Active learning strategies, through newly focused engineering Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions, were provided in sophomore level, gateway engineering courses at Louisiana State University beginning in the spring semester of 2013. This program operates as an independent subgroup of the university's current SI program to allow particular focus on training engineering student leaders with effective teaching skills specific to their discipline. The goal of this effort is to improve student comprehension and passing rates in historically difficult gateway classes to engineering where most students fail or drop the course (earning D, F, or W). These courses include statics, dynamics, fluids, strengths, thermodynamics, and circuits. SI leaders providing the supplemental instruction sessions are required to attend the course lectures, to meet on a regular basis with the SI Coordinator and the course professor, to provide office hours for students, and to hold weekly sessions to review course material using active learning strategies. Implementing unbiased evaluation of the direct success of the program is difficult due to different instructors (each with different exams), different students, and other human factors; however, a few trends can be observed. Reported herein are preliminary results of the program across four semesters (two spring, one summer, and one fall). On average for all courses included in this program, students who did not attend any SI sessions were 60.62 ± 0.04% likely to pass with an A, B, or C. Those who attended only a few sessions (one to three) had a 66.92 ± 0.07% likelihood of passing the class. Students with regular session attendance (four or more sessions) had a fairly substantial increased likelihood of passing the course, 77.41 ± 0.09%. This difference is statistically significant with a p value of less than 0.0001. Feedback from SI leaders show that the benefits of this program extend beyond the impact on those enrolled in the courses - SI's report an increase in their own understanding of the material covered in these courses, greater confidence in their ability to lead discussions, as well as other positive professional and personal growth.
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