Supplemental Instruction and the Performance of Developmental Education Students in an Introductory Biology Course

Abstract

Although first-year students in Supplemental Instruction (SI) earned similar average numerical-grades in an introductory biology course as non-SI students, their grade distributions were different: SI students earned fewer Ds and Fs than non-SI students. SI students who earned As and Bs had similar admissions scores as those who earned D's and F's, but were distinguished by their academic behaviors: they submitted more extra-credit work and came to more classes, help sessions, and office hours than non-SI students. These data indicate that SI can help at-risk students in an introductory biology course to engage in positive academic behaviors and to improve their academic performance.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Randy Moore

Randy Moore is a Professor of Biology at the University of Minnesota. He earned his Ph.D. from UCLA. When he is not studying how students learn science, Randy studies the evolution-creationism controversy. Randy's most recent books are Evolution in the Courtroom and Biology Laboratory Manual. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to him at the University of Minnesota. E-mail: [email protected]. Olivia LeDee is a doctoral candidate in the Conservation Biology Program at the University of Minnesota. Her dissertation focuses on the loss of habitat of shorebirds wintering on the Gulf of Mexico coast, particularly threatened and endangered wildlife. She employs aerial photography and extensive travel on the coast for data collection. In 2005, she was awarded a National Science Foundation GK12 fellowship to help bridge the gap between public elementary education and graduate-level research. She also serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Minnesota Society for Conservation Biology.

Olivia LeDee

Randy Moore is a Professor of Biology at the University of Minnesota. He earned his Ph.D. from UCLA. When he is not studying how students learn science, Randy studies the evolution-creationism controversy. Randy's most recent books are Evolution in the Courtroom and Biology Laboratory Manual. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to him at the University of Minnesota. E-mail: [email protected]. Olivia LeDee is a doctoral candidate in the Conservation Biology Program at the University of Minnesota. Her dissertation focuses on the loss of habitat of shorebirds wintering on the Gulf of Mexico coast, particularly threatened and endangered wildlife. She employs aerial photography and extensive travel on the coast for data collection. In 2005, she was awarded a National Science Foundation GK12 fellowship to help bridge the gap between public elementary education and graduate-level research. She also serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Minnesota Society for Conservation Biology.