What is Supplemental Instruction?

SI is a series of out-of-class sessions led by a student who has taken the course SI is offered in successfully.

LeaRN's SI program targets first- and second-year courses (traditionally difficult courses or courses that may be enriched by SI), not students.  While all students might not take advantage of the voluntary opportunity, it attracts an equal proportion of students from differing ability and cultural groups. SI does not segregate students based on prior academic performance or predictions of academic success. In fact, SI works best with heterogeneous groupings of students.

The SI Leader Serves as a Model Student

The SI leader functions as "model student" of the discipline rather than authority figure. SI leaders help students formulate and answer their own questions. This process helps students develop a more sophisticated approach to learning while maintaining the focus on content mastery.

SI Sessions Integrate Content and Learning Skills

The SI sessions integrate the review of lecture notes, textbook readings, outside supplemental readings along with appropriate modeling of learning strategies. "How to learn" is embedded into SI sessions along with "what to learn." Through practice and mastery of effective learning strategies, students can adopt and transfer these strategies to other subjects and content areas. Collaborative learning strategies are used in SI sessions as a means of creating a more active learning environment for student participants.

Useful Links

• Manual
• Benefits
• Models
• Assessment
• Elements of SI
• Faculty FAQ