About Supplemental Instruction
Supplemental Instruction (SI) was designed and first implemented in the 1970’s at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and now is offered on over 900 campuses world wide. The SI program provides FREE peer collaborative review sessions for a few sections of difficult and challenging courses. Students are encouraged to attend review sessions often. Attendance is voluntary.
Key elements of SI
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Targets traditionally difficult academic courses with a high rate (30%) of D, F or W grades as opposed to specific student populations.
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Provides regularly scheduled, out of class peer collaborative study sessions.
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Reduces D, W, and F grades with SI courses.
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Improves student grades in the targeted course and produces higher final course grades.
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Peer Collaborative leaders regularly attend class thereby offering insights to understanding the professor’s teaching style and course expectations.
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Improves student learning by creating a learning environment whereby students are actively engaged with course materials as they discover appropriate application of learning and study strategies, e.g. note taking, graphic organization, problem solving strategies, and test preparation, as they review content material.
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SI participants integrate what to learn with how to learn.
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All new leaders undergo required intensive training consisting of active and collaborative learning pedagogy and practices prior to and during the semester.
What are SI leaders?
SI leaders are students who have taken the course before and have done well. The leaders attend class with you each day, hearing what you hear and reading what you read, to help you to process and learn the material more effectively.
What's in it for me?
For you the student, it's a chance to get together with people in your class to compare notes, to discuss important concepts, to develop strategies for studying the subject, and to test yourselves before your professor does, so that when he/she does you'll be ready. At each session your Leader, a competent student who has previously taken the course, will guide you through this material.
When do SI review sessions start?
On the first day of class your leader will introduce him or herself to you and let you know when the study sessions will take place during the first weeks of school. SI review sessions are informal. Bring your textbook and notes; bring your questions.
If you attend SI sessions regularly, chances are you'll earn a better grade. You'll have developed a better understanding of course content as well as more effective ways of studying. This will also help you in other classes.