Supporting Student Success: Supplemental Instruction by Learning Fellows
What is Supplemental Instruction (SI)?
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an evidence-based non-remedial academic support program that focuses on high-risk courses rather than high-risk students. Based on the fundamental tenets that learning is both iterative and social, SI sessions integrate reviewing key course content with study skills in a collaborative and inclusive environment to position students for success in their target course and equip them with skills that they can transfer to future challenging courses as well. By coupling “what to learn” with “how to learn” while building a supportive community of learners facilitated by a trained near-peer leader who has successfully navigated the course, our SI program propels students through historically challenging courses and prepares them for future coursework.
How Does Mercy's SI Program Work?
Mercy’s SI program is associated with two different types of courses: lecture and lab
-
1 hour sessions held immediately before or after lecture where students work collaboratively in a fun and low-stakes environment to review content and share learning and study strategies
-
Led by highly trained near-peer leaders called Lecture Learning Fellows who have previously successfully navigated the course
-
A way to grasp tough material and break it down into understandable segments
-
An opportunity to make mistakes and focus on the process of learning vs. the performance of learning
-
Mandatory, weight-bearing sessions held every week that Mercy is in session
-
Also referred to as “Recitation”
-
1 hour sessions held at various times throughout the week where students work collaboratively in a fun and low-stakes environment to review content and share learning and study strategies
-
Led by highly trained near-peer leaders called Lab Learning Fellows who have previously successfully navigated the course
-
A way to grasp tough material and break it down into understandable segments
-
An opportunity to make mistakes and focus on the process of learning vs. the performance of learning
-
Optional and voluntary
-
Also referred to as “Open Labs”
Courses are Currently Supported by Mercy University’s SI Program
- BIOL 130 Anatomy and Physiology I Lecture
- BIOL 130A Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
- BIOL 131 Anatomy and Physiology II Lecture (Nursing Students Only)
- BIOL 160 General Biology I Lecture
- CHEM 140 Essentials of General, Organic and Biochemistry Lecture
- CHEM 160 General Chemistry I Lecture
How the SI Program Helped Me...
What is a Learning Fellow?
Learning Fellows are near peers, either current undergraduate or graduate students at Mercy University, who have previously successfully navigated the course and have received extensive training on facilitating our SI sessions. Learning Fellows communicate with your faculty each week to develop a structured plan for SI sessions, focusing on content areas where students are struggling, sharing content-specific learning and study strategies and building a collaborative and inclusive learning community.
Learning Fellows may also attend your lecture or lab sessions to further enhance their understanding of challenges students are encountering.
Learning Fellows are available throughout the course of each week to answer questions and provide support through Microsoft Teams.
In addition to training on leading sessions, Learning Fellows also receive additional professional development and special recognition every semester.
Interested in Becoming a LF? Reach out to us! Check out our flier!
Why Become a Learning Fellow?
Alumni of the Learning Fellows Program
Our Learning Fellow alumni have excelled as both academics and leaders. Alums have gone on to a variety of graduate Health Professions programs, have successfully graduated from a variety of graduate Health Professions programs and are actively working in a variety of health professions disciplines.
Faculty in SI
Mercy University faculty play a vital role in our SI Program. Faculty collaborate closely with Learning Fellows each week to develop a structured plan for SI sessions discussing content areas where students are struggling and sharing content-specific learning and study strategies. Faculty provide valuable mentorship and guidance to current Learning Fellows as well as identify students in their courses with the potential to be future Learning Fellows. Faculty also assist in communicating the impact and importance of SI to students in their courses.
Contact Us
Christian Lucio is the Manager of the Learning Fellows Program.
Irina Ellison, Ph.D. is the Associate Dean for School of Health and Natural Sciences and oversees the Learning Fellows Program.
Support
Mercy University’s SI Program is a collaboration of the School of Health and Natural Sciences and the Center for Academic Excellence and Innovation.
SI is supported in part by the project: Advancing Curricular Change to Enhance Student Success (ACCESS) funded by the Titl V Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Program, US Department of Education. Grant # P031S200074. For more information about the ACCESS Grant, please visit our webpage.