Supplemental Instruction
This is an example of a learning activity that takes place in several KTH courses. During the courses, meetings are conducted based on the Supplemental Instruction (SI) concept, where senior students who have previously completed the course facilitate sessions in which they help students discuss and work through the course material together.
Supplemental Instruction complements regular teaching
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a method that has existed in the university world for a long time and is used by several courses at KTH. SI works as a complement to regular teaching and course activities, where the purpose is for the students to receive support in learning the course material, finding new insights, and deepening their knowledge in the field.
Example: SI meetings regularly during the course
In a KTH course, Supplemental Instruction (SI) was introduced as an opportunity for students to receive additional support in their studies. The course was one of the first courses in an engineering programme, and for several years there had been concerns about the high number of students who did not pass it. Throughout the course, scheduled SI sessions were offered, and participation was voluntary. The purpose of these sessions was to provide a platform where students could support each other's learning. Participating students worked towards the course learning outcomes through activities such as discussions and collaborative exercises, with guidance from the SI leaders. Active participation by students during the SI sessions was considered essential.
Support from older students
The support came from older students who had previously taken the course and completed training to become SI-leaders. The SI-leaders then brought their own experiences into the design of the SI meetings. The SI-leaders did not have an active role in the rest of the course, but they needed to communicate well with the teachers of the course to achieve continuity between the course's activities.