Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) in Online Courses

• The course and/or syllabus include placeholders for information about office/student hours and/or study sessions.

• Pre-recorded lectures are accompanied by a discussion forum or other interactive activity. 

• NOTE: Pre-recorded lecture content alone is not sufficient for RSI but can contribute to meeting the requirement when combined with other course activities such as a related course discussion or interactive assignment.  

• Regularly scheduled office/student hours are clearly stated in the syllabus and/or the course. 

• The instructor offers optional live study sessions, such as a review session prior to a major assessment. 

• The instructor initiates 1:1 sessions with students around course topics based on need.

• The instructor contributes regularly to course discussions or other interactive activities. 

Assessing or providing feedback on students’ coursework refers to the instructor’s active and ongoing role in evaluating student work and offering meaningful, individualized responses that guide improvement and deepen understanding.

Feedback must be from the instructor and direct student learning. It can be provided in various formats, such as written, video, or audio comments, or a live discussion with the student.

NOTE: Automated grading does not count as RSI alone and should be accompanied by additional personalized feedback from the instructor during delivery. 

• The course syllabus includes a section for the instructor’s feedback plan, such as methods, tools, and expected turn-around time.

• The course design includes assessments and activities that provide the opportunity for regular and substantive feedback.

• The course schedule considers the pacing of assignments so that there is sufficient time for the instructor to provide feedback and the student to incorporate it into future assessments. 

• The instructor provides regular, individualized feedback that goes beyond assigning scores, such as written/audio/video comments.

• Feedback is provided in enough time for students to apply it to future work.

• Auto-graded assessments are reviewed, and individualized comments are provided.

• Assessments using standardized rubrics include additional personalized feedback. 

• Individual and whole class participation is reviewed at regular intervals, and the instructor initiates interaction as needed. 

• Whole class feedback is provided via announcements, emails, or discussion summaries, including helpful guidance around topics that may need re-visited by the entire class. 

Providing information or responding to questions qualifies as RSI when the instructor offers timely, content-specific guidance that supports learning outcomes. This includes elaborating on course material, clarifying difficult concepts, or helping students apply course content.

NOTE: To count towards RSI, these activities must be academic and relevant to the course, not just include logistics like due dates, how to use a platform or app, general study practices, etc.  

• The course and/or syllabus include placeholders for the instructor’s contact information and preferred communication tools.

• The course and/or syllabus include placeholders for a communication plan that explains how the instructor will initiate interaction with students through individual and group communication.

• The Announcements tool is enabled in the course.

• The course includes an FAQ and/or Open Question Forum and a plan for how and when the instructor will respond.

• Feedback surveys or reflections about course content are included at designated intervals throughout the course. 

• The course and syllabus are updated with preferred contact information.

• The instructor shares their communication plan with students and responds to students in a prompt and substantive way.

• The instructor sends announcements at regular intervals that are substantive in nature and support instruction, such as summarizing the prior week’s learning, clarifying questions, previewing upcoming content, offering FAQs on an assessment, etc.

• The instructor reviews the FAQ/Open Question Forum and responds with substantive information.

• The instructor reviews feedback surveys and/or reflections and incorporates student feedback in a timely manner. 

• Discussion forums are present throughout the course at regular intervals and relate to course content.

• Group projects include built-in opportunities for instructor interaction.

• Other collaborative activities are present, such as those that require working together on a document or presentation. 

• The instructor reviews the module discussion forums and provides guidance, answers questions, makes connections, and clarifies content.

• The instructor uses various discussion response techniques such as individual responses, summary responses, or posting an announcement with the main ideas and/or common misconceptions.

• The instructor initiates interaction with groups at regular intervals during projects, providing guidance, feedback, and allowing students the opportunity to ask questions.

• The instructor initiates engagement during collaborative activities by maintaining presence, regularly reviewing students' work, or adding comments and guidance as needed.