Supplemental Instruction Program Research Articles

The Confluence of Supplemental Instruction (SI) Programme Factors on Selected Student Outcomes in a Historically Disadvantaged University

This paper sought to describe the combined influences (confluence) of the various aspects of the supplemental instruction (SI) programme on selected student outcomes. It points out that the SI programme’s influence goes beyond the reports about the improvement of marks, throughputs, and retention. It shows that the SI programme bears on the development of academic literacies, graduate attributes, the building of a sense of community, and the inculcation of ethos and practices necessary for academic success. Framed in the positivist paradigm and a quantitative approach, aspects of the supplemental instruction programme such as instructional methods, lecturer’s attitude towards SI, accessibility of the SI leaders, lecturer and departmental involvement, and student–facilitator relationship were correlated with the variables of students’ outcomes. The students’ outcome variables were measured by the acquisition of academic literacies and competencies, improved performance in assessment tasks, sense of community and belonging, and assimilation into a university’s culture and ethos. Using purposive/convenient sampling, 122 students who made extensive use of the SI programme were selected to participate in a survey. Data were analysed statistically using ordinal regression. The study’s findings highlight the need to consider different constructs in the planning and implementation of the SI programme. It provides evidence of students’ successful engagement with supplemental instruction and the factors that contribute to such success. This study helps foster an understanding of the various planning, design, and delivery aspects of the supplemental instruction programme, so that ways of making the SI programme effective are devised. The identified significant factors form the basis for the construction of an SI implementation conceptual framework.

San Jose City College Peer Leaders Share Peer-to-Peer Observation and Feedback Processes

San Jose City College offers a comprehensive Certificate of Specialization in Peer Leader Training for students who are gainfully employed in Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) and/or Supplemental Instruction (SI) programs. Led by veteran Peer Leaders (PLs), faculty and support staff, newly hired PLs begin their intensive training at two biannual orientations scheduled during summer and winter intersessions. PLTL & SI PLs are also expected to concurrently enroll in one of three 0.5 unit training courses over three semesters and attend monthly one-hour meetings with faculty coordinators and staff, while facilitating weekly PLTL and/or SI workshops. Additionally, PLTL PLs enroll in a 0.5-unit directed studies course and meet weekly with their Lead Faculty PLTL Practitioner to ensure course material and workshop activities are aligned. Among their employment responsibilities, PLs are expected to also engage in Peer-to-Peer (P2P) observations, both as observees and observers. Their active participation in P2P duty plays an important role in maintaining the quality of student participants’ experiences in workshops while simultaneously furthering their professional development and is the focus of this paper.

Instituting a Summer Supplemental Instruction Program

Supplemental instruction, a peer facilitated retention progam, was introduced at the University of North Texas in the summer of 1999. Several class sections, in which at least one third of the class traditionally receive "Ds," "Fs," or "Ws" (withdrawal from the class), were targeted for this pilot program. These courses included college algebra, general chemistry, animal biology and American government. The results indicated that 83% of the students attending supplemental instruction received a grade of "C" or better. Conversely, only 64% of those who did not attend received better than a "C". In addition, of the 44 students who withdrew from these classes, only 11% (five students) were supplemental instruction participants. These findings indicate that supplemental instruction is a valid retention program at the University of North Texas.

The Impact of Supplemental Instruction on the Performance and Attitudes of General Chemistry Students

The Impact of Supplemental Instruction on the Performance and Attitudes of General Chemistry Students

A Participatory Action Research study on the impact of Peer Assisted Student Support (PASS) and Supplemental Instruction (SI) by international PhD students

Using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, this evaluative research study gives an insight into the implementation of a pilot study of a newly implemented Peer Assisted Student Support (PASS) and Supplemental Instruction (SI) Programme. The focus of the study involved six postgraduate PhD students delivering a PASS/SI scheme to cohorts of MSc Public Health, MSc Nursing and MSc Psychosis and Complex Mental Health Interventions students, all undertaking their final dissertations.The study was used to illuminate the degree to which PASS and SI were perceived to impact on the overall student experience as part of a quality enhancement initiative. Findings of the study revealed that the programme had positively impacted on both PASS/SI leaders and participants of the scheme, who reported increased confidence and an increased sense of social inclusion and belonging to the institution respectively. Being facilitated by students who had experienced the same academic pathway was perceived to have widened networking opportunities and to have positively impacted on the capacity of the participants and leaders to build relationships and prepare skills of direct relevance to the requirements of an employer such as teamwork and initiative.

