Family Medicine - Foundational Teaching Skills Program

The Family Medicine Foundational Teaching Skills Program is a collaboration between the DFM and the Office of Faculty Development (OFDP) here at the University of Calgary. The virtual 5 session course is designed to provide you with the fundamental skills needed to be a great teacher. If you’re new to teaching or just want to continue growing your skill set in family medicine teaching, this course is for you!

The five sessions cover a range of topics, from an introduction to teaching skills, to providing feedback and identify learners in difficulty. Running May-June, each 75 minute sessions is held on a Wednesday from 12:00-1:15pm via zoom.

At the end of FM-FTSP, participants will demonstrate (by way of their teaching evaluations and feedback at the UME and PGME levels) successful achievement of the following objectives: 

1. Enhance Teaching Performance:
   Apply educational principles and cognitive psychology to improve teaching across various settings, including lectures, small groups, laboratories, clinical settings, and bedside teaching.
2. Provide Effective Feedback and Mentoring:
   Deliver constructive feedback and coaching tailored to help learners progress along their milestones, including supporting learners in difficulty.
3. Assess Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes:
   Develop and implement approaches to assess learners’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes
4. Create Safe and Inclusive Learning Environments:
   Implement strategies to foster a safe and inclusive learning environment, ensuring that all learners feel supported and valued.
5. Prepare and Mentor Future Educators:
   Act as a resource in Family Medicine by providing targeted faculty development, mentorship, and support, as well as taking on leadership roles in education.

Participants who complete the program (at least 4 of the 5 sessions) will be presented with a certificate of completion at the end.

Number of sessions: 5

Minimum commitment: 4 sessions 

Time: 12:00-1:15pm MT

Dates: 
Registration closed for 2025, check back for spring 2026. 

Cost: $0.00 

Objectives: 

1. Understand the basic cognitive framework that leads to learning
2. Apply this framework for teaching, content design, and mentoring/coaching
3. Employ questioning techniques in your day-to-day teaching

Objectives: 

1. Recognize the role of feedback in learner development.
2. Identify barriers to providing effective feedback.
3. Apply strategies for delivering structured and constructive feedback.
4. Adopt a coaching mindset to provide continuous, development-focused feedback.

Objectives: 

1. Be able to compare and contrast analytical (System 2) from non-analytical (System 1) reasoning (as measured by discussions).
2. Define heuristics and biases (as measured by MCQ responses).
3. Explore sources of reasoning error (as measured by MCQ responses).
4. Apply strategies to mitigate reasoning error (as measured by MCQ responses).

Objectives: 

1. Justify the importance of safety in the learning environment
2. Recognize how certain teaching practices interfere with learning and safety
3. Select teaching practices to maximize learning and safety

Objectives: 

1. Assess individual learner needs and identify factors impacting performance.
2. Explore comprehensive strategies and interventions to support struggling learners.
3. Provide valuable and actionable feedback through regular assessments and feedback mechanisms.