Strengthening Student Achievement in STEM Courses Using Supplemental Instruction

Marty Bonsangue, Mark Filowitz, Phil Janowicz, Trista O’Connell, Ashley Thune-Aguayo, Sean Walker, & Rochelle Woods

SI Leaders: Yosuf Alam & Asha Cyrs, Naila Ferdousi

February 9, 2015

Session Agenda

• The core elements of the UMKC SI model

• History of SI at Cal State Fullerton• The importance of cross campus

collaboration• How to implement, develop, and grow a

successful SI program on your campus

The Primary Purpose of Supplemental Instruction

To strengthen student achievement in key bottleneck and gateway courses by participating in interactive peer facilitated sessions that are

linked directly to the course.

Poll Question #1Do you have some form of SI on your campus?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Not sure

Part I: What Is (and Isn’t) SI? Phil Janowicz, Sean Walker, & Trista O’Connell

• Developed 40 yrs ago at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

• Peer facilitated sessions that integrate course content and learning skills (“what to learn” with “how to learn”).

• Is not tutoring or extra time for homework. • Targets key bottleneck and gateway

courses with historically high

non-passing rates.• Does not target specific groups

of students.

5

History of SI at CSUF

• Started in 2007 with 4 secs in Calculus and Bio

• Grew steadily each year funded by grants

• Institutionalized in 2013• In Spring 2015, we have SI in 35

courses with 130 SI undergraduate student leaders

SI Courses at CSUF• Accounting: Intermediate Accounting I & II• Anthropology: Introduction to Anthropology • Biology: Introduction to Biology, Evolution and Biodiversity, & Cellular Basis of

Life • Business Administration: Business Writing • Chemistry: General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry I and II, & Theory of

Quantitative Chemistry • Computer Science: Introduction to Programming & Programming Concepts • Economics: Intermediate Business Microeconomics • Geology: Physical Geology • History: World Civilizations to the 16th Century & World Civilizations Since the 16th

Century • Information Systems & Decision Sciences: Quantitative Business Analysis:

Probability and Statistics & Statistics and Decision Sciences • Mathematics: College Algebra, Precalculus, Business Calculus, Life Science

Calculus, & Calculus I, II and III• Philosophy: Introduction to Philosophy, Critical Thinking, & Logic • Physics: Elementary Physics, Mechanics, & Electricity and Magnetism• Political Science: Introduction to Political Science • Psychology: Introduction to Psychology

Impact of SI at CSUF• Overall Passing Rates & Course GPA

SI vs Non-SI: 80 % compared to 55 % SI vs Non-SI: 2.60 compared to 1.80

• Student Perception *88% reported SI was very/extremely helpful * 95% would tell their friends to do SI

• Evidence of Limited Self-selection Effects

8

Bio 171 Biodiversity: Mean Course Grade for URM and non-URM Students – Raw Data

Bio 171 Biodiversity: Mean Course Grade for URM and non-URM Students – Controlling for Incoming GPA

Secondary Effects of SI

Secondary Effects of SI

• Impact on timely graduation rates

Secondary Effects of SI

• Impact on timely graduation rates

• Impact on course repetition

Secondary Effects of SI

• Impact on timely graduation rates

• Impact on course repetition• Impact on SI leaders

Secondary Effects of SI

• Impact on timely graduation rates

• Impact on course repetition• Impact on SI leaders• Impact on departmental

and college culture

SI Effectively and directly addresses CSUF’s Strategic

Planning Goal No. 2: To improve student persistence, increase graduation rates University wide, and narrow the achievement gap for underrepresented students.

