Supplemental Instruction

SI only works if you attend SI the right way! Here are some tips that will make your attendance at SI most effective:

• Attend class regularly! SI provides support for the course, but it is not meant to replace attending class or talking with your professor.
• Come to SI at least once per week! SI most benefits those who come on a weekly basis. If you wait to come to only the SI sessions right before the exam… you will probably receive only minimal benefits.
• Come on time and ready to devote your full attention to this study session! Always bring your textbook, device, and class notes to SI.
• Come to SI ready to participate in the activities! To really learn course material, you have to be active by practicing, discussing, applying, and inquiring about what you are learning!
• Always come to SI having reviewed the previous weeks material. Go over the previous week’s note, read the assigned readings, and work on any assigned problems or homework!
• Be encouraging and supportive of other students when they are speaking during SI, but don’t be afraid to evaluate and give constructive feedback on other students’ work!
• Use the strategies used in SI in your own studying at home!
• Use SI as an opportunity to meet other students and form your own study groups!

Faculty play a key role in the success of Supplemental Instruction. As a mentor your teaching expertise and knowledge provides an excellent resource for the SI Leader, both for their own personal development and the development of the students in your course. Additionally, it models student-faculty interaction, which demonstrates to students that you are the most valuable resource in the class. Communication between SI Leaders and instructors provides an opportunity for you to receive feedback on areas where students are struggling.

The goal of SI is aiding student’s success in the course by helping them understand how to learn course information and concepts. This is done by:

• Modeling study skills and strategies that students can use in their own studying and are transferable to other courses.
• Helping students understand how to plan for the demands of college-level courses by providing frequent interaction with and guidance by a successful college student (the SI Leader).
• Using effective collaborative learning strategies ((study groups) to advance their understanding of course content.
• Helping students become more independent learners by assisting them to develop and use course resources (lecture notes, tests, supplements, etc…) effectively.
• Helping with test-taking skills.

• 30 minutes a week talking with the SI Leader about course content.
• 10 minutes on the first day of class to introduce SI to your students.
• Responding to surveys regarding performance of SI Leaders each semester.
• Communication with SI Coordinator throughout the semester.
• Sharing scores after each exam with the SI Coordinator for purposes of tracking SI outcomes.
• Recommendations for new SI Leaders each semester.

We hope you will view your SI Leader as a resource. They are encouraged to interact with students in class as much as possible when you feel it is appropriate for them to do so. Specifically, SI Leaders are trained to:

• Understand the process of learning.
• Encourage interaction between you and your students.
• Be peer mentors and role models for your students.
• Help your students discover and apply new learning strategies.
• Structure group activities so students will learn collaboratively.

• Give answers to students or do work for them.
• Teach, grade, or give the impression that they can do these things.