The Inclusive Teacher summer school: e-learning together
Inclusive teaching is often about making small, meaningful adjustments that are both attainable and sustainable. To support this, the University of Groningen has developed The Inclusive Teacher, an award-winning e-learning course for teachers.
This week-long summer school offers the opportunity to complete The Inclusive Teacher course in collaboration with others. Periods of self-study are alternated with activities to engage with the materials in-depth. Participants can exchange insights and experiences across institutional or faculty contexts, and learn from each other’s practices. Diverse experiential and social activities help to refresh perspectives and deepen reflection.
Course topics comprise inclusive course design, pedagogy, assessment, and group work. Promoting awareness, the course also focuses on practical strategies to make student diversity a positive resource for teaching and learning.
Upon completion of the course, participants can receive a Certificate of Participation, recognising their commitment to inclusive teaching. A final reflective assignment can be completed afterwards to gain a Proof of Competence (digital credential).
Practical information
|
Dates
|
6 - 10 July 2026
|
|
Location
|
Groningen, the Netherlands
|
|
Level
|
Teachers and educational developers |
|
Fees
|
€ 300 (includes lunches, refreshments, social excursions, and one dinner) The fee does not include hotel/accommodation. Upon registration and payment, a list of recommended accommodations will be provided. |
|
Academic coordinators
|
Rina de Vries & Jan Riezebos, Teaching Academy Groningen |
|
Contact |
Rina de Vries, inclusiveteacher@rug.nl |
Requirements
Who is this summer school for?
The summer school is designed for anyone involved in teaching, coordinating teaching, or educational development at an MBO, HBO or HO educational institution. All experience levels are welcome.
It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language to actively participate in the discussions and to present their own work in English.
Course schedule
Schedule overview
Monday
Introduction: the concept of inclusive teaching, and why it is a valuable competence.
Tuesday
Inclusive Course Design: the principles of universal design for learning, digital accessibility and diversifying the curriculum.
Wednesday
Inclusive Pedagogy: identifying students' diversity to create a supportive classroom environment, communicating respectfully and clearly, and applying flexible and differentiated teaching strategies.
Thursday
Inclusive Group Work: the benefits of diverse group work, how to form diverse groups, and how to facilitate the group process.
Friday
Inclusive Assessment: designing and facilitating inclusive assessment, and evaluating students' results from the perspective of inclusion.
Learning approach
To prepare for the summer school, participants are asked to complete The Introduction to the course (2 hours of self-study). Working methods during the week will be group discussions, individual reflection, and designing activities. Participants will also present ideas to implement inclusive teaching strategies into their own practice.
Upon successful completion of the course, participants can receive a Certificate of Completion. All study units and activities culminate in a final reflective assignment to consolidate learning, which can be completed after the summer school (approximately 4 hours). Different formats are allowed for this final assignment. Participants who opt to make the final assignment are eligible for receiving a Proof of Competence (digital credential).
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
After this course you will be able to:
-
engage with the Inclusive Teacher framework and understand key principles and practical approaches to inclusive teaching;
-
share and learn from strategies, experiences, and challenges with colleagues from other institutions or faculties;
-
critically reflect on inclusive pedagogy, course design, assessment and group work, and how these can be adapted to diverse student populations in different teaching contexts;
-
articulate what inclusivity means for your own teaching practice and develop concrete next steps for implementing inclusive teaching in your own courses.
Workload
-
Preparation: 2 - 3 hours
-
Final assignment: 3 - 4 hours*
Upon successful completion of the course, participants can receive a Certificate of Participation, recognising their commitment to inclusive teaching.
*A final assignment can be completed afterwards to gain a Proof of Competence (digital credential). The final assignment takes 3 - 4 hours to complete.
Proof of competence
Participants who successfully complete the summer school (including the assessments) have the possibility to obtain a Proof of Competence (digital credential) to acknowledge participation and engagement with the content. Participants who qualify for a Proof of Competence can obtain a digital badge via the EduBadges platform managed by SURF— the cooperative of Dutch education and research institutions. The digital badge is stored on this platform and contains metadata, making the content, learning outcomes, study load hours and language of instruction of the educational activity clear and transparent. The digital badge is therefore verifiable and can be shared on, for example, a CV or LinkedIn.
Course facilitators
Course organizers and facilitators
-
Rina de Vries (they/them) is an educational developer diversity & inclusion, intercultural trainer, and educational grants advisor (TAG, FEB)
-
Jan Riezebos (he/him) is a professor educational innovation and the academic lead of the Teaching Academy (FEB, TAG)
-
Irene Poort (she/her) is an assistant professor at the Department of Teaching and Education (FBSS)
-
Estelle Meima (she/her) is a curriculum developer and a student well-being project member (TAG, University Services)
Application procedure
To apply, kindly fill out the online application form. Please note that you will be asked to upload the following documents:
-
Statement of motivation, clearly stating why you want to join this summer school, what you will bring to the school and what your expectations are (max. 250 words)
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but the final deadline to apply is 8 June 2026. The summer school has a limited capacity, with 25 spots available.