SI does NOT target 'at risk' students. Rather it supports traditionally difficult courses or rigorous content, for instructor who don't want to lower standards or inflate grades, who believe that with proper support students can reach the level of performance required by the course. Moreover, students attending SI are not assessed on their attendance. Thus, the sessions are conducted in a relaxed and non-threatening atmosphere. SI integrates how to learn with what to learn.
Leaders also convey feedback from students to lecturers.
The campus environment is made less alienating and impersonal as these groups, providing a timely mutual support network for students, enabling them to integrate easily into university life. This helped students to understand what and how to learn. Since then, it has been adopted by over 600 colleges and universities all over the world. 20 students and one or two facilitators. Data collected confirms that participating students generally outperformed non-participants.