About Supplemental Instruction

male student wearing glasses pointing at a whiteboard while a female student with long dark hair writes on it

Maximize your study time by attending an SI session!

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a series of weekly review sessions to help you succeed in historically difficult courses. Students who attend SI regularly average one half to a full letter grade higher than students who choose not to attend, and attending one 50 minute session is the equivalent of studying 2.5 hours alone! SI is for all students who want to maximize their study time, while improving both their understanding of course material and developing lifelong learning skills.

Sessions are led by trained SI Leaders who have previously taken the course and earned a B+ or better. SI Leaders attend all class sessions to keep up with the course material and they create opportunities for you to discuss concepts, compare notes, learn key study strategies, gain a deeper understanding of the content, and network with classmates. 

Attendance at sessions is free and voluntary! No appointment needed! 

Mission Statement

The mission of the CAPS Supplemental Instruction (SI) Program is to increase student retention and success in historically difficult gateway courses by providing collaborative peer learning experiences that improve understanding of subject content, foster critical thinking, and strengthen study skills.

Objectives

  • Create a welcoming environment where students from various backgrounds and levels of preparedness can learn in a fun and informal setting
  • Facilitate sessions that provide opportunities for students to identify and utilize higher order thinking skills to deepen their understanding of the material presented in the classroom
  • Demonstrate the effectiveness of collaboration and the benefits of utilizing the collective knowledge of diverse learners
  • Expose students to strategies for learning the specific content associated with the particular course section and faculty member being supported

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will come to appreciate the learner-centered approach that the sessions espouse and emerge with a proclivity for future utilization
  • Students will deepen their understanding of the course content in these facilitated sessions which use a variety of techniques, activities and strategies that increase the likelihood of long-term retention
  • Students will learn to work together to understand different perspectives, analyze them critically, and evaluate the best possible solutions
  • Students will develop metacognitive learning strategies specific to their course material and professor’s teaching/assessment style