Instructional Technology: Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI)

Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) in distance education refers to meaningful and consistent engagement between students and their instructors or the educational content. It's about ensuring that students aren't solely asked to passively absorb information but are expected to actively participate in the learning process. 

The U.S. Department of Education now requires that all online courses for which students may use Title IV funds (federal financial aid) "ensure that there is regular and substantive interaction between students and faculty."  In online teaching and learning environments of any kind, (asynchronous, synchronous, blended/hybrid), regular and substantive interactions should: 

• Be with an instructor  
• Be initiated by the instructor. 
• Be scheduled and predictable. 
• Be academic in nature and relevant to the course. 
• Substantive interaction assumes direct interaction between the learner and the instructor including:
  • Providing pre-recorded lectures and videos contextualizing course content
  • Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency
  • Hosting live class sessions
  • Engaging students with interactive activities curated by the instructor
  • Facilitating collaborative group projects with instructor guidance
  • Scheduling one-on-one virtual meetings between students and instructor
  • Assessing or providing feedback on a student’s coursework
  • Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course

RSI Resources

• Retention in Online Courses: Exploring Issues and Solutions -  A Literature Review
• Online Student Retention
• Student Retention in Online Courses
• 10 Ways to Enhance Instructor Presence
• Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) Examples from Blue Mountain Community College
• Regular and Substantive Interaction in Online and Distance Learning (The Ohio State University)

• Regular and Substantive Interaction Refresh: Reviewing & Sharing Our Best Interpretation of Current Guidance and Requirements

• DoE Response Letter to questions about implementing RSI

• RSI Update

RSI Webinar Recordings

• OSCQR & RSI Webinar – SUNY Online Teaching webinar recorded September 22, 2021.
• Using OSCQR to ensure RSI – CPD OTTER webinar recorded August 11, 2021.

• From Washington Regulations to Real World Practice: Regulatory Clarification and Design Implications of Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) - IDN Webinar recorded July 16, 2024