Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) in Distance Education
Federal regulations require that courses delivered as distance education include regular and substantive interaction between instructors and students (34 CFR §600.2). This requirement applies to all online, blended, and fully remote courses at Northern Arizona University and is foundational to the eligibility of those courses for federal financial aid. Additional resources about how of offer high-quality online learning experiences and Online teaching best practices are available.
Regular Interaction
Interaction must occur on a scheduled and predictable basis throughout the course, initiated by the instructor. Interaction that is available only upon student request does not satisfy the regularity requirement.
Substantive Interaction
Interaction must be educationally meaningful. Substantive interaction must include at least two of the following:
- Providing direct instruction
- Assessing or providing feedback on student coursework
- Providing information or responding to questions about course content
- Facilitating group discussions among students
- Other instructional activities consistent with institutional and accreditor expectations
What Counts as RSI in Online and Fully Remote Courses
Examples of instructor activities that support RSI include:
- Posting weekly announcements that address course content, common misconceptions, or student questions
- Providing timely, substantive feedback on assignments and assessments
- Initiating outreach to students who may be struggling or disengaged
- Facilitating and participating in discussion boards with educationally meaningful contributions
- Holding scheduled office hours or virtual check-ins on a predictable basis
- Responding to course-related questions in a timely and substantive manner