Program Overview

Family Medicine - Foundational Teaching Skills Program

The Family Medicine Foundational Teaching Skills Program is a collaboration between the Department of Family Medicine and the Office of Faculty Development at the University of Calgary. This virtual 5-session course is designed to provide participants with the fundamental skills needed to be a great teacher in family medicine.

Program Objectives

At the end of the program, participants will demonstrate successful achievement of the following objectives:

1. Enhance Teaching Performance: Apply educational principles and cognitive psychology to improve teaching across various settings.
2. Provide Effective Feedback and Mentoring: Deliver constructive feedback and coaching tailored to help learners progress along their milestones.
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.
5. Prepare and Mentor Future Educators: Act as a resource in Family Medicine by providing targeted faculty development, mentorship, and support.

Program Details

• Number of sessions: 5
• Minimum commitment: 4 sessions
• Time: 12:00-1:15pm MT
• Dates:
  • Wednesday, April 8, 2026
  • Wednesday, April 15, 2026
  • Wednesday, April 22, 2026
  • Wednesday, April 29, 2026
  • Wednesday, May 6, 2026
• Cost: $0.00

Session Objectives

Intro to FM-FTSP & Introduction to Teaching Skills/Cognitive Psychology

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 day-to-day teaching.

Principles of Feedback and Coaching

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.

Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Error

1. Compare and contrast analytical (System 2) from non-analytical (System 1) reasoning.
2. Define heuristics and biases.
3. Explore sources of reasoning error.
4. Apply strategies to mitigate reasoning error.

Creating a Safe Learning Environment

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.

Identification and Mentoring of the Learner in Difficulty

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.

Program Completion

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