Abstract

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a pedagogy that adopts peer-facilitated academic support approach to increase student performance and retention. It was developed by Dr. Deanna Martin in 1973 at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and was later widely implemented in other tertiary institutes in the United States and around the world. It has been demonstrated that SI is tremendously successful in helping students to construct science knowledge and enhancing students’ problem-solving skills through collaborative learning activities. In light of the learning difficulties in some abstract concepts in biochemistry and molecular biology among students, this project aims to develop the first SI program in the School of Life Sciences (SLS) to enhance students’ performance and to cultivate a collaborative learning environment. Postgraduate students will be engaged to serve as SI leaders of the program. They will be trained to facilitate students’ learning in small groups with the use of latest virtual reality (VR) technologies developed by the project team. The SI model recommended by the International Center for Supplemental Instruction (ICSI) will be adopted with modifications to cater for leaners’ diversity in the selected courses. This SI program will be supervised by two accredited SI supervisors.