View the Spring 2012 SI Schedule or SI Exam Review Schedule 

Meet the SI Leaders and Mentors!

What is SI?

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of weekly review sessions for students in historically difficult courses. The SI Leader, who has previously taken the course and excelled, facilitates the sessions, which assist in both collaborative and independent learning. A typical session might include some direct instruction, modeling of a learning strategy (such as a concept map), and/or review of the concepts followed by an opportunity for students to practice and apply new knowledge. Students can transfer many of the techniques they have learned in an SI session (like anticipating test questions) to other courses. These sessions are voluntary and open to any student taking the course who wants to improve their grades and understanding of course materials.

How does SI work?

SI is offered each term for many historically difficult courses. It is free, voluntary, and open to any student taking the course. SI sessions begin the second week of the term, but students should feel free to attend at any point. The SI Leader will announce their session information in class during the first week of the term. Each session will focus on material from the course as well as study skills. It is a chance for students to meet with peers from their class to compare notes, work through problems, discuss concepts, strengthen study skills, and apply knew knowledge.

Who are the SI Leaders?

SI Leaders are qualified and trained students who have taken the course previously, often from the same instructor, and who have excelled. The SI Leaders

• attend all class lectures, take notes, and read all assigned text
• function as model students
• employ teaching strategies to encourage collaborative learning in the sessions
• demonstrate how to learn course content
• aid students in becoming independent learners who can excel in the course themselves

Why does SI work?

Considerable research has been done on the benefits of studying in groups. Students who study together learn two and a half times as much in the same amount of time as students who study alone. Collaborative learning promotes critical thinking through discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of others' ideas. Data collected both nationally and locally for more than 30 years confirms that regular SI attendance has a significant positive effect on final course grades (sometimes as much as a full letter grade). And although student evaluations tend to focus on improved test performance, many other comments speak to larger gains in self-management, academic engagement, and intellectual growth.

What are the benefits of SI?

Students

• Acquire short-term and long-term study skills
• Learn how to organize class materials
• Prepare more thoroughly for exams; compare notes, discuss important concepts, and develop strategies for studying the subject with classmates
• Receive higher mean course grades
• Meet classmates and therefore feel more comfortable participating
• Learn to collaborate with classmates
• Become independent learners
• Learn to self test over course exams

Faculty

• Receive feedback before the end of term student evaluations
• Improve student interactions in class
• See more students succeed and continue in course sequence
• Improve student understanding and concepts
• Work closely with and mentor top students

Colleges

• Reports higher graduation rates
• Raises the learning bar
• Lowers rates of D's, F's and Withdrawals
• Provides faculty development
• Creates a sense of community
• Bridges the gap between student ability levels
• Provides cost efficient academic support

SI at UC

Supplemental Instruction began at the University of Cincinnati in the 2005-2006 academic year covering six classes in four different subjects. During the 2010-2011 academic year the SI program covered more than 30 courses each term. If SI is available for your course, the SI Leader will make an announcement during the first week. If SI is not available for your course, please visit the Learning Assistance Center for information on our Tutoring and Academic Coaching programs.

What the students are saying...

“…having Jason (specifically because he knew this exact class while other tutors only had a general calculus knowledge) there to help me out when I got stuck or didn’t understand definitely benefitted me.”

    ~ Calculus Student

"I love how she gave us hard examples, making the test easier!"

~ Organic Chemistry Student

For additional information about Supplemental Instruction, email Jaime Sperandio (jaime.sperandio@uc.edu).