麻豆社

Supplemental Instruction

About the Program

Supplemental Instruction (SI) started at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1973. It鈥檚 grown into a world-wide college support program focused on helping students be successful in high-risk courses.  
 
At 麻豆社, SI supports students in challenging courses, such as ENG 101 and MTH 101. 

Here鈥檚 how: An SI Leader is added into the course as a model student. They host sessions outside of class time. Sessions include activities to gain understanding, practice critical thinking, and foster peer learning. The sessions focus on 鈥渨hat to learn鈥� in a course + strategies on 鈥渉ow to learn鈥�. 

SI encourages all students in a supported course to participate in SI sessions, no matter their grade. All students benefit from engaging with course content and gaining study skills.聽

How It Works

At 麻豆社, the SI program is divided into five main parts: 

  1. Selection: SI Leaders are referred to the program by faculty or staff or apply for it themselves.聽
  1. Training: SI Leaders are interviewed, hired, and undergo training in SI practices. They work with the SI Coordinator, Faculty, and Staff on best practices, session planning, responsibilities, and expectations.聽
  1. Class: SI Leaders attend class as a regular student. They introduce themselves and their role, but also notes, participate in activities and discussion, and potentially assist the instructor with handouts or activities.聽
  1. SI Sessions: SI Leaders prepare a minimum of two voluntary sessions a week. It is a space for students from the class to study course content, participate in activities, practice difficult subjects, and assist their peers. These sessions do not address missed homework questions from (SI Leaders are not tutors) but do provide additional activities and discussion. This assists deeper learning. For tutoring, support and scheduling can be found on our Learning Center 辫补驳别.听
  1. Review and Reflection: SI Leaders, students, and faculty provide feedback to clarify challenges and ways to improve the SI model, as well as insight into the benefits of the SI program.聽

FAQs

What is SI?

SI is a support program for challenging courses. An SI Leader attends the class regularly and hosts weekly ungraded sessions.聽聽

These sessions include activities about content, studying, and exam prep.
Students and their peers strengthen understanding of course content together, without grades or class points attached.聽聽

The program aims to help all students in the course with study habits, understanding content, and engagement.

With SI, students become more successful in the course and transfer those habits and skills to their future courses.聽

What is an SI Leader?

SI Leaders are students who have successfully passed a high-risk course. The SI Leader re-attends that subject as a student and hosts weekly SI sessions for their peers who are taking the course. SI Leaders can be referred by an instructor or staff member or apply for the role themselves.

During the semester, they:  

  • attend SI training.聽
  • meet with the SI team to address challenges and skills.聽聽
  • collaborate with the instructor to prepare session plans.聽
  • host weekly SI sessions for their peers.聽

Benefits of SI…

For students attending a minimum of six SI sessions, most will earn a full letter grade better in the course. Additionally, students often benefit from SI by:聽

  • engaging more in class due to confidence from extra studying.聽
  • developing notes on class content.
  • studying with peers.
  • improving understanding of a subject.
  • making studying and learning strategies for current and future courses.
  • testing knowledge before major exams and assignments.聽

What is an SI session?

SI sessions start in the first聽weeks of the semester. Sessions are:

  • hosted聽by the SI Leader,聽with voluntary sessions each week.
  • free.
  • anonymous (attendance is recorded for the SI program only, not shared with course instructors).
  • not evaluated, as聽sessions are a place to explore content without the pressure of grades.
  • SI-hosted, student-led.
  • most successful with regular attendance.

    Bring your notes, a willingness to participate, and a want to learn!

I’d like to learn more…

Great! Please contact the SI Coordinator at dora.bell@eastcentral.edu with your questions.