Teaching Participatory Inclusive IT Design with a Neurodiversity Lens in Computing Education

Abstract

Neurodiversity remains underrepresented in higher education, especially in computing, where inclusive design is seldom embedded in curricula. We report an empirical study of a participatory inclusive IT design course at a German university of applied sciences. Twelve IT students collaborated with a neurodivergent peer expert and the university’s accessibility advisor for students with disabilities and chronic health conditions to co-create prototypes addressing concrete barriers in everyday academic life. A mixed-methods evaluation combined entry and exit student surveys with a multi-stakeholder focus group. We find a statistically significant gain in self-reported knowledge of accessible design, alongside positive but non-significant shifts in attitudes and confidence, consistent with small samples and high pre-course endorsement. Qualitatively, participants described conditions that made participation workable, and stakeholders perceived the prototypes as valuable for neurodivergent students and potentially for students of all neurotypes. The study offers empirically grounded recommendations to embed participatory, inclusive practice in computing education.