What is supplemental instruction (SI)?
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a proactive learning enhancement service. The SI process is designed to organize and improve the ways in which students prepare for class outside of class. This service is paired with a course to provide students with a systematic and disciplined approach for processing the course material assigned by the professor.
Once identified, a SI Leader is assigned to a course. The SI Leader is a student who has demonstrated proficiency in a targeted course and undergoes SI Leader training. The SI leader attends the course to keep up with the course content being presented and to model effective student practices and attitudes. Within the service, the SI Leader offers and facilitates 2-4 regularly scheduled weekly review sessions. The session times selected are based upon a survey of times convenient to students enrolled in the class. During these sessions, the SI leader uses interactive learning strategies which encourage involvement, comprehension and synthesis of the course content. In addition, the SI leader will demonstrate effective study techniques.
How is a course selected for SI?
SI targets historically difficult courses. In other words, a course that contains content students consider to be challenging. SI is designed to support faculty teaching and is assigned to a course because of what is being taught, not because of the manner in which it is being taught.
What is asked of a faculty partner?
SI is not intended to create additional work for faculty. You can support SI by granting time for promotion of the service at the start of the semester and occasional in-class announcements during the semester. Faculty can be supportive of the program by encouraging all students to take advantage of SI services. It's important to note that all can benefit from SI services.
Faculty partners are critical and invited to participate in the following aspects of the program:
- the selection and approval of SI Leaders for the course
- participation in the evaluation of the SI services
- and consultation with SI Leaders regarding session plans.
First, faculty may identify students for recruitment for the SI Leader position. Sometimes, students are more apt to apply if a faculty member has suggested their name. Second, faculty assists us by providing a copy of grades after the first exam, allowing for comparison of student performance between those students who have participated in the service and those that have studied on their own. Please note: Institutional approval has been given to collect this data and students’ rights to privacy regarding this information will be fully protected. Third, SI Leaders may consult faculty, seek additional course resources and feedback about their session plans.
What should I expect from the SI leader?
The SI leader will:
- attend all class meetings
- maintain a professional attitude about matters such as class standards, grades and student complaints
- discourage students from attending SI as a substitute for class
- share SI materials with the cooperating faculty member before use, if possible
- provide feedback to the cooperating faculty member if requested to do so.
What should I expect from the SI program?
We will:
- cooperate with faculty in selecting candidates for SI leaders and place leaders only with the approval of the cooperating faculty member
- train all SI leaders according to established guidelines and standards
- monitor the activities and presentations of SI leaders for as long as necessary by attending sessions with them
- helping plan sessions and supervising their performance
- provide supplies, training, in-service experiences, consultations for SI leaders
- provide cooperating faculty with an end-of-term comparative analysis of student performance