SI sessions are free, voluntary, and open to the entire student population of each designated course. SI's goal is to aid all students in a class, regardless of their knowledge or ability level.
SI leaders attend course lectures, take notes, and read all assigned material.
In the fifty minute-long sessions, which meet on a regular schedule several times a week, students work together under the guidance of the SI leader. Students compare notes, discuss readings and concepts, work on practice quizzes and tests, and take part in a variety of other collaborative activities. Through tips from SI leaders and interaction with fellow students, students also learn helpful strategies for studying and learning. Hundereds of colleges and universities worldwide have SI programs. The program was developed by Dr. Deanna Martin at the University of Missouri at Kansas City in the early 1970s.