams identified relevant target groups and presented them their results. • Materials: Prototypes, case studies, and digital presentations are shared through workshops, public events, websites, and social media channels. • Partnerships: Collaborations with local and regional organizations amplify the impact and visibility of the initiative. INNklusion organizes regular networking events for interested and involved stakeholders. The initiative’s comprehensive outreach ensures its principles and results are shared widely, fostering adoption and innovation as well as raising awareness.

Scope and impact

• Course/department level
• Faculty level
• Institutional level
• Cross-institutional level
• National level
• EU/EHEA/International level

INNklusion contributes to challenges and goals at multiple levels: • Course/Department Level: Embeds inclusive practices into academic programs, fostering interdisciplinary learning and real-world problem-solving. • Faculty Level: Strengthens collaboration between diverse disciplines, promoting innovation in teaching and research. • Institutional Level: Aligns with the university’s mission of inclusion, diversity, and societal impact, improving its academic culture. • Cross-Institutional Level: Serves as a model for other institutions, fostering collaboration in Austria and beyond. • National Level: Addresses Austria's national priorities of fostering inclusion and reducing barriers for individuals with disabilities. • EU/EHEA/International Level: Contributes to European Higher Education Area goals by promoting inclusive and student-centered learning. By addressing inclusion, diversity, and sustainability, INNklusion delivers a transformative educational and societal impact.

6.1 Digitalization

• Innovative, novel methodology in using digital tools/devices in teaching
• Digital skills development and assessment both general and profession-related, embedded in course design, in teaching and assessment
• Other:

  Inclusive digital tools

Reasoning: INNklusion fosters digital skills by integrating tools for prototyping, research, and collaboration into project-based learning (e.g., CAD, digital working platforms, such as Mural, programming, state-of-the-art review). Depending on the project focus, solutions are implemented and disseminated in digital formats to ensure accessibility and broader reach. Digital tools are used to develop accessible assistive technologies and share projects digitally and open-source (e.g., website, Thingiverse).

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6.2 Internationalization

• International projects/research results embedded into course development and T&L

Reasoning: INNklusion addresses global challenges by involving students in co-designing assistive solutions with international relevance. A "train-the-trainer" approach equips participants to replicate the procedure and methods globally. Results, including assistive solutions, are universally applicable (e.g., quiet hour) and open source (e.g., keyboard cover, finger blade). Students develop intercultural competencies through communication with transnational stakeholders, enhancing their global engagement.

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6.3 Inclusion and diversity, universal design

• Inclusive course design, universally designed divers activities to meet special students' needs
• Innovative teaching methodology for inclusion and meet diverse student needs
• (Innovative) use of devices and tools for inclusion
• Senzitivizing students to consider special needs when practicing their profession
• Course includes hints on how the services/products of the profession could be universally designed/inclusive

Reasoning: INNklusion addresses the diverse needs of all students with flexible course content, interdisciplinary group work and supported accessibility. Prior to start, participants are encouraged to name specific needs, such as FM systems or interpreter support, and receive a barrier-free navigation guide in simple language to reduce stress and facilitate access. Sensitization workshops on inclusion by a person with disabilities, anonymous dot-voting on state of mind, inclusive team-building games, and joint work rules establish respectful and need-oriented interaction. The course focuses on independent project work where all participants contribute with their individual skill set. Theoretical inputs with practical exercises are organized along a design thinking approach, but specific focus is flexibly adapted to feedback and needs. The assessment consists of a group project report and presentation and an individual text about personal learning outcomes, experiences and contributions.

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6.4 Sustainability

• Sustainability goals are addressed in the course(s)
• Teaching material contains profession related sustainability aspects
• Social entrepreneurship projects, service-learning in the topic
• Extra-curricular student activities for sustainability

Reasoning: INNklusion fosters sustainability through service-learning projects aligned with UN SDGs (#4, #9, #10, #17), promoting inclusion and equal participation for people with disabilities. Sustainability is embedded in all phases, ensuring long-term impact. Collaboration with universities, associations, and communities drives innovative assistive technologies, while open-source results enable scalable change. Extra-curricular dissemination raises awareness for societal sustainability.

3.3 Public contact datas

Name	Email address	Website
Oliver Ott	Innklusion@uibk.ac.at	https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/projects/innklusion/