Engagement & Interaction
Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI)
Federal guidelines for distance education stipulate that KU must ensure online instructors have stated a plan to provide learners with substantive feedback at regular intervals. The plan should highlight the instructor's commitment to monitoring student engagement and academic progress and how the instructor has designed regular feedback and communication opportunities into the course.
The federal definition of regular interaction is "on a predictable and scheduled basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course." Per the federal definition of substantive interaction, two of the following must be included in the instructor's plan:
- providing direct instruction
- assessing or providing feedback on coursework
- providing information or responding to questions about course content
- facilitating a group discussion regarding course content
- other instructional activities approved by the institution or accrediting agency
Below are suggestions* for what to include in a plan for RSI.
The instructor’s plan for regular interaction might include:
- Information on interacting with learners during office/learner hours, online discussions, and/or during synchronous class sessions
- Ways the instructor will interact individually with learners, such as through mid-term Zoom meetings or virtual chat check-ins, instructor responses to self-reflective learning activities, instructor feedback on assessments, or as responses during learner introductions
- Routine posting of announcements or course-specific messages
- A schedule for online review sessions during the semester
The instructor’s plan for substantive interaction might include:
- Information on how the instructor will respond to identified gaps in learner preparation or comprehension to ensure all learners have access to background knowledge or context
- Details about how the instructor will provide individualized feedback on a learner's coursework, such as through rubric comments, summary comments, or in-text comments
- Information about the instructor’s availability to respond to questions about the content of a course
- A statement that the instructor will provide learners with a choice for receiving feedback in accessible formats (e.g., using an audio recording with a transcript versus written feedback)
*Suggestions were adapted from QM standard 5.3 as stated in 7th edition Higher Education Rubric, rev 2023.
Example RSI Statements
Online Course with Synchronous Sessions
During our weekly, 1-hour, synchronous sessions, I will give a brief lecture covering important themes from the readings, facilitate a class discussion that emphasizes collaborative engagement between students, and respond to questions about concepts from the module.
Asynchronous Online Course
Each week I will present a pre-recorded video lecture covering the topic from the assigned readings. Then I will facilitate a discussion board exercise where each student will make an original post and reply to two students' posts. I will answer any questions and clarify responses as needed.
RSI in Action
Regular and substantive interactions are at the heart of this course. The more engaged and lively the interactions, the more interesting and fun the course will be for you. “Regular interaction” means "on a predictable and scheduled basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course." “Substantive interaction” means: (a) for the instructor – providing detailed instructions, facilitating a group discussion regarding the course content, and responding to questions about the course; (b) for the students – contributing a new and important aspect to the group discussions. Thus, a message that simply says, “I agree” is not substantive. A substantive contribution offers a new idea or perspective, a good follow-up question to a point made, offers a response to a question, provides an example or illustration of a key point, etc.
Each week, I will post an announcement in Canvas at the start of the week that details the week’s topics and activities. In these announcements, I will provide an overview of the week’s module and also supply a to-do list to help you guide your work and remind you of all tasks. Further, I will present a pre-recorded video lecture covering the topic for the week. During the weeks that are marked as synchronous sessions, during our live sessions on Zoom, I will give a brief overview of the week’s topics and activities and explain the upcoming assignments. I will also facilitate a class discussion that emphasizes collaborative and inclusive engagement between students and respond to questions about the weekly module. Both during the synchronous and asynchronous weeks, I will facilitate an online participation activity such as a discussion board, where each student will make an original and substantive post and also respond to at least two students’ posts. The discussion board will also invite students to connect the readings to real life activities and experiences, and also reflect on the previous weeks’ readings and assignments. I will answer any questions and clarify responses as needed. As your instructor, I subscribe to every Canvas thread. I can be available to meet via Zoom by appointment to answer any questions or provide feedback. For each online participation activity and assignment, I will provide feedback and suggestions.
--Vaibhav Diwanji, Ph.D.
In the first two weeks of the course, I will present seven pre-recorded video lectures that outline Japanese religious history and highlight critical turning points, issues, practices, and figures. While quizzes that follow each lecture are automatically graded by Canvas, I will be available to answer any questions and concerns you have, before or after a quiz.
Of the four following weeks, which comprise our four thematic explorations, I will present a pre-recorded video lecture each week. The lecture will introduce you to the theme, contextualize it in terms of Japanese religious culture and history, and prepare you to engage the assigned articles and films with confidence and critical thought. Some weeks you will also be prompted to share your thoughts on a reading and/or a film, connecting the theme to larger, comparative discussions as per your ideas. I will facilitate these discussion board exercises by responding to your posts – both written and video posts -- as a group. I will grade your article and film assignments and provide feedback to you individually.
Throughout these six weeks I will send weekly announcements to keep in touch and remind you of upcoming assignments to assist you in keeping pace with the course.
The final two weeks of the course is time devoted to your Mini-Project and a film assignment. I will assist you in guiding you through your project and answer any questions and clarify responses as needed.
--William R. Lindsey, Ph.D.