Regular Substantive Interaction
Regular Substantive Interaction (RSI) is a federal requirement for online courses that ensures meaningful engagement between instructors and students and distinguishes distance (both synchronous and asynchronous) education from correspondence education. It's designed to maintain the quality of online education and is necessary for courses to be eligible for Title IV financial aid.
Regular Substantive Interaction
Definition: Regular and Substantive Interaction is instructor-led and scheduled and includes proactive engagement with students, which is integral to the learning process.
Criteria to Meet RSI Guidelines
Instructor Qualifications
- Instructors must meet the qualifications established by the institution’s accrediting agency.
- Teaching and Graduate Assistants must also meet the qualifications if they are involved in instruction, grading, or facilitating breakout sessions.
Substantive Interaction
- Instructors must engage in teaching, learning, and assessment activities relevant to the course content.
- At least two of the following activities must be included in each course:
- Direct instruction (Recorded lectures do not meet this criterion alone.)
- Providing feedback on student coursework (Automatic feedback does not meet this criterion.)
- Facilitating group discussions
- Conducting assessments
- Offering office hours or other scheduled interactions
- Instructors must monitor each student's engagement and success, following up with students as needed.
Implementing RSI Online
The online course syllabus should clearly outline:
-
- Types of interactions students can expect
- Frequency of these interactions
- Response time expectations for student inquiries
- Office hours scheduled
- Feedback timeline for assignments
- Methods of communication (e.g., email, discussion board, video conference)
Sample Syllabus Statements
Instructors may use or adapt the following sample statements in their syllabi:
- "In this course, you can expect regular and substantive interaction through weekly live sessions every Monday at 10 AM, where we will discuss course content and answer questions. Additionally, I will provide feedback on assignments within 48 hours of submission. Office hours are scheduled for Wednesdays from 2 PM to 4 PM."
- "To ensure a rich learning experience, this course includes bi-weekly discussion forums where participation is required. I will also provide detailed feedback on your projects within one week of submission. My virtual office hours are available every Friday from 1 PM to 3 PM."
- "This course will feature a combination of recorded lectures and live Q&A sessions every Thursday at 3 PM. You will receive feedback on quizzes and assignments within three days. I am available for one-on-one consultations during my office hours on Tuesdays from 11 AM to 1 PM."
- "Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) in this course is achieved through various
activities:
- Weekly discussion boards (initial post by Wednesday, responses by Friday)
- Bi-weekly synchronous sessions (Tuesdays, 8-9 PM EST)
- Monthly one-on-one progress meetings (scheduled individually)
- Instructor feedback on assignments (within 5 days of submission)
- Email responses (within 48 hours)
- Instructor will proactively contact students who fall behind in coursework or show signs of disengagement."
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
1. Relying solely on automated feedback systems
2. Inconsistent communication or long periods without interaction
3. Focusing interactions only on course logistics rather than content
4. Neglecting to update your online syllabus with interaction details for compliance purposes
Does grading count as substantive interaction?
Simply entering a grade does not count. However, providing detailed feedback along with the grade does qualify.