What is the SI Program?
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a program that offers collaborative learning workshops
for participating classes. The workshops focus on critical thinking and problem solving
exercises centered on the course material. They are scheduled outside of class time and
they are led by trained student leaders. All the workshops are free to students.SI is not a remedial program; it is not targeted at "at-risk"
students, but rather at "at-risk", i.e. difficult classes. It is currently used
by dozens of faculty members in classes ranging from pre-college math and ESL to advanced
physics, chemistry, and social sciences.
What can SI do for students?
SI helps students in a number of ways:
- it gets them to spend more time on the class material: that alone increases their
chances of success. Moreover, the time is spent reviewing and discussing concepts and/or
solving problems related to the course, which helps them understand the material much
better;
it is collaborative: students work with each other and so get a chance
to ask questions, discuss ideas, and participate in ways that they would not have done in
class. Sometimes they are the learners, sometimes the teachers: in both cases the
interactions are excellent learning opportunities;
it helps students develop active learning strategies, often modeled by
the student leaders, and improve their study habits;
it creates links between students and the college community: this is one
of the key factors in retention and success, from community colleges all the way to
Berkeley and Harvard. Students develop friendships with other participants and with
student leaders; they find people they can work with or go to with their questions about
class material. Eventually they use these links to navigate their way through the college
experience;
overall it produces higher retention and success rates, and students who
attend regularly develop more interest in the class, contribute more, and earn better
grades.
How and how well SI works depends on a number of factors such as the
availability of good student leaders, the commitment of the faculty, the convenience of
the workshop times, the dedication of the students themselves, etc. To find out more about
how you can have a successful workshop program in your classes, contact Ann Reed, SI
Coordinator, extension 5357, or Dr. Jean Lecuyer, Faculty Advisor, extension 5358. |
