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Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) is a required component for distance education, as outlined in federal and state regulations. Faculty need to meet both the substantive and regular aspects of interaction to ensure compliance and support student success.

Substantive - Instructor-Initiated and Course-Related

Substantive interaction involves meaningful, instructor-initiated engagement directly related to course content to support student learning. Faculty must use at least two of the following methods to meet RSI requirements:

• Direct Instruction (e.g., synchronous class sessions).
• Assessment and Feedback (e.g., detailed comments, descriptive rubrics, or video feedback).
• Information and Responses to Student Questions (e.g., email, Q&A forums, announcements).
• Facilitating Group Discussions (e.g., instructor-led discussions or collaborative activities).

Regular - Predictable and Proactive

Regular interaction ensures that instructor-initiated engagement occurs consistently and predictably throughout the course. Examples include weekly announcements, active participation in discussions, and timely responses to student inquiries.

To meet RSI requirements, regular interaction must:

• Be predictable and scheduled (e.g., outlined clearly in the syllabus or course communications).
• Include proactive monitoring of students’ academic engagement and success.

×îÐÂÂ鶹ӰÒôÊÓƵ further clarifies these expectations:

• Semester-Length Courses: Faculty must engage students using at least two different methods of substantive interaction during any two-week period.
• Short-Term Courses: Substantive interaction must occur more frequently to match the accelerated schedule.
• Faculty must promptly and proactively initiate interaction when a need is identified (e.g., based on monitoring or a student request).

Explore these practical examples to see how RSI comes alive in online teaching.

Examples of Substantive Components

Direct Instruction: The instructor actively teaches course content through lectures, demonstrations, or guided learning activities. Only synchronous class sessions meet this requirement. Recorded lectures are not counted direct instruction.

Assessment and Feedback: The instructor evaluates student work and provides actionable, meaningful feedback to support improvement and mastery of course material.

• Breaking larger projects into stages and offering feedback at each milestone.
• Responding to student-created content, such as blog posts or presentations.
• Providing personalized, detailed feedback on assignments consistently.

Information and Responses to Student Questions: The instructor ensures timely and effective communication to clarify course content and support student understanding.

• Responding to student emails within an established timeframe (as outlined in the syllabus).
• Proactively reaching out to students who are disengaged or not participating.
• Posting weekly announcements connecting course content to real-world examples or current events.
• Highlighting and sharing news stories that relate directly to the course material.

Facilitating Group Discussions: The instructor fosters meaningful student discussions to encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and peer learning.

• Providing substantive responses to student posts in discussion boards to deepen their analysis.
• Guiding collaborative activities, such as social annotation of readings or group projects.
• Answering questions on a course Q&A board to clarify ideas and promote engagement.

Examples of Regular Components

Predictable: The instructor ensures that interaction happens consistently and on a predictable schedule throughout the course.

• Share a communication plan at the start of the course with details about interaction methods (e.g., announcements, emails, office hours).
• Post weekly announcements or module overviews at consistent intervals.
• Hold regularly scheduled office hours and encourage students to attend.
• Make assignments and course materials available on a consistent schedule (e.g., posting new modules every Monday).
• Respond to student questions within a reasonable timeframe, as outlined in the syllabus.

Proactive: The instructor monitors student engagement and takes action when students need support.

• Use tools like course analytics or gradebooks to track student participation and progress.
• Reach out to students who are not engaged or falling behind.
• Provide feedback on self-evaluations or reflective assignments to guide learning.
• After assessments, follow up with students needing additional help and encourage them to use office hours or tutoring services.
• Respond promptly to student requests for help with course content.

Examples of Valuable Activities That Don't Count as RSI

The activities listed below are essential parts of a well-designed course and play a key role in the student experience. While they don’t meet the federal and state requirements for Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI), they still contribute to an engaging and supportive learning environment.

• Recorded webinars or reading materials, even if created by the instructor, provide foundational content for students to reference.
• Computer-generated feedback on quizzes or exams offers instant reinforcement and helps students assess their understanding.
• Encouraging, humanizing interactions build a welcoming and supportive learning environment, even if they’re not directly tied to course content.
• Discussion forums or activities designed to build student community and peer connections create a sense of belonging and encourage collaboration.
• Student-led discussions or self-paced activities promote active learning and independence.

Even though these activities don’t fulfill RSI requirements on their own, they are still excellent practices that enhance your course. Keep incorporating them to support student learning and engagement—and feel free to explore new ideas from this list!

Follow these recommended actions to ensure your course meets accreditation standards.

Spotlight Your RSI

The following recommended strategies are designed to help you showcase the great work you’re already doing and ensure your course is ready for a smooth accreditation process. The Canvas templates below will help you spotlight RSI, strengthen student engagement, and highlight your thoughtful course design (because supporting students and demonstrating your expertise is what it’s all about, right?).

• Create a Communication Plan
  Use our to outline how and when you’ll interact with students. This helps students know what to expect and gives accreditors a clear guide to your RSI practices.
• Add a "For Reviewers" Page
  Create an with a For Reviewers page to organize your RSI evidence. Include:
• A summary of or link to your Communication Plan.
• A list of RSI evidence (e.g., direct instruction, feedback, discussions).
• Direct links to activities or pages with RSI examples (e.g., announcements, assignments, discussion boards).
• Include a Student Notifications Assignment
  Use the to help students set up Canvas notifications. This ensures they receive and can reply to submission comments, keeping assignment-related conversations connected and visible to accreditors.

Want to Think Like an Evaluator?

Check out the Regular and Substantive Interaction Evidence Guide, designed to support WVC faculty reviewing online courses as part of the appraisal process. While it was created as a resource for peer evaluators, it offers valuable tips on where reviewers might look for RSI in your course and can help you better prepare for the accreditation review process.

Explore recordings and slides from our faculty workshops in the  for helpful guidance as you prepare your course.

Please note: A login is required to access these resources for WVMCCD faculty and staff.

What Accreditors Can See

• Canvas Inbox messages for the term and course being observed
• Pages
• Files
• Discussions prompts, posts, and replies by instructor and students
• Submission comments
• Gradebook and SpeedGrader
• OER or publisher embedded or linked content or activities not requiring login 

What Accreditors Cannot See

• Emails exchanged outside of Canvas (e.g. Outlook email)
• OER, publisher content, or other learning/homework systems requiring login 

Below are some easy ways to ensure your RSI is clear and well-documented.

• Check if your visible RSI evidence already shows compliance. The goal is for accreditors to be able to determine that your course meets the requirements—and chances are, you’re already doing more than they’ll observe, which is fantastic! If your current evidence is sufficient, you’re all set!
• Bring activities into Canvas when possible. For example, encourage students to use Canvas discussion forums for course-related questions instead of external tools.
• Document RSI that isn't visible in Canvas. For activities that happen outside of Canvas (e.g., Outlook email), create an unpublished page or module in Canvas with screenshots or examples. This ensures reviewers can quickly and easily find the evidence they need.