Regular and substantive interaction (QCR #18, 19)

Introduction

Regular and substantive interaction (RSI) is a foundational concept in online education that helps to ensure the quality and effectiveness of online teaching and learning. RSI is essential for ensuring compliance with accreditation standards and fostering a dynamic learning community that promotes student retention. 

For educators looking to implement RSI in their online courses, strategies may involve integrating synchronous and asynchronous interactions, leveraging technology for personalized feedback, and creating structured opportunities for student-instructor engagement. This holistic approach enhances the learning experience and supports academic success in the digital education landscape.

What is RSI?

RSI is essential for maintaining quality in higher education, particularly in online and distance learning. It ensures your students receive an engaging educational experience comparable to traditional classroom settings. Under 34 CFR 600.2, the U.S. Department of Education mandates RSI as a requirement for distance or online education programs (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies, n.d), emphasizing its significance in accrediting online programs and courses. 

By focusing on RSI, you play a pivotal role in upholding academic rigor, sustaining your presence for your students, and creating an environment where learners can excel, even outside a physical classroom. This adherence meets regulatory standards and ensures that your courses deliver a comprehensive and engaging educational experience.

Regular interaction

Regular interaction means consistently engaging with your students and creating a routine of connection and communication with them. Interactions can include live lectures, weekly discussions, timely feedback, regular announcements, and consistently scheduled office hours. Your goal is to make these interactions predictable and consistent. Think of it as bringing the rhythm and responsiveness of a traditional classroom to an online platform.

This requirement applies at the institutional level to all learning modalities. For online classes, Missouri Online's Quality Course Review (QCR) rubric requires that

• The instructor have opportunities for interaction and engagement with the students in the course on at least a weekly basis (criteria #18).

• The syllabus specifies a timeline for instructor response to messages and feedback on assignments (criteria #10).

Substantive interaction

Substantive interaction focuses on the quality and depth of your interactions, emphasizing critical thinking, meaningful engagement, and significant connection. This goes beyond administrative tasks and involves direct instruction, constructive feedback, and personalized support. Your interactions should be meaningful, encouraging students to delve deep into the curriculum and apply their learning practically. By engaging students in this way, you ensure your interactions with students in online classes are frequent, enriching, and effective.

What are some ways to provide RSI? 

(RSI) feedback in online courses is crucial in fostering a productive and engaging learning environment. It promotes student engagement since instructor feedback helps keep students engaged and active in their learning process. It also signals that instructors are paying attention to student progress and are involved in their learning journey. In the absence of face-to-face interactions, regular feedback helps to establish a connection between instructors and students, which makes the online learning experience more personal and less isolating.

Substantive feedback empowers students and instructors

Substantive feedback empowers students to take control of their learning process and provides detailed insights into their performance, helping them understand where they excel and need improvement. It offers specific guidance on enhancing their understanding and mastery of the course material. Constructive feedback also helps create a positive and supportive online learning environment that can motivate students, boost their confidence, and encourage a growth mindset.

Taking the time to provide feedback also benefits instructors because it provides instructors with valuable insights into how their courses are being received and where there might be gaps in the material or presentation. This can lead to continuous improvement in course content and teaching methods. In the absence of face-to-face interactions, regular feedback helps establish a connection between instructors and students. 

It helps to increase the instructor's social presence, making the online learning experience more personal and less isolating (Reardon, 2022). In the context of online learning, where students might feel detached due to the lack of physical presence, regular substantive feedback becomes even more vital; it bridges the gap between instructors and students, ensuring the educational journey is as interactive, constructive, and enriching as possible.

Implementing RSI in online classes is essential for creating an engaging, effective learning environment. Feedback is an important way to achieve this and increase the instructor's social presence.

What about automation in my course?

Automated grading

You may wonder, though: Students often receive automated grades and feedback from Canvas Quizzes or a textbook platform like Macmillan Achieve, McGraw-Hill Connect, or Pearson MyLab. How do these align with RSI? The Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education states, “The definition [of RSI] currently requires regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors; substantive interactions with machines or other forms of technology that do not involve instructor would therefore not qualify” (2020, p. 21). The guidelines for regular and substantive interaction (RSI) emphasize the necessity of direct interaction between teachers and students, indicating that automated grading systems alone cannot fulfill RSI requirements.

