Exploring the essentials of everyday human interaction

Saying no to plans when you’re overwhelmed. Telling a friend or family member that something is bothering you. Asking a coworker or professor for help. Setting boundaries around your time or money. Navigating platonic or romantic relationships — and, sometimes, rejection. 

The situations are diverse, but the skills to handle them are surprisingly common: understanding boundaries, communicating clearly and considering the needs of ourselves and others.

A new online course from the University of Calgary's Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Support Office (SGBVPSO) gives all members of campus — students, staff and faculty, alike — an opportunity to explore those skills on their own time.

Developed by Dr. Kiara Mikita, PhD'16, senior specialist, Prevention Education in the SGBVPSO, Interaction Essentials is a free, asynchronous D2L course about positive, pro-social human interaction and how we can look after ourselves and one another with care. 

“It doesn't matter if you're a first-year student or tenured faculty ... we all have (common or similar) insecurities, questions and uncertainty about handling these everyday interactions,”says Mikita. “Without awareness about what to do, many of us don't handle things well — or at all. This equips people with practical and accessible strategies to help sidestep these challenges.”

The goal is to give people a shared starting point for thinking about healthy interactions while recognizing that everyone comes to those interactions with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. For some students who have participated in the course, the breadth of the topics stood out. “The resources cover a lot of different skills and topics that are relevant to day-to-day conversations and relationships,” shares Luciana Zapata Suárez, a fourth-year psychology student in the Faculty of Arts.

Skills for everyone, for everyday situations

Preventing sexual and gender-based violence also means helping people develop the communication, self-awareness and interpersonal skills that contribute to healthier relationships and communities.

“(Topics like0 consent and respectful relationships aren’t restricted to romantic interactions,” says Maria Garces Tejada, a fourth-year psychology student who also enrolled in the module. “It’s something that expands to different areas of our lives, our friendships, our professional relationships and with family.” 

Interaction Essentials considers what these concepts can look like in conversations with friends, roommates, classmates, professors and romantic partners. It explores situations ranging from communicating with a project group, to setting boundaries around money, time or personal values. 

For Paula Russel, manager of the SGBVPSO, this kind of education is part of building a culture where people are better equipped to care for themselves and one another. “(It’s) particularly important, because preventing sexual and gender-based violence isn't only about responding when harm occurs,” explains Russel, BA'12, BSW'23. “It also means helping people develop the communication, self-awareness and interpersonal skills that contribute to healthier relationships and communities.” 

Making awkward topics approachable

Rather than relying exclusively on traditional educational materials, the interactive course also incorporates real social media content like TikTok to help connect concepts to situations learners may recognize from their own lives.

“Think of it like a more informed scroll,” says Mikita. Sources are vetted and linked throughout the course, allowing learners to explore topics in greater depth. 

The format was also developed with different learners in mind, including diverse cultural backgrounds and neurodivergent students. Early participants are happy with the choice to keep things bite-sized. “I really liked that they used short videos from reels or TikTok,” says Tejada. “(It) met me where I was in terms of my language and my learning speed.” 

Because Interaction Essentials is fully asynchronous, learners can engage with the material when, where and at the pace that works for them. Another student participant, Caroline Gross, appreciated that the content “allows you check in with yourself, see how you're feeling that day, and then decide how much content you have the capacity to learn about and engage with in that moment.” 

Gross, who is majoring in global development studies and inclusive elementary education, says the course prompted her to think differently about how she communicates, responds to boundaries and experiences rejection. “It just made me reflect and understand myself a lot more," she says.

This new learning opportunity complements the SGBVPSO's existing educational programming, including webinars and in-person workshops. Together, these options give members of the campus community different ways to build their knowledge and practise what they learn.

Listen to Changing Conversations: Experts on Everyday Sexual Violence, hosted by Dr. Kiara Mikita, for conversations exploring sexual violence and the everyday experiences surrounding it.