Large Class? Academic Resource Center's SI Program can Help

As a freshman, walking into a classroom of 500 students can be scary, especially if it is a class students aren’t particularly comfortable in. Classes of this size, and even bigger, are held on college campuses across the nation. Students timidly enter into the sea of desks, hoping to survive their chemistry, physiology, biology, economics or other general education breadth (GEB) classes.

 

But, Utah State University students who enter these classes have a lot less to worry about. When students sign up for a GEB class, they’re not only gaining the support of a professor but an entire Supplemental Instruction (SI) program geared to provide students with the resources they need to succeed.

 

The SI program is directed through the Academic Resource Center and was piloted in 1988 in one section of Biology 101. In 1989, SI was placed in one section of microeconomics, physical geography and U.S. history. Today, the SI program supports 45 sections of 25 GEB courses. It proactively helps students master course concepts while increasing their competencies in critical thinking and study strategies. The program combines the concept of “what to learn” with “how to learn” processes and targets difficult GEB courses. Students enrolled in specific GEB courses are given the option of attending after-class study review sessions throughout the week taught by a Supplemental Instruction Leaders (SIL).

 

Because of the large enrollments in these classes, there is a possibility of negative impacts on the frequency and quality of professor-student interactions. Research conducted and published by Tyler Bowles from the USU Economics Department demonstrated that students of all academic abilities attend SI, not just the highest performing students.

 

“SI has a dramatic affect on students' academic performance,” said Carol Rosenthal, director of the USU Academic Resource Center. “Data shows that students who attend SI sessions typically earn a higher grade in the class, and course satisfaction and program outcomes directly support university retention efforts with freshmen and sophomore students.”

 

As part of USU’s Student Services, the Academic Resource Center provides programs and services to support students in the academic realm. It provides math and statistics tutoring, resources for professors, staff members teach Psychology 1730, a college study strategies course, and it coordinates the SI program

 

 

Lecturer Tonya Triplett teaches one of USU’s most popular classes, USU 1360. Most commonly called “The Alien Class” by students; Triplett prefers the class’s official title, “Intelligent Life in the Universe.” This breadth physical science class requires students to learn physics in a whole new way.

 

“My students, who are typically not going into the science fields, are introduced to ideas they’ve never learned before,” Triplett said.

 

With classes of more than 400 students, the SI program steps in where Tonya can’t.

 

“I only get so much time with the students,” said Triplett. “The SI sessions allow for a cooperative learning process. We discuss ideas in class, but we don’t have time to connect those ideas. Students can draw the connections during the SI sessions. This discussion learning wouldn’t work in the large lecture.”

 

The majority of students who take classes like Triplett’s are getting their first experience in the college setting. Many lack test-taking skills, are on different levels in math and science and come to class with different learning styles.

 

“The SI sessions are an opportunity for students to experience different learning styles,” said Triplett. “Students can ask questions they wouldn’t normally ask in class, get advice on test taking and work through homework problems they are struggling with.”

 

Triplett doesn’t know where she would be without the SI program.

 

“The SI program gives students an opportunity to be successful in my class, which is everything a professor could ask for,” said Triplett.

 

 

While contemplating re-running for the Smithfield City Council and where to attend graduate school, senior Mark Rasmusson works as a Supplemental Instruction Leader to help students in one of his favorite classes. In USU 1320, a humanities breadth class, Rasmusson gets to gain experience in teaching he couldn’t find elsewhere.

 

Rasmusson will graduate in philosophy and religious studies, and wants to be a professor one day.

 

“Not only do I get to help students learn the material for a class I love, I get to build my resume with real teaching experience,” Rasmusson said.

 

SILs conduct two one-hour sessions each week, as well as one to three additional test review sessions each semester. 

 

“It is important for students to have an alternate avenue for studying and approaching the class,” said Rasmusson. “In my SIs, I’ll integrate other major teaching strategies that aren’t applied in class to appeal to different types of learning.”

 

SILs are students who typically major in the targeted course discipline or who have at least completed the targeted course and additional courses in the academic discipline. SILs must demonstrate proficiency in the course material, meet course grade and USU GPA criteria that identify them as exemplary students, model strong interpersonal skills and have a genuine desire to teach. SILs attend all classes, take notes, complete assigned reading, conduct SI sessions using active learning techniques and attend mandatory, weekly training every semester they are employed. 

 

“It’s an honor to have been chosen as an SI leader,” said Rasmusson. “It is the best job a student could ask for, and I am happy to have been given the opportunity.”