About Supplemental Instruction

OVERVIEW & HISTORY OF SI

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Supplemental Instruction is an academic assistance program that provides weekly, peer-led group study sessions for students taking bottleneck, key gateway, or historically difficult courses – those with low pass and/or high withdrawal rates. SI is attached to a subject or course to provide students with a systematic and disciplined approach for processing the subject material assigned by the professor.

SI sessions are led by a SI leader who is an exceptional student and has already mastered the course material; the SI leader has been trained to facilitate group sessions wherein students can meet to improve their understanding of course material, review and discuss important concepts, develop study strategies and prepare for exams. The goal of SI is to create independent learners, and the SI leader is the link between the actual class and SI session. SI leaders provide two or three SI study sessions a week during which course readings, content, and material are brought together with effective learning strategies in a collaborative learning environment.

In SI, students connect what to learn with how to learn. Students gain the ability to synthesize ideas and formulate questions regarding course content and material and, ultimately, take power over their own learning. Supplemental instruction goes beyond “group tutoring” as it is a learning enhancement program to help students learn better in traditionally difficult courses. SI is provided for all students who want to improve their understanding of course material and improve their grades; it is not just for those students who are struggling. Students, who attend SI sessions on a consistent basis, traditionally earn a half to full letter grade higher than those students who do not participate in SI.

Modeled after the International SI Program at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, the SI Program at CSUF provides support to over 94 courses across 5 colleges, and 15 departments. Moreover, due to additional support through the Student Success Initiative (SSI) the SI program has expanded its offerings to include support for courses during Summer Intersession.

Purposes of SI

• To reduce rates of attrition within targeted historically difficult courses.
• To improve student grades in targeted historically difficult courses.
• To increase the graduation rates of students.

Goals and Objectives of SI

The goal of SI is to help students become independent learners. Objectives include:

• Increasing the number of students earning letter grades of C or better in targeted historically difficult courses.
• Reducing letter grades below a C and withdrawals in targeted historically difficult courses.
• Increase re-enrollment and persistence of participating students.
• Ultimately, improving the graduation rates at CSUF.

By encouraging regular attendance, SI aims to help students improve their class standing by one-half to one full letter grade. To accomplish this, SI helps students:

• Understand and plan for the demand of college-level courses.
• Gain problem-solving experience through trial and error.
• Develop analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Become more actively involved in the course.
• Develop more effective study skills.
• Understand what to learn and how to learn.
• Articulate their learning style(s).
• Develop transferable study skills.