REFLECTIONS ON A SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION PROGRAM AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEVEL

The Supplemental Instruction (SI) Program is offered for courses that are particularly difficult and have a high withdrawal or failure rate. The Student Instruction Leader (SIL) is handpicked by the course instructor after they completed the course successfully with excellence. SI sessions are regularly scheduled meetings before or after class, where the SIL facilitates a study session with any students enrolled who want to participate. These sessions provide additional knowledge about the subject, good study skills, and useful study habits that can be used directly in class and applied to other classes.

The SI Program has been active in the Geoscience Department at Crafton Hills College (CHC) for about five years. There have been four SI leaders, who worked ranging from one year (two semesters) to two and half years (five semesters). The SI Leaders are of a similar age range as the students enrolled in the class, which helps the instructor, SILs, and the students build a bond that benefits the class dynamic. After nearly ten completed semesters:

• The SI Program has considerably helped pass rates for the course, especially if the students attend at least five sessions.
• If students are enrolled in both lecture and lab and attend sessions for both, their levels of success are even higher, for they will usually attend over ten sessions.
• SI sessions can utilize multiple tools to achieve success. The most successful tools can vary between SI leaders, depending on their strengths.
• Mentoring between the cooperating faculty members, the more experienced SI leaders, and the new SI leaders is essential in the maintenance of continuity and student success.
• Generally, success rates of SI leaders gradually increase with experience.

At this time, SI has been mostly utilized in the Physical Geology courses. Last semester, it was offered in the Physical Geography and Lab for the first time. In the future, eventually, we hope to add SI sessions for most of the geoscience courses offered at CHC. The Supplemental Instruction Program has increased student success in the Geoscience Department. The SI Program has helped with student interest in taking other geoscience classes and has helped the recruitment and cultivation of majors. Students are more engaged, better prepared, and generally ask more questions in class and the laboratory.