Abstract:

Videos are often used in education, especially in teacher education. They are acknowledged as outstanding material for linking theory and practice. However, videos are only usable for everyone if they are accessible. This includes an accessible video player, captions, and translation of the visual information (e.g., audio description).

A video-based learning platform was developed in the degree projects at TU Dortmund University, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. This platform allows users to edit, comment, and code videos and is accessible. However, to be accessible, the videos, which have to be uploaded by a lecturer/user, have to be designed to be accessible. So captions and audio description have to be designed upfront, which takes time and personal resources.

The difficulty of the videos having to be accessible is especially important when working with videos of their own teaching instead of other teachers' lessons. Videos of others are mostly chosen in advance and are often used a couple of times. Thus, the process of creating captions and audio description can be integrated into the planning, and the effort is worthwhile because of the repetitive usage of the videos. That is different when working with their own videos, especially of student teachers in internships or the practical part of their education, which in Germany/North-Rhine Westfalia has a duration of 1,5 years following the master of education.

Here, the task of recording a video is already extensive on its own. Declarations of consent must be obtained; with younger pupils, the parents need to be informed and to agree. Then, the student teachers have to get used to the camera and its equipment, including microphones, etc., so that the video has a decent auditive and visual quality. Additionally, there is an inhibition threshold to record oneself and watch oneself later with colleagues. Thus, the sole usage of videos is associated with a high workload. To design captions and audio description is then even more adding up to the workload. Using your own videos and still maintaining accessibility is, therefore, a challenge and yet also a potential.

Based on examples of working with videos in the degree project, the planned presentation will highlight these potentials and challenges in the accessible use of student teachers' own videos and show innovative solutions for realising inclusive higher education.

Keywords:

Accessible Videos, Teacher Education, Inclusion.