Supplemental Instruction for Improving Students Formative Assessments in High Risk Engineering Modules

Supplementary instruction is fast becoming an additional means of student support in institutions of higher learning. Many universities are investing more resources in the adoption and implementation of this form of student support. This is more so in formative assessments where students are expected to build the required marks towards completing a course. Peer mentors are being recruited to assist struggling students in various modules. The purpose of this paper is to appraise the effectiveness of SI as a means of helping students improve their performance in formative assessments. Is this means of instruction actually achieving what it set out to do or is it just another waste of resources? A case study of Electronics module is used to validate the arguments put forward. The study shows that SI if administered rightly can be a powerful resource in improving students performance at universities.