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Supplemental Instruction

Clinical Microbiology - Bio 265

Support resources for Clinical Microbiology (Bio 265), a key course for health professions. Includes Supplemental Instruction (SI) with peer-led sessions and weekly support, designed to help students achieve success.

Supplemental Instruction

  • Clinical Microbiology is a requirement for admission to Health Professions including Clinical Laboratory Science & Medical technology, Nursing & PA (Physician Assistant) programs, or Pharmaceutical Sciences (Elective course). The course of Clinical Microbiology is a three-credits course and it is based on both lecture and laboratory components. Typically, the course involves ~ 100 students/Semester with two lecture classes and five laboratories.
  • To proceed toward their respective elected health professions, students are expected to complete the course with an overall course grade of at least a C or higher. Being a high-risk course with respect to WD, D, D plus or C minus, the rationale of implementing SI in the course of Clinical Microbiology is to support our students toward a higher quality performance.
  • To meet student's needs, SI sessions are regularly scheduled throughout the week with evening sessions. Students receive the schedule of the SI sessions at the beginning of the Semester in the classrooms and through Brightspace. The course syllabus includes a description of SI and its significance as a "tool" of support for the students. During the Semester, students attending the SI sessions are encouraged to speak to their peers in the classrooms and share their experience about SI.
  • SI leaders come to the lecture classes of Bio 265, they are trained and practice before the beginning of the Semester with SI mock sessions. Si leaders are selected among the best students of the previous Semesters (Bio 265) or students of Microbiology (Bio 465). They feel passionate about the topics being taught in the course and display a sympathetic attitude toward their peers. SI leaders are weekly supported for their planned sessions by the SI supervisor.
  • Weekly feedback by the SI supervisor is central to ensuring that SI strategies (facilitation strategies, collaborative learning techniques, learning strategies) are the "tools" that foster peer-to-peer interactions, promoting motivation for learning as well as greater understanding of the course materials.
  • The recorded attendance to the SI sessions provides us with an opportunity to assess the outcomes with respect to performance and grades, and insights on how to further SI for our students.

Members of the Bio 265 SI team

SI leaders

Spring 2025 Schedule

Biology Department – York College – A project funded by the Provost Dr. Brazill (Academic Affairs)