Challenges of SI

Challenges of SI

• Funding the program

Challenges of SI

• Funding the program• Running the program

Challenges of SI

• Funding the program• Running the program• Identifying and hiring good SI

leaders

Challenges of SI

• Funding the program• Running the program• Identifying and recruiting good SI

leaders• Training and monitoring SI

leaders

Challenges of SI

• Funding the program• Running the program• Identifying and recruiting good SI

leaders• Training and monitoring SI leaders• Finding good usable space

Challenges of SI

• Funding the program• Running the program• Identifying and recruiting good SI

leaders• Training and monitoring SI leaders• Finding good usable space• Recruiting SI students

Challenges of SI

• Funding the program• Running the program• Identifying and recruiting good SI

leaders• Training and monitoring SI leaders• Finding good usable space• Recruiting SI students• Dealing with faculty/admin.

pushback

Planning for SI: Three Suggestions

Planning for SI: Three Suggestions

1. Frontload for Success*Start small*Recruit strong potential SI leaders*Recruit supportive faculty to teach

linked SI classes

Planning for SI: Three Suggestions

1. Frontload for Success*Start small*Recruit strong potential SI leaders*Recruit supportive faculty to teach

linked SI classes2. Maintain Close Contact With SI

Leaders*Have weekly training sessions*Visit SI leaders early

Planning for SI: Three Suggestions

1. Frontload for Success*Start small*Recruit strong potential SI leaders*Recruit supportive faculty to teach

linked SI classes2. Maintain Close Contact With SI

Leaders*Have weekly training sessions*Visit SI leaders early

3. Keep Really, Really Good Records!

Poll Question #2

Do you feel that you are clear on the difference between SI and tutoring?

1.Not Clear

2.Somewhat Clear

3.Clear

4.Very Clear

Part II: Organizing Roles and Support

Yosuf Alam, Asha Cyrs, Trista O’Connell & Ashley Thune-Aguayo

Key Players

• SI Coordinator• Faculty Liaisons• Faculty tchng. courses supported by SI• SI Leaders • SI Students

SI Student Leaders . . . • Attend pre-semester

orientation and training• Attend weekly meetings/trainings with

department faculty liaison • Attend all scheduled class lectures with

students; act as “model student”• Prepare timely materials for SI sessions• Facilitate regularly scheduled SI sessions• Perform additional admin. duties as necessary

The SI Coordinator . . . • Provides leadership in developing,

implementing and promoting an exemplary and comprehensive SI program

• Coordinates and promotes program • Assesses program and makes recommendations for

improvement • Works closely with admins. and

fac. liaisons in various colleges across campus to implement SI in high-risk & bottleneck courses

• Brings together the divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to meet the needs of the greater campus community

Faculty Liaisons . . . Are important!

– Excited and passionate about SI – Weekly meetings with SI leaders in their

department – Provide subject/dept. specific skills, trainings,

issues – Assist SI Coordinator in collection of materials and

dissem. of info. to students, faculty, & chairs– Part of the on-going dialogue between Academic

Departments and Student Affairs

Faculty (courses supported by SI)

• Selecting Courses and Faculty – Bottleneck/gateway course? – How do they feel about SI? – What types of exams, assignments, etc. – Will they promote it? – Do they have a student they can recommend as

SI leader?

• Important as they will help sell the program – Students – Colleagues, chair, dean, and more

Poll Question #3What do you think your campus’ greatest strength to support SI might be?

1. Student Participation

2. Faculty Buy-in

3. Administrative Buy-in

4. Funding

5. Other

Cost of SI Program at CSUF

• SI Leader is paid $ 2,360 per SI course ($14.50/hr, 10 hrs/week x 16 weeks)

• SI Faculty Liaisons receive

3-unit release time per semester

Poll Question #4What do you think might be the biggest barrier to implementing an SI on your campus?

1. Student Participation

2. Faculty Buy-in

3. Administrative Buy-in

4. Funding

5. Data Collection

Part III: Working with Student Support Centers

Rochelle Woods and Mark Filowitz

• Collaboration between Academic Departments and Student Affairs

• Building trust and getting buy-In

What Students Gain

• The opportunity to earn

a higher grade in a class

that is historically difficult to pass.• Access to trained peer-leaders who have

completed the class successfully. • With every class passed successfully the first

time, time to complete a degree and overall college costs are reduced.

• Deeper connection to their peers and STEM major.

Part IV: ConclusionSean Walker and Trista O’Connell

• Questions and Next Steps on implementing Supplemental Instruction on your campus

The CSUF SI Family