What is Supplemental Instruction (SI)?

Review. Practice. Succeed.

The University of Iowa’s Supplemental Instruction (SI) program is a FREE, course-specific, peer-facilitated group study session that was developed to improve retention and academic success within historically challenging courses. SI sessions are held multiple times per week throughout the semester by a SI Leader. Leaders are successful students who have already mastered the course material. SI sessions are designed to be a fun and interactive way to learn the course material through group activities, discussions, and games! All you need to bring are any course materials that will help you be prepared to engage in the session.

Benefits

  • Research shows that attending one 50-minute SI session is equivalent to 2 hours studying on your own.1 
  • Learn new and effective ways to study.
  • Build relationships with peers who are in the same field of study.
  • Increase your understanding of course content and earn higher grades — our program's data shows that students who regularly attend SI (on average once per week) earn one-third a letter grade higher compared to those who do not attend (e.g. B to B+).

 

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[1] Johnson, D. W. (1991). Cooperative Learning: Increasing College Faculty Instructional Productivity. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 4, 1991. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Reports, George Washington University, One Dupont Circle, Suite 630, Washington, DC 20036-1183

To learn more, please watch out video, "What is SI?" below

Where can I attend SI?

At the Academic Resource Center (ARC)

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) is home to our Supplemental Instruction program! It is located on the ground floor of the Iowa Memorial Union (IMU) near Java House and Hills Bank. While most of our SI sessions are offered in the ARC, there are a couple of exceptions (please check out the SI Session Schedule for more information). 


If you are experiencing any issues around accessibility of SI sessions, please contact the ARC team at uc-arc@uiowa.edu.

What to expect in the ARC

When you arrive at the ARC for an SI session, you will be greeted by an ARC Receptionist who can guide you through the check-in process and answer any questions you have. You are required to sign-in for every SI session you attend by either scanning your University of Iowa ID or entering your HawkID and password. We ask that you please wait to sign-in for SI sessions until 10 minutes before the session start time, as there may be another session underway directly before the one you’re attending. The ARC is designed to be an open and inviting space that encourages collaboration amongst all students in attendance! Come to the ARC ready to engage with your peers, learn, and have some fun!

When can I attend SI?

SI Session Schedule

Check out our full SI session schedule with session days & times to learn more!

What SI attendees are saying about their experience:

“SI sessions have been genuinely so helpful. My SI Leader makes learning fun, easily understandable, and enjoyable. I look forward every week to attending sessions.”
“What I really appreciated about my SI Leader is how supportive and encouraging she is. She never made me feel ashamed for asking questions, even questions with really simple answers. It's really, really important to have mentors like her. I learned a lot, and much of that had to do with how comfortable I felt in the space she created for us.”
“My SI Leader is great. He has a super great attitude that is both empathetic and encouraging at the same time. I have no fear of asking questions in the environment he creates which I think is really important for a learning atmosphere. I also find myself learning more when other students ask questions.”
“I think that SI is an extremely helpful thing for students to go to. I try to include it every week with at least one session because it really helps to understand the material and continue practicing. It is also smaller groups of people, so if you have a question, it is much easier to ask for help and see how to get to the correct answer.”
“My SI Leader does a fantastic job. Many attendees and I have spoken about how we love SI because it doesn’t feel like we’re studying, it’s that fun!”