What is SI?

• Supplemental Instruction is a FREE, course specific, peer facilitated, interactive group study session designed to not only help you learn the material being covered in your courses, but also how to learn. SI sessions are grounded in active and collaborative learning, so it is engaging and fun! The study strategies you gain from SI can help you reach your academic goals in other classes as well. SI sessions are held multiple times a week for each class. Click here to watch our SI video!

Who is the SI leader and what is their role?

• The SI leader is an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa who has successfully completed the course and mastered the material. Their role during SI is to facilitate group discussions, activities, and create a welcoming learning environment for everyone. Even though they have already completed the course, they continue to attend class, take notes, and communicate with the professor to be able to develop SI sessions tailored to where students are at in the course. SI leaders participate in ongoing trainings each semester where they learn new ways to create a welcoming, fun, and interactive learning environment for SI. 

Do I have to pay to attend SI?

• SI is completely free for students enrolled at the University of Iowa!

How do I know if SI is offered for my course?

• If SI is offered for your class, your SI leader and professor will talk to you about SI session times, during the first week of class. In addition, the course offerings are listed on our website. You can click here to go to the SI course offerings to see all classes that have SI.

How often are SI sessions held?

• SI sessions are held multiple times per week. The sessions for each class are offered at the same days and times each week throughout the semester. The schedule changes each semester based on course scheduling and offerings. Stop by the ARC and talk with one of our Receptionists or click here to see the SI schedule.

Who attends SI?

• SI sessions are open to all students enrolled in the course, who are interested in improving their understanding of the course material. SI is a place to share knowledge and tools to better understand the material.

Am I required to attend SI?

• SI is completely voluntary and within the last year, we had over 20,000 visits from Hawkeyes! University of Iowa students are eager to gain a better understanding of the course material and acquire valuable study skills that will help them in their current and future courses!

What is Supplemental Instruction (SI)?

• Supplemental Instruction (SI) was created at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) to support students learning by integrating "what to learn" with "how to learn". SI is a non-remedial academic support program that targets high enrollment, historically-challenging courses, in addition to "gateway courses", and not high-risk students. Gateway courses are those that students at the University of Iowa must successfully complete to advance to other courses. Research on gateway courses shows that students who do not successfully complete them are at a greater risk of attrition. UMKC is the home of the International Center for Supplemental Instruction. SI is offered to student at higher education institutions around the world. 

Why SI?

• Research tells us that active and collaborative learning helps students better understand material covered in class. SI is structured to provide time for students to practice and engage with the material in an interactive and fun way. Due to the structure of SI, studies show that one 50-minutes session is equivalent to students studying on their own for 2 hours!¹

_{^{[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.}} 

What is the role of the SI Leader in my class?

• SI leaders will attend each class and use what is being covered to plan and facilitate group study sessions outside of class. SI leaders attend class to hear what you are sharing and to determine what to focus their future sessions on. In sessions, SI leaders focus on material that students are finding more challenging and the foundational principles to help ensure student mastery before the next topic or unit.

What will my partnership with SI look like?

• Faculty members who partner with our SI program are asked to promote and encourage their students to attend SI throughout the semester and establish communication with the SI leader.

How can I request SI for my class?

• For more information about offering SI, or other academic support options for your course, contact Stephanie Huntington.