What is Supplemental Instruction?
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a free academic enrichment program designed to support student learning through peer-assisted study sessions. The informal setting provides a forum for students to interact with other students, discussing the content, better learning the material, and constructing a framework of strategies for academic success. It is an informal guaranteed time to study and structured academic support program intended to reinforce material learned in class (not a re-lecture of the material).
These sessions are facilitated by trained students who have been previously successful in the course. SI sessions:
- integrate how-to-learn with what-to-learn;
- incorporate study skills;
- provide peer-support;
- reinforce classroom instruction; and
- are free and informal.
Supplemental Instruction has been successful in increasing GPA for students who attend weekly sessions and exist in a variety of forms in universities across the country. Research supports the success of academic coaching programs in helping students develop academic skills to become independent learners.
Benefits of SI
Based on actual student performance and feedback:
- Supplemental Instruction assists students with comprehension of course content and study skills
- Supplemental Instruction reduces attrition rates
- Supplemental Instruction helps students improve exam and final course grades
- Supplemental Instruction supports faculty by maintaining high expectations & standards
- Supplemental Instruction enhances classroom experiences
- Supplemental Instruction is cost effective
View the courses supported by Supplemental Instruction (SI).
What is a Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader?
A Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader is another student who has already taken the course you are taking and passed it with an A (or with B and a strong instructor recommendation). The SI Leader will re-attend class again, take notes, and knows the professors’ expectations. The SI Leader will help you with course content, study skills, learning techniques, and exam preparation.
An SI leader provides weekly sessions designed to support the content covered in a particular course and provides test preparation sessions as need during the semester. This is particularly helpful with large lecture class or STEM courses.
SI Leaders plan activities to help students in study skills, organization of the material, and learning strategies. They also attend pre-semester training and receive ongoing training throughout the semester.
In addition to hosting weekly SI sessions, Tarleton SI Leaders create and manage their own individual webpages dedicated to the course they support. Each webpage (link below) contains helpful course content, updates, and some session recordings created by Zoom.
SI Leader Webpages (find your course and click on the individual SI leader’s name).