Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Online Learning

Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) at PCC

Regular and substantive interaction (RSI) between students and instructors is a U.S. Department of Education requirement for online classes. More importantly, research has shown that instructor-student interaction is an essential component of learning regardless of the instructional modality. This interaction builds a strong sense of instructor presence which in turn leads to a higher degree of student persistence, retention and overall success in the coursework. Here are the key components of RSI as specified by the U.S. Department of Education.

Substantive Interaction

Substantive interaction includes engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment, consistent with the content under discussion, and also includes at least two of the following:

  • Providing direct instruction
  • Assessing or providing feedback on a student’s coursework
  • Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course or competency
  • Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency
  • Other instructional activities approved by the institution’s or program’s accrediting agency

Regular Interaction

An institution ensures regular interaction between a student and an instructor by:

  • Providing the opportunity for substantive interactions with the student on a predictable and scheduled basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course or competency; and
  • Monitoring the student’s academic engagement and success and ensuring that an instructor is responsible for promptly and proactively engaging in substantive interaction with the student when needed, on the basis of such monitoring, or upon request by the student.

Source: Regular and Substantive Interaction Refresh: Reviewing & Sharing Our Best Interpretation of Current Guidance and Requirements, WCET Frontiers, August 26, 2021

Examples of RSI

Interactions are not optional, simply left up to the students to initiate. Instead, they must be planned by the instructor to integrate within the design of the course. Here are some options for meeting RSI expectations.

  • Weekly announcements providing guidance on the content, feedback, or encouragement, customized for a specific course
  • Instructor presence, e.g. through occasional participation within the discussion forums, assignment feedback, or feedback within the grading area
  • Timely personalized feedback that guides students toward further development
  • Individualized email
  • Regularly scheduled help sessions or office hours
  • Provide students with an easy way to schedule a 1-1 consultation with you through direct calendar scheduling. Even request an occasional 1-1 meeting with students at a choice of times.
  • Students have opportunities to provide input on the course design, interaction with the instructor, and their overall learning experience.

Examples not considered RSI

  • Quizzes that are automatically graded
  • Adding letter grades or points to the grade book without feedback
  • Posting only a welcome, midterm, and final announcement during the term
  • Communicating with students only when they initiate questions

Courses that do not meet the requirements for RSI are considered correspondence courses, which are typically self-paced, and any interaction is initiated by the student. The Department of Education has been conducting occasional institutional audits, including a few at community colleges in Oregon and Washington. Institutions with a large percentage of correspondence courses are subject to losing federal funding.

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