ALSO^® Instructor Questions

• Who can attend an ALSO Instructor Course?
• What are the requirements to maintain ALSO Approved Instructor status?
• If my ALSO Approved Instructor status expired because I did not complete one or both requirements, how do I regain my status?
• How do instructors check their status, expiration date, and/or required teaching instances?
• Do instructors need to spend a lot of time teaching and demonstrating skills at the direct workstations during the live course?
• Is it necessary to purchase the new ALSO instructor manual?
• Now that I have attended an ALSO Course, am I considered ALSO Approved?
• How do I find an ALSO Course to teach in so that I can be evaluated to become ALSO Approved?
• I am ALSO Advisory Faculty. Can I also serve as the Course Director for the same course?
• Does an Advisory Faculty have other responsibilities other than observing Candidate?
• How can I keep informed about the latest updates and new information about ALSO courses?

Who can attend an ALSO Instructor Course?

Anyone with a current ALSO status can attend an ALSO Instructor Course.

What are the requirements to maintain ALSO Approved Instructor status?

To maintain your ALSO Approved Instructor status, you must meet two requirements every three years:

• Teach in at least two courses*
• Complete the ALSO Online Instructor Renewal Course, in which participants review all updated content, attest to reviewing it, and claim credit upon completion

*Please note: ALSO Approved Instructors with five-year status are still required to teach in three courses. Upon your expiration date, if you meet the teaching requirements and complete the ALSO Online Instructor Renewal Course, you will renew for three more years.

If my ALSO Approved Instructor status expired because I did not complete one or both requirements, how do I regain my status?

If your ALSO Approved Instructor status has expired, you must do all of the following to regain your status:

• Attend an ALSO Course
• Attend an ALSO Instructor Course
• Teach in an ALSO or Basic BLSO Course to be observed and recommended by an Approved Instructor again
  
• See the Status Life Cycle document for more information. 

How do instructors check their status, expiration date, and/or required teaching instances?

Your ALSO Approved Instructor status and expiration date are located on your ALSO wallet card. For AAFP members, this is found in your AAFP transcript, for non-members, is in your AAFP account, along with your letter of participation. In addition, teaching instances are recorded in the AAFP account or transcript each time an individual is listed as an instructor on a course dashboard. 

Do instructors need to spend a lot of time teaching and demonstrating skills at the direct workstations during the live course?

No. Keep in mind that learners spend hours preparing for the ALSO Live Course by completing the Online course. Additionally, to keep the course schedule on track, instructors must adhere strictly to the time allotted for their skills workstations.

Is it necessary to purchase the new ALSO instructor manual?

We encourage non-ALSO Approved Instructors to obtain the most up-to-date version of the ALSO Instructor manual (.pdf).

Please note that this manual and the ALSO manual are available to all ALSO Approved Instructors as part of the ALSO Online Instructor Renewal Course.

Now that I have attended an ALSO Instructor Course, am I considered an ALSO Approved Instructor?

Upon completing the Instructor Course, the Learners are considered ALSO Instructor Candidates. To become an ALSO Approved Instructor, you must teach in an ALSO or BLSO Course within one year of your ALSO Live Instructor Course date and have a current Advisory Faculty observe your teaching skills. The advisory faculty must complete an evaluation form, which the Sponsor will keep on file for two years. The Sponsor will check the box for ‘Recommend Approved Instructor’ next to your name on the dashboard submitted after the Live course.

How do I find an ALSO Course to teach in so that I can be observed to become an ALSO Approved Instructor?

Search for ALSO Courses in AAFP Global Search.

Most course Sponsors are open to inviting an Advisory Faculty to be on-site to observe the Instructor Candidate teaching workstations and group testing and recommending them for Approved Instructor. 

I am ALSO Advisory Faculty. Can I also serve as the Course Director for the same course?

Yes. Consider your faculty and course circumstances and use your best judgment about your capabilities to serve in both roles at your course.

Does an Advisory Faculty have other responsibilities other than observing Candidates?

Yes. Each course is required to have an Advisory Faculty to consult with during their planning and execution of the course, if needed. They may serve remotely, being fully available to the Course Director during the Live course date and serving onsite when needing to observe Candidates.

How can I keep informed about the latest updates and new information about ALSO courses?

When we have important updates or release new ALSO content editions, we notify ALSO Approved Instructors and ALSO coordinators in the following ways:

• Send notification via blast email
• Post in the Instructor Online Community and Coordinator Online Community (Please be sure to change your settings to ‘Real Time’ so you don’t miss any announcements.)
• Post on the ALSO Latest Announcements webpage
   

Questions?