In the United Kingdom the figure, though lower than this, is still cause for concern. One cause of early drop out in the first year may be the mismatch between student expectations and perceptions and the reality of first year undergraduate experience. In such settings, students are often reluctant to ask questions or participate actively. Low marks and drop out often follow. The other concern at Kingston is that teaching of study skills in the traditional way just does not work.
Students often have no idea how to transfer their study skills learning to their course.
Supplemental Instruction integrates mastery of course content with the development of effective learning strategies. The whole process is voluntary. The SI leader is introduced as a student of the subject. He or she then models the use of the core concepts of the subject. The leader provides a forum where first year students can gain a mastery of the subject content, in part through developing appropriate study strategies.