| Supplemental Instruction Program | Guided Study Session |
| Second-year tutors with additional SI training. Usually a major in the field. | Open to all tutors. Tutor must feel confident regarding the topics and language of the course, but not necessarily a major in the field. |
| Contractual arrangement between instructor and tutor prior to beginning of semester. Tutor attends class weekly and facilitates SI for one section of a course only. | Tutor schedules sessions according to exam schedule for course and/or at recommendation of instructor. Session may be open to all sections of a course by the instructor if the syllabus is the same. (To be determined at beginning of semester.) |
| Separate pay scale, record keeping and reports from drop-in tutoring. | Extension of drop-in tutoring. Same pay scale, same record-keeping. |
| Meets weekly at a fixed time throughout the semester. | Meets 3-5 times a semester. |
| Focus on collaborative learning methods in "high risk" courses. Discussion tends to be more indeterminate than fixed. | Focus on course review and practicing study skills for topic understanding. Attention paid to concrete examples and specific concepts. |
| Tutor is not a teaching assistant: S/he does not present new material, assist in grading or in evaluation of students. | Same as SI. |
| Participation of students in SI is voluntary, free and confidential. An SI session cannot used to fulfill course attendance policy. Instructors are not informed of who attends SI and who does not. | Same as SI. |
| Tutors receive additional training in SI principles, the dynamics of group tutoring, policies and procedures concerning SI. Participating faculty members are also invited to training to discuss course specifics. | Tutors receive additional training in GSS principles, the dynamics of group tutoring, policies and procedures concerning GSS. |
| Participating faculty send midterm and final grades to SI supervisor to assist in evaluation of program. | Participating faculty send test/project grades corresponding to Guided Study Session to GSS supervisor to assist in evaluation of program. |
Comparing SI and GSS
Learning Center
Reed Library, Fourth Floor
Carnahan-Jackson Center for Learning and Scholarship
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, NY 14063
Ph: 716 673-3550