Enrichment of a high-impact practice to promote STEM learning and build transferable skills in undergraduate students: Peer Supplemental Instruction at Georgia Gwinnett College

Georgia Gwinnett College, a 4-year USG institution, has rapidly grown since 2006 to accommodate over 12,000 students. Our student population is ethnically diverse with 32% African American, 31% Caucasian, 21% Hispanic, and 12% Asian, is composed of greater than 50% first-year generation students and 12.5% students non-traditional degree-seeking students. This high level of diversity brings diverse educational backgrounds and some entering GGC as freshmen arrive underprepared for the rigor of STEM courses. To address this challenge of underpreparedness, School of Science & Technology faculty designed a modified and enriched form of Supplemental Instruction, entitled Peer Supplemental Instruction (PSI) to support students in foundation STEM courses. The goal of the program was to provide a structured learning environment in which students taking biology, chemistry, mathematics, and information technology, could reinforce course content through engagement in active learning and study skills. Study sessions were led by PSI leaders who were trained and mentored by faculty to focus on utilizing STEM skills and addressing common course misconceptions. Leaders also underwent professional development workshops to enhance their college experience. Our major research questions on the implementation of this adapted PSI model addressed the impact of PSI on: 1) student course performance and attitudes and 2) the development of new skills while serving as a leader. Analysis of course performance revealed a significant correlation between the number of PSI visits and course GPA, particularly for groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM (n=936 students; 4,123 visits). PSI may therefore help to close the achievement gap between these students and their peers at GGC. Leaders' attitudinal surveys revealed the emergence of new skills including, communication, time management, confidence in public speaking, and teamwork, that are transferable to future STEM careers and post-graduate education. We will share unique aspects of our PSI model and its impact on student participants.