Supplemental Instruction Program Description & Procedure

Supplemental Instruction (SI) Program Description and Procedure

SI is = an academic support program that utilizes peer-assisted study sessions. It is a non-remedial, institution-wide approach to retention first developed by Dea= nna C. Martin at the University of <= st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Missouri at Kansas City in 1973. SI targets historically difficult academic courses and offers to all enrolled students regularly scheduled, out-of-class, review sessions. SI study sessions are informal seminars in which students compare notes, discu= ss readings, develop organizational tools and predict test items. Students lea= rn how to integrate course content and reasoning skills. The SI sessions are directed by “SI leaders,” usually students who have previously = and successfully taken the “high-risk” course and then sit through = the course again.

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Distinguishing Characteristics

There = are several key elements of SI that differentiate it from group tutoring and ot= her forms of remedial and developmental education:

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· SI identifies high-risk courses instead of high-risk students;

· SI provides a vehicle for developing essential academic skills in regular cred= it bearing courses;

· Participation in the SI program is voluntary and open to all students in the courses;

· The SI leader attends all the lectures for the targeted course;

· The SI leader is trained in specific teaching/learning theory techniques;<= /o:p>

· The SI program is supervised by a trained professional staff member;=

· The SI program is offered only in classed in which the faculty member invites a= nd supports SI;

· Assistance begins during the first week of the term before students encounter academic problems;

· The SI leader facilitates and encourages the group to process the material rath= er than acting as an authority figure who lectures to participants.=

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SI Leaders<= /o:p>

The SI= leaders are the key people in the program. They are presented as model “stude= nts of the subject.” As such, they present an appropriate model of thinki= ng, organization and mastery of the discipline. All SI leaders take part in an intensive two day training session before the beginning of the academic ter= m. This training covers such topics as how students learn as well as instructional strategies aimed at strengthening student academic performance. SI leaders attend all class sessions, take notes, read all assigned material, and cond= uct two or more 1-hour SI sessions each week.

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SI Sessions=

The SI= session integrates how-to-learn with what-to-learn. Students who attend the SI sess= ion discover appropriate application of study strategies as they review content material, e.g., note taking, graphic organization, questioning techniques, vocabulary acquisition, and test preparation. Students have the opportunity to b= ecome actively involved in the course material as the SI leaders use the text, supplementary readings, and lecture notes as vehicles for learning skill in= struction. SI sessions normally occur in or near the S405 classroom. SI sessions are attended on a voluntary basis and no effort is made to segregate students b= ased on academic ability. Since SI is introduced on the first day of classes and= is open to all students in the class, SI in not viewed as remedial.=

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SI Supervisor

The SI supervisor, an on-site professional staff person, implements and supervises= the SI program and SI leaders. This person is responsible for identifying the targeted courses, gaining faculty support, selecting and training SI leader= s, monitoring the quality of the SI session, evaluating the program and report= ing results to campus administrators.

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SI Results<= /o:p>

SI stu= dents earn higher course grades and withdraw less often than non-SI participants.= Also, data demonstrate higher re-enrollment and graduation rates. Faculty and sta= ff from nearly 500 institutions in the U.S. and abroad have been tra= ined to implement SI programs from the field and report similar results.

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Nation= ally, high student attrition among first year college students continues to be a trend (American College Testing Program, 1996). The problem is particularly acute at UHD, where only about 50-60% of first-time-in-college freshmen are retained after the first year. V. Tinto, regarded by many as the expert in student retention in post-secondary education, has identified four signific= ant factors in the dropout of students (1989, p.47). Many students feel socially isolated on campus. Students have difficulty adjusting to the new environme= nt. Students suffer form incongruence (i.e., they are not able to link the knowledge received from class lectures to what they already understood). The final fa= ctor is that students have difficulty in the college environment. The SI program= can be a part of a broad institutional response to help address these four problems. The SI review sessions provide a safe environment for students to discuss and process the course material. Students in SI become acquainted w= ith each other as they interact. The SI leader facilitates the discussion so th= at students can make adjustments, discuss what they do not understand, and discover strategies for mastering difficult material.

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The SI= leader is a facilitator, a preceptor. The role of the leader is to provide structu= re to the study session, not re-lecture or introduce new material. The SI lead= er is a “model student” who assists students in thinking about and processing the course content. Collaborative learning is an important strat= egy since it helps students to empower themselves rather than remaining depende= nt as they might in traditional tutoring.&nbs= p; Research suggests those tutoring relationships do not promote transf= er of needed academic skills (Demon, 1988, Martin, et.al, 1991b, 1990, 1983, 1= 982, 1981).

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SI foc= uses on both process and content. Therefore, learning/study strategies (e.g., note taking, organization, and test preparation) are integrated into the course content during SI sessions. SI sessions provide immediate practice and reinforcement of these acquired skills. SI collaborative sessions capitaliz= e on the use of the “teachable moment” to apply the learning strateg= ies to course material.

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Learner Activiti= es

At lea= st two or more hours of SI are available each week per course. During the SI session, the SI lead= er models application of study strategies such as note taking, graphic organization, questioning techniques, vocabulary acquisition, and test prediction and preparation. Students learn to trust each other to verbalize what they do underst= and and clarify what they don’t understand.