Generative AI

You also may wonder about generative AI: Could students receive feedback generated by a tool like ChatGPT or Gemini? The Department of Education has not yet formulated guidelines about RSI and the use of generative AI (Davis, 2023; The White House, 2023). However, given that these technologies are “machines,” instructors may like to assume that using AI to give feedback on student work likely does not meet RSI expectations. The Office of Postsecondary Education has previously stated, “An automated grading system that provides feedback based on a programmed response to input does not count as ‘substantive’ because it is interaction with a computer, not an instructor” (Weisman, 2022, p. 5). Generative AI tools use their large language models (LLMs) to produce feedback on inputted data (student work). Please note that uploading students’ work to a generative AI tool may also violate FERPA in addition to not aligning with the spirit of regular and substantive interaction.

The value of instructor feedback

These guidelines emphasize the importance of human engagement in the educational process, where automated feedback falls short of meeting the nuanced and personalized interaction criteria set forth despite its efficiency in handling specific grading tasks. Therefore, while automated grading can support instructors by streamlining the evaluation of some tests and assignments, instructors should place such automation upon a strong foundation of direct and meaningful teacher-student interactions. These interactions, whether through personalized feedback, discussions, or mentorship, are essential for adhering to RSI standards, ensuring that the educational experience remains engaging and responsive to student needs.

What are some challenges with practicing RSI?

Adhering to RSI expectations presents challenges due to instructor time demands and the diverse needs of various courses. The main issues include:

Instructor time demands: Personalized feedback, one of the primary ways to practice RSI in asynchronous courses, significantly increases instructors' workload due to the necessity of providing personalized feedback. This demand for more individualized attention strains instructors and can hinder their ability to engage in other important tasks, such as curriculum development and research. This may even, at times, impact their work-life balance.

Course contextual needs: Varied learning objectives and assessments across courses demand customized RSI strategies, adding to the complexity of its implementation. Crafting and executing these tailored strategies require a deep understanding of each course's unique goals. RSI may look different in a writing-intensive course from a large-enrollment introductory chemistry course.

Though practicing RSI may require more time and planning, your students will appreciate the increased presence you demonstrate and sustain in your course.

Conclusion

In an otherwise potentially cold and impersonal online environment, your commitment to RSI stands as a beacon of care and instructor social presence for your students. By integrating RSI into your teaching methodologies, you comply with the Department of Education's mandates and champion a culture of engagement, inclusivity, and high-quality education. This commitment transforms the virtual classroom into a vibrant community of learners where every student feels seen, heard, and valued.

This crucial approach transforms virtual classrooms into rich communities, igniting curiosity and sharpening skills for academic and personal success. Let's raise the bar for online education, setting new standards for engagement and learning outcomes. Imagine a future where every student, regardless of their geographical location, has access to an education that is both rigorous and responsive. Committing to RSI can make this vision a reality, empowering our students to succeed in an ever-changing world.

Resources

Regular and Substantive Interaction: Background, Concerns, and Guiding Principle. (2019). Online Learning Consortium.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED593878.pdf

Here are some additional ways to integrate RSI in the classroom:

• Discussion boards

• Office hours and contact information

• Developing a plan for timely, meaningful feedback

• Interaction

• Synchronous online courses

References

Kerensky, K. (2022, November 8). Regular and substantive interaction update: Where do we go from here? WCET Frontiers. 

Reardon, C. (2022). Instructor social presence: An essential tool for online student engagement and persistence in higher education. Lexington Books. Rowman & Littlefield. 

The White House. (2023, October 30). Fact sheet: President Biden issues executive order on safe, secure, and trustworthy artificial intelligence. The White House Briefing Room.

U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education. (2020, September 2). Distance education and innovation. Federal Register, 85(171).

Weisman, A. (2022, March 10). [Letter from Annmarie Weisman to Ms. Kathryn Kerensky].

WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies. (n.d.). Regular & substantive interaction. WCET. Retrieved March 28, 2024.

 

Created on May 3, 2024