Supplemental Instruction and Embedded Tutoring Program Assessment: Problems and Opportunities

ABSTRACTMany scholars have sought to measure the effectiveness of diverse supplemental instruction programs. Nevertheless, it is difficult to generalize about supplemental instruction or compare data, given methodological and statistical incongruities and diverse approaches and student populations at various institutions. Quantitative and qualitative data suggest that supplemental instruction and embedded tutoring programs facilitate learning and success in all disciplines. We describe best practices for embedded tutoring and supplemental instruction across disciplines and course modalities, evaluate metrics used to assess community college embedded tutoring and supplemental instruction programs, and suggest mixed methods models for assessing these programs.

The Role and Impact of Supplemental Instruction in Accelerated Developmental Math Courses

A difficult issue for tutoring programs is low participation, especially at commuter campuses. At the University of Houston-Downtown, this problem seems particularly acute for developmental education (DE) courses. This paper describes the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) with focus on the role of the SI Leader in accelerated DE math courses. A study was conducted between Fall 2015 and Spring 2017 to evaluate differences in student performance in two courses between sections that were staffed with an SI Leader and those that had no assistance from the SI program. The study found statistically significant differences in grade performance between SI session participants and non-SI participants. The study also found that students passed at a higher rate in accelerated Intermediate Algebra as compared to traditional biweekly sections. Finally, students passed at a higher rate in accelerated sections that were staffed with an SI Leader compared to accelerated sections without an SI Leader.

Supplemental Instruction: Understanding Academic Assistance in Underrepresented Groups

ABSTRACTStudent retention rates are increasingly important in higher education. Higher education institutions have adopted various programs in the hopes of increasing graduation rates and grade point averages (GPAs). One of the most effective attempts at improvement has been the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program. We examined our SI program relative to three facets: attendance, attendance's influence on final scores, and graduation rates for students who had participated in these courses. These questions were also investigated focusing on specific comparison groups, as we looked into how these effects differed for minority students and nontraditional students compared with those of White and traditional peers. Overall, SI attendance led to positive outcomes— increased final course grades and graduation rates—even after adjusting for previous achievement.

NSF-STEP to Success Grant - Successes, trials and tribulations of administering a teaching grant

NSF-STEP to Success Grant - Successes, trials and tribulations of administering a teaching grant In 2013 we received an NSF-STEP Grant of $500,000 for the following five years to improve our STEM program admission and graduation rates. Two of the main purposes of this grant is to conduct a summer bridge math program for incoming STEM students who do not qualify for college level math classes and also to run a support program in STEM classes; the other one is the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program which is a series of weekly study sessions available to support students in specific courses during the semester.In this presentation we would like to share our experiences, successes and failures in implementing this grant, lessons learned and suggestions on how better to prepare for similar projects in future.

