Supplemental Instruction  teaches students

Students sit in a classroom talking about the future of indigenous people, the topic of the day.

They are taking a supplemental instruction class for Eleanor Harrison's anthropology 120.

"I thought anthropology was going to be a hard class," said Rachel Chavez, an undeclared freshman enrolled in the class.

The goal of the supplemental instruction program is for students to earn one letter grade higher, and two-thirds to three-fourths of them do that, said Carol Ogilvie, coordinator for the program.

"I was very prepared for the midterm because of this class," Chavez said. "It helps narrow everything down and I am better prepared."

A leader attends the lecture with the students, but does not interact with the teacher during class. They find out what topics will be covered along with assignments, tests, papers and what criteria the grades depend on, Ogilvie said.

"I love anthropology so much," said Catherine Holmes, a senior majoring in anthropology and leader for the introduction to cultural anthropology class.  "I have already switched three people over to anthropology majors."

The class will get in-depth, but will not teach the material or introduce any new material, Ogilvie said.

Leaders may create a problem based on the type of problems given in class, said Estella Gutierrez-Zamano, assistant coordinator for the supplemental instruction program.

Holmes wrote the outline for Monday's class on the board, breaking down Chapter 14 into smaller sections. Today's assignment was a "teach back," where the class formed into small groups to discuss its assigned section.  Putting the material into their own words, they teach it back to the class.

Patricia Moreno and Veronica Lopez spoke about the Kayapo people in Brazil. Holmes took the group's ideas and made a spider graph on the board, focusing on specific points.

The leaders are trained not to teach the material. The leader helps the students organize the information and identify what the professor thinks is important, Gutierrez-Zamano said.

"I am expecting everyone's grade to go up," Holmes said. "I have probably learned more from them then they have from me."

Students are guaranteed to get an A or B if they come to class and participate, Holmes said.

"The favorite part of the class is ëWho Wants to be an Anthropologist?'" said Patricia Moreno, a sophomore communications major. Holmes uses this game to review for midterms. Students can poll the class or "phone" a friend if they are not sure of the answer and receive a candy prize.

Supplemental instruction classes are scheduled to be under a target lecture class. A target class is a lower-division, general-education class that produces too many D's, F's and W's.  Supplemental instruction classes in fall 2000 will include economics, math, history and physics.

All materials and books are provided for the leaders and they are reviewed at the end of the semester based on the class's grade improvement.

"Their first assignment is to model good student behavior," Ogilvie said.  "That means bring the books and be on time."