The federal requirements for regular and substantive interaction (RSI) differentiate between a “correspondence course,” in which learners might move through content independently and with little support, versus a “distance education course” that ensures learners have the opportunity to learn through the process of collaborative interactions with the instructor. After all, as Parker Palmer starkly puts it in his text The Courage to Teach,
Under the Department of Education’s rule, this distinction matters quite a bit because Title IV funds, federal financial aid for students, cannot be used for correspondence courses. If students are using federal funds to help cover tuition for online courses, those courses must demonstrate adequate RSI, which means instructor-initiated efforts to provide direct instruction through interactions with learners, feedback, and outreach.
Online courses must demonstrate adequate RSI, which means instructor-initiated efforts to provide direct instruction through interaction with learners, feedback, and outreach.
The Colorado Online Quality Matters Plus (QM+) course design standards are built on the foundation of the Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric, Seventh Edition. This rubric addresses RSI within the scope of online course design via specific review standard 5.3, “The instructor’s plan for regular interaction with learners in substantive ways during the course is clearly stated.” The QM+ standards and learner-centered design checklist tool further support RSI in asking instructor-designers to consider how they are creating spaces for social presence, open communication, and community contributions to a shared body of knowledge.
Through these supports for quality design, instructors have various strategies to consider implementing into an online course design and through actively teaching the course. Communicate your plan to your learners and then follow through as the course progresses to ensure you have a strong instructor presence that fulfills RSI.
Communicate your plan to your learners and then follow through as the course progresses to ensure you have a strong instructor presence that fulfills RSI.
- Post regular course announcements that provide direct instruction and guidance that is responsive to expressed learner needs
- Determine how you will be a part of active discussions you have designed for the learning community
- Provide robust feedback to learners on submitted work to engage learners and facilitate their progress
- Determine how you will monitor learner progress and outreach to learners (both when they are falling behind and when they are succeeding!)
Please view the video below and access the RSI planning document for further ideas.
Quick Bites: RSI in Course Design (2:22)
Learning online can feel lonely and isolating for the learner. While it’s important to ensure RSI is a part of your online course to satisfy federal requirements, it’s even more important to practice RSI in course design and teaching to fulfill our commitment to each learner’s sense of belonging and success in the course!