First Year Students’ Perceptions of the Supplemental Instruction Programme

First Year Students’ Perceptions of the Supplemental Instruction Programme

Evaluating the Impact of the Supplemental Instruction Program on Student Academic Performance in Gross Anatomy at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Peer tutoring in gross anatomy, widely recognized as a valuable teaching tool, is implemented by most healthcare curricula to supplement student learning. Gross anatomy is a challenging subject for students due to the course's high volume of content and fast pace, novelty of studying for lab practical exams, and minimal provision of individual guidance in large class settings. Peer tutoring directly addresses these challenges. In small group settings, students can review high‐yield concepts, learn study strategies, and receive specific guidance on lab material from peers who previously exceled in the course. Provided early, peer tutoring has the potential to significantly improve the academic performance of students in academic jeopardy.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact that participation in the Supplemental Instruction Program (SIP), a peer‐to‐peer tutoring program at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), has on gross anatomy performance for allied health students over a three‐year period. SIP is offered by the MCG Office of Student and Multicultural Affairs and provides free small group, peer‐led tutoring for students in academic jeopardy. Students in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physician assistant programs take gross anatomy during a nine‐week, condensed course throughout the summer of their first year. Students are evaluated based on three written and lab practical exams, and a 70% average is considered passing. Students qualify for SIP gross anatomy tutoring if they score a 74% or lower course average and continue to receive tutoring until they achieve an average higher than 74%. Second‐year medical students are selected as tutors based on grades and prior teaching experience. We hypothesize that students will benefit from participating in SIP tutoring, showing significant increases in academic performance on written and lab practical exams compared to students in academic jeopardy who chose not to participate in SIP. Furthermore, we expect a greater increase in lab practical performance compared to written performance because peer tutors predominantly work with students in the gross anatomy lab.During the 2013–2015 allied health gross anatomy courses, 125 out of 382 total students qualified for SIP tutoring by scoring less than 74% on the first written or practical exam. Of the 125 students who qualified, 115 students participated in SIP tutoring. SIP participants demonstrated significant improved performance between the first and second exams with a 4.4% increase (75.8% to 78.2%; p<0.001) in written exam scores and a 12.9% increase (61.8% to 74.7%; p<0.001) in practical exam scores. SIP non‐participants demonstrated a 5.8% increase (72.2% to 78.0%) in written exam scores and a 13.2% increase (66.5% to 79.7%; p<.001) in practical exam scores. At the end of the course, 93% of SIP participants and 90% of SIP non‐participants passed the course, with a 76.9% and 76.1% course average respectively.SIP tutoring significantly increases both written and practical scores with a preferential impact on practical scores. SIP non‐participants also exhibited a significant increase in lab practical scores, a trend that may be explained by self‐selection; compared to SIP participants, non‐SIP participants may be more capable of improving scores without guidance. Overall, our study demonstrates that the SIP tutoring program is an effective tool for improving gross anatomy performance for students in academic jeopardy.

The Effect of Supplemental Instruction on Academic Performance: An Encouragement Design Experiment

While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for impact evaluation, they face numerous practical barriers to implementation. In some circumstances, a randomized-encouragement design (RED) is a viable alternative, but applications are surprisingly rare. We discuss the strengths and challenges of RED and apply it to evaluate a mature Supplemental Instruction (SI) or PASS (Peer Assisted Study Session) program at an Australian university.A randomly selected subgroup of students from first-year courses (

Supplemental Instruction

This study evaluated variables associated with academic preparation and student demographics as predictors of academic achievement through participation in supplemental instruction (SI) programs for community college students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. The findings suggest a differential impact of SI outcome for students based on gender and ethnicity. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of evaluating the influence of academic achievement and student demographic variables when considering the development of SI programs on community college campuses.

Understanding Factors Leading to Participation in Supplemental Instruction Programs in Introductory Accounting Courses

Although studies have shown that supplemental instruction (SI) programs can have positive effects in introductory accounting courses, these programs experience low participation rates. Thus, our study is the first to examine the factors leading to student participation in SI programs. We do this through a survey instrument based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Our study shows that students' attitudes toward the sessions affect their intent to participate in them. This attitude is influenced by students' perceptions that the sessions can help them in various ways. Results also show that influential others can influence student intent to participate in SI sessions. We also note that students' perceptions of the amount of personal control that they have over going to SI sessions have no effect on their participation in the sessions. We discuss how these findings can be leveraged to increase SI participation rates.

Upper-Division Transfer Students: Designing a Supplemental Instruction Program for Nursing Students Within a Science Based Curriculum

The transition to upper-level course work of transferring students, predominantly students from 2-year/community colleges, has been explored in recent education research literature. Yet, it has not been sufficiently explored whether and what academic support programs could be successful in supporting transfer students with the transfer process. This article demonstrates the success of an academic support program for a discipline-specific cohort of transfer students entering their junior year in a nursing program at a public university within the University System of Maryland. The study explored prior academic preparation, results of Nursing Entrance Test scores, and interventions provided by an academic support initiative. For a course in pathopharmacology, this collaborative environment—facilitated by successful peers based on Supplemental Instruction, workshops on accelerated learning techniques, and individual tutoring—indicates that participation in such a comprehensive program resulted in an overall higher grade point average at the end of the first semester. There was also a reduced rate of failure or drop out from 15% to 7% in subsequent semesters. Overall, such an initiative could serve as a model for other institutions.

Pharmacy students' perception of a modified supplemental instruction program

ObjectiveTo determine pharmacy students' perceptions of the potential academic benefit, mandatory attendance policy, notification of and preparation for the sessions and negative stigma related to an academic assistance program at a new school of pharmacy. MethodsAn anonymous, 16-question online questionnaire assessing the study's objective was administered to 137 of 167 first- (P1) and second- (P2) year students enrolled in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. ResultsThe results of this study indicate that students who had been enrolled in the program perceived an academic benefit. Student insight on the mandatory attendance policy, the notification of and preparation for the sessions, and the negative stigma related to an academic assistance program led to changes that were incorporated into the supplemental instruction (SI) design and implementation. ConclusionsThe early detection of high-risk students and immediate and ongoing interaction between these students and course faculty is perceived as a benefit and a unique aspect of our Doctor of Pharmacy program. This study introduces the development and implementation of an SI program and the findings may assist other schools of pharmacy in designing their own SI programs.

