Supplemental Instruction
About the Program
Supplemental Instruction (SI) started at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1973 and has since grown into an internationally recognized academic support program focused on the success of students in high-risk courses. At ECC, that means supporting students in gateway courses, such as ENG 101 and MTH 101.
SI targets historically difficult courses at an institution, embeds an SI Leader, a “near-peer,” into the course as a model student, and then provides additional, voluntary sessions outside of the course where the SI Leader facilitates active learning and collaborative activities to strengthen understanding, practice critical thinking, and foster peer-to-peer learning of both “what to learn” in a course alongside of strategies on “how to learn.”
One great element of SI is that it is non-remedial. Stigmas tied to remedial support are removed with SI as it encourages all students in a course to participate and benefits all student from the course in engaging with content and developing academic skills.
Key Components of SI
How It Works
Here at ECC, the SI program is divided into five main parts:
- Selection: SI Leaders are referred to the program from faculty or other partners at the institution.
- Training: SI Leaders are interviewed, hired, and undergo training in SI practices. They work alongside the Coordinator, Faculty, and Staff on best practices, mock sessions, and session management.
- In Class: Embedded into the high-risk course, SI Leaders introduce themselves and their role, but otherwise engage as any other student, taking notes, participating in activities and discussion, and potentially assisting the instructor with handouts or activities.
- SI Sessions: SI Leaders prepare a minimum of one voluntary session for students from the class to engage with course content, activities, practice, and study. These sessions do not address homework from the course – SI Leaders are not tutors – but rather provide additional activities and discussion, extending and deepening student exploration of the course content and discipline. For tutoring, support and scheduling can be found at our Learning Center page.
- 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.
FAQs
What is SI?
SI is a non-remedial academic support program that, instead of targeting specific students, targets difficult, or high-risk courses for an institution. For the targeted course, an SI Leader is embedded in the course and holds additional, voluntary sessions each week where collaborative activities tied to content, study, and exam preparation are practiced.
The program helps all students within the course to develop academic habits, ways of thinking and engaging with content, and practice agency in their own learning, with their peers, to best take on the challenging content of the course. With this support, students not only become more successful in the course, but transfer those habits and skills to future courses in their academic career.
What is an SI Leader?
SI Leaders are students who have previously taken the high-risk and done well (B+ or higher) and have been recommended by faculty. They attend regular course lectures, take notes, re-engage with material, and prepare content for SI sessions to guide students through course concepts and skills practice.
They go through SI Training, meet with the SI Team to address challenges and skills over the course of the semester, and work alongside faculty to prepare timely and relevant content to support students.
Why is SI beneficial?
While each program collects its own data on how SI impacts grades and completion within a course, SI is well documented as a successful program. For students attending a minimum of six SI sessions, 90% will earn a full letter grade better in the course.
Aside from that clear benefit to student success, SI gives student the opportunity to:
- Develop notes over course content and compare them with peers.
- Get to know classmates and form a cohort for study.
- Develop study and learning strategies tied to the discipline.
- Improve understanding of key course content and concepts.
- And, test knowledge before major exams and assignments.
What is an SI session?
SI sessions start in the first week or two of courses. They are set up by the SI Leader to best fit students’ schedules with one or two voluntary sessions each week.
Sessions are free, attendance is recorded for the SI program only (names of attendees are not shared with course instructors), and while students engage with course content and learning strategies, there is no evaluation – sessions are a place to explore the content without the added pressure of points or grading.
At each session, SI leaders guide students through course concepts and strategies for success. Students are encouraged to attend as many sessions as they would like, keeping in mind that early and often is best. See our SI Participation Guidelines for more info.
How do I become, or refer, an SI Leader?
If you are an ECC student, or potential student, and being an SI Leader is something you are interested in, please contact the SI Coordinator at cassidy.litle@eastcentral.edu.
For faculty looking to refer a student for an SI course, please fill out the referral form here.