By Jade Myers/campus editor
NE student Stacey Lopez started attending supplemental instruction sessions for “Biology I For Non-Majors” when she felt the overwhelming content weighing down on her.
“I liked my S.I. experience. I got to meet new friends, ask questions having things to be explained in ENGLISH!” Lopez said.
She needed help. She knew she had an S.I. Leader that supported her class. All she had to do now was go to the sessions.
Because of this, she was able to get a higher grade than she expected on her final.
In spring 2018, it was reported that students who attended S.I. sessions had an 18 percent higher success rate than students who did not attend sessions, according to NE Campus S.I. coordinator Kate Johnson.
Student enrollment data collected in spring 2018 reported the more sessions attended by students the higher their success rate was.
Since the birth of the S.I. program, each campus constantly works to grow and evolve how they assist students in their study habits to better meet their needs.
“One of the things I am very proud of this semester is that we have a S.I. Leader in every division on campus,” Johnson said.
For the first time NE Campus has accomplished supporting every division with the addition of a S.I. Leader for Spanish 1411, new this semester.
Johnson, who has been the coordinator since spring of 2015, said the S.I. department continues to work with the writing center to create and host study seminars students can attend to learn about efficient study techniques.
And South Campus just added Corie Garcia as the new S.I. Coordinator in October. Garcia is new to TCC but has had experience with S.I. programs at other schools.
The S.I. program at South Campus already heavily supports math and science but added support this semester for English 1301 in hopes of creating more support in other departments.
SE Campus S.I. is led by coordinator Maria Delgado, who said her staff is going to be providing study skills workshops this semester for the Student Leadership Academy and for the Encouraging, Latinas to Lead, Achieve and Succeed program.
TR Campus S.I. will offer special workshops, except they are for students preparing for the Health Education Systems Inc. assessment, coordinator Colleen Fitzpatrick said.
This assessment is part of the process for applying for TCC’s Health Care Professions programs. Anyone who is interested in the nursing or vocational nursing program at TCC would have to take the HESI A2 assessment.
This assessment helps prepare the students for their board exams.
Supplemental Instruction is a free program that consists of peer lead study group sessions for students, designed to help them succeed in their classes.
Sessions for each class are held a couple times a week for one hour and are led by peers who have taken and succeeded in the same class.
This program is offered on all physical TCC campuses for specific classes that have a higher fail rate and withdrawal rate. It is also offered for certain classes with higher enrollment rates.
Kimberly Kammel is an S.I. Leader for Psychology 2301 at SE Campus. Kammel goes to school full time at TCU and then goes to SE Campus to perform her S.I. duties such as attending the class that she supports, creating session plans, prepping the games and activities for the sessions.
“Knowing that you kind of made a small difference, whether or not it’s like a difference in the grades or just a difference in the way they like, see themselves as a student,” Kammel said.
The sessions are more than just sitting around in a group staring at your book. Students get to engage in activities that get them up, moving and discussing topics with their peers.
Students get to play games and sometimes win prizes to make learning fun. Some of the games are familiar to most people such as charades, bingo and capture the flag. Most have just never used them to study before. A few teachers even offer extra credit points for attending sessions.
In the future, Johnson said there is a goal of creating S.I. sessions specifically for students taking classes through TCC connect.
Currently, students taking classes online can attend sessions at their local campus, but there is no guarantee that those sessions are at the same pace as the online classes.
