**2. Components of the STEM student success model**

### **2.1 Learning with peers**

Learning with peers in the STEM community includes those academic activities in which STEM students can participate and/or lead a student group with faculty oversight and training. It is characterized by small groups of STEM students learning together with a peer student leader or facilitator. They include such activities as, peer tutoring, peer supplemental instruction, peer cooperative learning, peer-led team learning, and related small group learning activities.

*Introduction to the STEM Student Success Model DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112614*

#### *2.1.1 Peer tutoring*

While learning with peers comes in many forms, one of the most well-known forms is tutoring in one-on-one sessions or in group sessions led by peers but faculty or professionals can tutor students. Peer tutoring programs offered to all students in a course have been widely found to help STEM students in introductory gateway STEM courses [10], especially in large course courses with hundreds of students and with limited time for students to receive individualized instruction. Students are able to get the tutoring support they need to be an academic success. Struggling students who regularly attended peer tutoring increased exam performance, increased knowledge of biology concepts, and increased course persistence relative to their struggling peers who were not attending the peer tutoring sessions.

Peer tutoring is student-centered where the students seek help and set up appointments with their tutors in one-on-one or group sessions. A qualitative study of 10 tutors and 10 tutees in seven high risk STEM courses over one semester was performed at a university in Malaysia [11] while a quantitative analysis of 213 participants using new model, the Weekly Tutoring Group (WTG) at the University of Rhode Island was available on multiple days and times throughout the week [12]. While the studies both focused on peer tutoring, the first study was in two focus groups and participant observations but actual tutoring sessions were one tutor with three to nine tutees while the second study had groups of one peer leader of two to six students who were former supplemental instruction (SI) participants. Participants in WTG and tutoring groups saw an increase in regular attendance and a significant difference in proficiency and in actual grades, particularly when the students attended seven or more sessions. The tutoring sessions in both studies were similar to supplemental instruction (SI) but different because SI targets specific high-risk courses while tutors assist high risk students who seek help [11, 12].

#### *2.1.2 Peer supplemental instruction*

Supplemental instruction (SI) was designed by Deanna Martin of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1974. SI is designed to foster learning and improve the academic performance of low-achieving students but focuses on identifying high-risk courses, such as those with significant grades of D, F, Withdrawal, or Incomplete (DFWI) or other students who traditionally are less prepared for difficult STEM courses. A major problem for STEM disciplines is students who achieve grades of Cor lower and are unable to progress in their STEM field either switch majors or drop out of college [13].

Supplemental instruction is characterized by increased passage rates in gateway courses, higher course grades, early engagement, collaborative learning, small group problem solving, and study skills with sessions facilitated by a trained peer group leader. As attendance in SI sessions increased so did positive student outcomes [13–15]. A study on the importance of SI at San Francisco State University showed that it benefits to STEM students who choose to make use of it and URM students who traditionally are less prepared for difficult STEM courses. While the impact of SI in introductory STEM courses has seen increased passage rates, the impact in upperlevel courses was associated with higher proportions of STEM students obtaining As and Bs. Also, SI users performed better than non-users and were more likely to take subsequent STEM courses while URM SI students had significantly increased passage rates [14]. An SI study at California State University, San Marcos was conducted of STEM students enrolled in four biology courses and participated in online SI. They received increases in academic performance similar to traditional SI participants, had higher course grades, and had lower fail rates as compared to students who did not participate in either form of SI [15].

A study of peer SI (PSI) was conducted at Georgia Gwinnett College, a public college in Lawrenceville, Georgia. PSI incorporates two high-impact practices in improving STEM student education and retention that include early engagement and exposure to college survival skills and collaborative learning so that students can discover an array of study styles and perspectives while learning and problem-solving in groups. Model student leaders with faculty training and oversight facilitate PSI sessions, such as addressing STEM skills, metacognitive skills, and STEM course concepts as shown in **Figure 2** [14].

As PSI attendance for students in STEM classes at Georgia Gwinnett College increased to 4 or more sessions per term so did course averages and exam grades [14].

#### *2.1.3 Peer cooperative learning*

Peer cooperative learning is a type of group learning where students work together on class projects or other academic activities toward a common goal and each member sets and accomplishes his/her learning goal(s) concurrent with other members and students may work in groups on assignments in the classroom. Two studies were reviewed: one was a mixed methods study of an introductory algebra course with 20 final participants of 30 enrolled students at a community college in the southwestern United States [16] while the second one was a quantitative

#### **Figure 2.**

*The STEM peer supplemental instruction model. Note. The STEM peer supplemental instruction model shows peer student leaders at the center of PSI activities while STEM faculty and students play an active role in STEM student success and is based on an adaption of the supplemental instruction model [14].*

#### *Introduction to the STEM Student Success Model DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112614*

analysis of 456 students before implementation and 552 students after implementation across five STEM departments of peer cooperative learning techniques at Bridgewater State University [17]. Cooperative learning sessions resulted in an increase in student attendance, a decrease in student withdrawals, an increase in student motivation to work with peers in and outside of class sessions, and an increase in retention rates [16, 17].
