INCREASING SUCCESS RATES IN AN INTRODUCTORY PHYSICAL GEOLOGY CLASS USING SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION LEADERS (SILS)

The use of Supplemental Instruction Leaders (or SILs) can increase student success in the Introductory Physical Geology lecture and laboratory environment. SILs at Crafton Hills College (CHC) are students who have completed the course with a grade B or better. Although housed under the Tutoring Center at CHC, SILs must also obtain a recommendation from the professor of the class for which they wish to be an SIL. In the nearly four years since the SIL program has been working with the Introductory Physical Geology classes, all of the SILs have been geoscience majors. Described as “near peers,” SILs host study sessions for students of the specific classes for which they have been assigned.

Geology SILs have implemented a variety of activities as part of the program. These sessions have included practice quizzes, mock lab exams, and content review games, such as jeopardy, pictionary, name the environment, “grab bag” and “divide and conquer”. Review sessions held by the SILs before both lecture and lab exams were conducted for each of the three major units. Each unit included a "problem set," an essay assignment comprising questions to be researched, reported on, graded, and returned with feedback from the instructor. The SILs have helped students comprehend what was expected of them on these assignments, as well as holding study and review sessions for each throughout the semester. These assignments usually constituted part of the exam for each unit.

Historically, success rates (passing with a grade of C or above) for an Introductory Physical Geology class ranged between 55% and 75%. Since the Supplemental Instruction (SI) Program has been utilized in the course, the success rates for students who attended five or more SI sessions has been over 90%, and in some semesters was 100%.