Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) in Online Courses
The U.S. Department of Education mandates that all online courses and programs include regular and substantive interaction between students and their instructors. Regular and substantive interaction is critical for student engagement, learning outcomes, and program quality.
Regular interaction
In online teaching and learning environments of any kind, (asynchronous, synchronous, blended/hybrid), regular and substantive interactions must be:
- With an instructor as defined by the institution’s accreditor.
- Initiated by the instructor.
- Scheduled and predictable.
- Academic in nature and relevant to the course
Differing from correspondence courses, online courses with substantive interaction assumes direct interaction between the instructor and the student.
Substantive interaction
Substantive interaction is defined as engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment, and includes at least two of the following:
- Providing direct instruction
- Assessing or providing feedback on a student’s coursework
- Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course or competency
- Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency
- Other instructional activities approved by the institution’s or program’s accrediting agency
The following image from the Online Learning Consortium provides an example of how to meet this definition of responsive and substantive interaction.
Please access the following resources for more information:
- U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Distance Education and Innovation Final Regulations 34 CFR Parts 600, 602, and 668, Effective July 1, 2021.
- OSCQR SUNY. (n.d.). Regular and Substantive Interaction. Online Course Quality Review Rubric.
- NC SARA. (2020, October 1). US Department of Education Issues Final Rules on Distance Education and Innovation. The State Authorization Guide.
Last updated: 6/11/2024