An operational solution to supplemental instruction session design and quality control

Abstract

Background: Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a peer-led academic support program and form of pre-remediation assistance. One challenge to SI adoption is the absence of session design recommendations and mechanisms of quality control. Herein, a data-informed operational framework is presented resulting in consistent weekly session design and an increase in collaboration between SI leaders and their course faculty. Methods: Sessions in the fall of 2020 were hosted on Zoom in support of a Microbiology and Immunology course. Greater than 44% of program year one (PY1) students voluntarily attended an SI session. Pre-and post-quiz assessments used Mentimeter, an audience polling platform. Results: A mean of 25.2% aggregate performance improvement was found between the pre-quiz and post-quiz assessment data. Conclusion: The quiz assessment results immediately informed personalised content review during each session and empowered feedback integration between the peer leader and faculty. The framework described improves a well-established program and is widely adaptable to any course offering.