The CLI Fellowship is a prestigious opportunity at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) that allows lecturers to dedicate one day a week (0.2 FTE) to the research and implementation of educational innovations. These fellowships aim to connect the different schools within EUR, thereby sharing lessons learned to improve the overall quality of education.
To support more inclusive and effective student teamwork, Dr Priante – who specialises in the social impact of digital technologies, especially in the context of education quality and inclusion – is developing an inclusive teamwork toolkit. The project aims to provide a pedagogical, practical way to help students and instructors recognise and address non-inclusive behaviour when it arises, and to strengthen collaboration in student teams.
Bridging the gap in team inclusion
Teamwork is a cornerstone of education programmes at RSM, where students from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds collaborate. While diversity is a strength, Dr Priante notes that practical teamwork often falls short of true inclusion – the sense that everyone belongs and has an equal opportunity to participate.
“Group work offers important opportunities for learning, but it also requires the right conditions for all students to participate meaningfully,” Dr Priante explains. “This project focuses on how to strengthen students’ sense of confidence, belonging, and voice in teamwork, while helping educators respond more clearly and consistently when challenges arise.”
The project is set to be piloted within the International Business Administration (IBA) programme at RSM. Dr Priante will work directly with students and staff to refine the tool based on their actual experiences and feedback. During that time, she will investigate how digital and pedagogical support can help strengthen inclusive teamwork by improving students’ sense of belonging, balanced participation, and the quality of team processes. The project also examines how students and instructors experience this support in practice and whether they find it useful in everyday educational settings.
Future impact
While the pilot begins within the IBA programme, the long-term vision is for this inclusive teamwork toolkit to be course neutral, so it can be adopted by other programmes across RSM and EUR. Dr Priante will collaborate with various university departments – including RSM Digitalisation & Information Services (RDIS), RSM Learning & Innovation Team, and CLI fellowship community – to ensure the toolkit is technically robust and grounded in the latest research on inclusion.
The project aligns with the university’s strategic goals of fostering impact-driven, innovative education and preparing students to work effectively in diverse, professional environments. Through this fellowship, RSM continues to lead in developing graduates who are not only academically strong but also skilled in the human-centred, collaborative communication required in today’s global workforce.
