Distance Education Policy: Regular Substantive Interaction (RSI)

“Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI)

The U.S. Department of Education mandates that all online courses and programs include regular and substantive interaction between students and their instructors.

Regular Interaction:

In learning environments of any kind, 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

Substantive Interaction:

Substantive interaction is defined as engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment, and must include at least two of the following:

·      Provide 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”