Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program that utilizes peer-assisted study sessions. SI sessions are regularly-scheduled, informal review sessions in which students compare notes, discuss readings, develop organizational tools, and predict test items. Students learn how to integrate course content and study skills while working together.
The sessions are facilitated by “SI leaders”, students who have previously done well in the course and who attend all class lectures, take notes, and act as model students.

• The SI program does not identify high-risk students, but rather identifies historically difficult classes- those with a high rate of D or F grades and withdrawals- and provides regularly scheduled, out-of-class, peer-facilitated study sessions.
• SI sessions assistance begins on the first day of class, are open to all students of varying abilities in the course, and are always free of charge.
• SI leaders are students who are recommended by the instructor and have demonstrated competence in this or in a comparable course.
• SI leaders are trained to incorporate instructional strategies aimed at strengthening student academic performance.
• SI leaders attend all class sessions, take notes, read all assigned material, and conduct two or more hour-long SI sessions each week. SI sessions integrate how-to-learn with what-to-learn.
• Students who attend SI sessions discover appropriate application of study strategies (e.g. note taking, graphic organization, questioning techniques, vocabulary acquisition, problem solving, test preparation) as they review content material.
• Students become actively involved in the course material as the SI leaders use the text, lecture notes, and supplementary readings to refine skills for learning.
• SI participants earn higher course grades and withdraw less often than non-SI participants. Also, data demonstrate higher re-enrollment and graduation rates for students who participate in SI.

(SI Leader’s Manual, p.10-11, Copyrights by The Curators of the University of Missouri, 2006)

Contact Us

Scott Sutherland
Hale Laʻakea 230 
808-235-7467
scottjks@hawaii.edu

Related Resources

• Wikipedia Article on Supplemental Instruction