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SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION
AND STRUCTURED LEARNING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
What is Supplemental
Instruction (SI) and Supplemental Instruction (SLA) ?
The SI and SLA programs
targets traditionally difficult academic courses-those with a high rate
of D, F, or W grades and provides FREE regularly scheduled, out of class peer
collaborative facilitated study review sessions. SI and SLA leaders,
students who took the class before and earned an “A” grade, attend all classes
again and conduct weekly study review sessions.
SI an SLA are provided for all students who want to improve their understanding
of course material and improve their grade.
Participation will be beneficial in raising students’ overall grades.
Supplemental Instruction (SI)
was designed and
first implemented in the 1970’s at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and
now is offered on over 900 campuses world wide. The SI program
provides FREE peer collaborative review
sessions for a few sections of difficult and challenging courses.
Students are encouraged to attend review sessions
often.
Attendance is voluntary.
Structured
Learning Assistance (SLA)
was piloted and implemented at Ferris State University in 1994.
The SLA program
provides FREE
peer collaborative workshops for students enrolled in courses with traditionally
high failure and withdrawal rates. All students who enroll in a SLA course
are required to attend all SLA workshops until the first exam/quiz
and thereafter only when their grade in the class falls below a “C” average.
Students must continue to attend all SLA workshops until their grade improves to
a “C” average or higher. However, all students are encouraged to attend
workshops often.
What are SI and SLA
leaders?
SI
and SLA Leaders are students who have taken the course before and have done
well. The SI and SLA leaders attend class with you everyday, hearing what you
hear and reading what you read and helps you to process and learn the material
more effectively.
Have you ever wished
you could do something over, knowing what you know now? That's impossible,
but you can come close with SI and SLA. SI and SLA Leaders are students
themselves who are prepared to share with you what they have learned over the
years about how to study. They know the course content and are anxious to
help guide you through it. They'll be in class with you everyday, hearing
what you hear and reading what you read. What they won't do is lecture;
their job is to help you think about the lectures you hear and the books you
read, and then put it all together in some kind of perspective during SI review
sessions so you can learn it more effectively.
What's
in it for me?
For you the student, it's a chance to get together with people in your class to
compare notes, to discuss important concepts, to develop strategies for studying
the subject, and to test yourselves before your professor does, so that when
he/she does you'll be ready. At each session your Leader, a competent
student who has previously taken the course, will guide you through this
material.
When
do SI Review Sessions start?
On the first day of class your leader will introduce him or herself to you and
let you know when the study sessions will take place during the first weeks of
school. SI and SLA review sessions are informal. Bring your
textbook and notes; bring your questions.
If you attend SI and SLA sessions regularly, chances are you'll
earn a better grade. You'll have developed a better understanding of
course content as well as more effective ways of studying. This will also
help you in other classes. | 