The Impact Of The Supplemental Instruction Leader On Student Performance In Introductory Accounting

This study explores the association between a supplemental instruction (SI) program and student performance in an introductory accounting course. SI is a proactive academic support program that is aimed at improving student learning in traditionally “high-risk” college courses by integrating learning and critical thinking strategies with technical course content. This paper examines and describes the classical SI model as it has been applied in both non-business and business disciplines. We then extend the work of Etter, Burmeister, and Elder (2000) and Jones and Fields (2001) which examine the effectiveness of the SI model in introductory accounting by providing empirical tests after controlling for differences in SI group leaders. The SI leader’s duty is to provide structure to the collaborative learning environment and to integrate study skills and learning strategies with course content. However, empirical analysis incorporating controls for differences in SI leaders is lacking. Results, based on both nonparametric chi-square analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicate that SI is an effective program that increases academic performance as measured by total points earned in the course. Further, results suggest that the SI program remains effective across multiple SI leaders.

Student Use of the Supplemental Instruction Program: A Survey of Students in an Introductory American Politics Course

Many institutions of higher education – community colleges in particular – are focused on issues related to student success. In an effort to close the achievement gap between student demographic groups, college administrators encourage faculty to link their students to the academic support services provided on campus. Such efforts may be voluntary for the college or part of a coordinated institutional, regional, or national effort. One service employed by many colleges is the Supplemental Instruction (SI ) program. The program is voluntary for students in “academically rigorous courses” and aims to “integrate how-to-learn with what-to-learn.” The program is touted by its proponents for helping students withdraw less and earn higher grades. This paper examines student use of the SI program in an introductory course in American Politics. Students in four sections of the course were surveyed about their use of the SI program and other academic support services provided at a Midwestern community college. The results of this preliminary survey are discussed.

Learning through Personal Development at the Hong Kong Institute for Vocational Education

A new “3+3+4” education system was proposed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Education and Manpower Bureau in 2000. This new education system, implemented in 2009, seeks to offer to all students the opportunity to gain a fully rounded education. To adapt to these changes, vocational and lifelong education now place greater emphasis on the employability skills and all-round development of individuals. Personal development is the cornerstone of lifelong learning and academic and professional achievement. The challenge for educators is to formulate effective personal development strategies and education by developing different learning methodologies to strengthen students in learning and development. Moreover, experiential and lifelong learning need to be emphasised. All methodologies should be adopted with significant learning approaches. Enquiry-based, peer-assisted and active learning can support students over the learning journey both inside and outside the classroom. This chapter undertakes an in depth critical review of the literature related to the issues of learning and personal development. Data was collected from multiple sources, including questionnaires and interviews, and involved the differing perspectives of students, educators and human resource practitioners to explore the personal development opportunities of students at the Hong Kong Institute for Vocational Education. The author identified the key issues in learning, developed a practical guide to personal development for educators and formulated an active learning model to support personal development. This study drew heavily on research experience to identify pathways to personal development such as a Supplemental Instruction Programme at a Hong Kong institution. Through this work, important insights into informal learning were achieved and practical guides and innovative learning strategies were developed to support personal development education. Keywords: Active learning, Informal learning, Personal development, Supplemental Instruction, Peer-Assisted Learning and Vocational Education

Assessing the Impact of Supplemental Instruction on the Retention of Undergraduate Students after Controlling for Motivation

The University of Ottawa (UofO) in Ottawa, Canada offers a formal supplemental instruction program, called the residence study group program (RSGP), to residence students registered in first year courses that are associated with a high degree of failure or attrition. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of this program by comparing a sample of first year residence students who participated in the RSGP with a sample who did not participate. The study compared final grades of students in these courses after controlling for personal motivation and found that while those who participated in the RSGP did not receive higher final grades than non-participants, they were more likely to persist in their studies. It appears that the RSGP contributes in many important ways to the academic and social integration of first year students and these are critical to persistence beyond the first year.