The better students usually are among the first to raise their hands and the weaker students typically follow their lead. It should also be stressed that SI attendance is not only voluntary but it is anonymous as well. That is, SI attendance is not reported to the instructors. This eliminates concerns the individual student may have about being labeled as either weak student or possibly a teacher's pet. This is especially true where SI is attached to courses where large numbers of students are enrolled in a lecture hall situation.
SI allows students to support students.
Often, and perhaps ideally, SI leaders are persons who have already taken the course and, as such, are able to act as experienced guides. As such they are able to provide not only structured study sessions related to course content but also provide reassurance or direction about the course in general. Many students are hesitant to request general information about the course from the instructor. It is usually the case that instructors are not reluctant to address these concerns and most would prefer to make clear any indistinct issues related to the course but for those students reluctant to ask instructors, SI sessions can provide an opportunity to discuss or clarify these issues with fellow class members who attend SI as well as the SI leader. SI as Community It is also true that SI sessions provide students with an opportunity to make personal connections in a system that can be fairly impersonal.