Learning, Leaders, and STEM Skills: Adaptation of the Supplemental Instruction Model to Improve STEM Success and Build Transferable Skills in Undergraduate Courses and Beyond

Georgia Gwinnett College, an access institution serving the most diverse student body of southeast colleges, was awarded National Science Foundation and University System of Georgia STEM-Education Improvement grants to help our students meet the evolving needs of STEM education. One of the initiatives emerging from these resources is the Peer Supplemental Instruction (PSI) program, a modified model of the traditional SI program. SI is a well-documented, high-impact practice in higher education that engenders collaborative learning among students. Since SI was not available on campus, STEM faculty developed the current PSI program, with the aim to support students as they transition from high school to college. PSI is thus offered to students in the gateway courses for biology, chemistry, mathematics, and information technology majors and study sessions incorporate STEM skills, thereby increasing opportunities for students to engage in, and develop, STEM competencies. In the last year, attendance was recorded at 4,123 interactions. Assessment of academic performance of PSI students revealed that participation increased GPAs in PSI-supported courses, particularly in students entering college with low high school GPAs. Moreover, student attitudes towards STEM learning improved and peer students serving as leaders benefited, based on reports of their development of professional skills that are critical to success in college and STEM careers. We present an innovative adaptation of the SI program that can be adopted by STEM faculty, and may be particularly useful to institutions serving underprepared populations, in surmounting the academic success predictability of low high school GPA.