
Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI)
Resources
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2022 Digital Learning Policy Preview, Part 2: Federal and State Rules (WCET, January 2022)
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2021 Top WCET Frontiers Blog Posts - Regular & Substantive Interaction (WCET, December 2021)
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Distance Education & Institutional Eligibility Webinar (US Dept. of Education, April 2021)
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US Dept. of Education Issues Final Rules on Distance Education & Innovation (NC SARA, Oct 2020)
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Federal Register Notices - Distance Education and Innovation (US Dept. Education, September 2020)
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Surprise! Newly Released Final Regulations (WCET, August 2020)
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Regular and Substantive Interaction: Background, Concerns, and Guiding Principle (OLC, 2019)
Definition & Overview
Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) differentiates distance education from correspondence education. Clarity is critical on RSI since it can impact federal financial aid eligibility for courses and competencies in the United States.
The Final Rules on Distance Education and Innovation were issues by the U.S. Department of Education in September 2020 and went into effect July 1, 2021.
NC Sara (2020) highlights five critical factors that distinguish distance education and correspondence education. Additionally, NC Sara provides a break down of how the US Department of Education defines both "regular" and "substantive"
"Distance education and correspondence education are more clearly distinguishable through five critical factors:
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Distance education should be delivered through an “appropriate” form of online media.
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Distance education must use instructors that meet accreditor requirements for instruction in the subject matter.
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There should be at least two forms of substantive interaction (see below).
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There must be “scheduled and predictable” opportunities for instructor/student interaction (see below).
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Instructors must be responsive to students’ requests for support."
"Academic engagement” can be fulfilled through virtual/augmented reality activities."
“Regular and Substantive Interaction” in distance education such that “regular” is defined as taking place on a “predictable and scheduled basis” and “substantive” means students are engaged through teaching, learning, and assessment as well as at least two of these five activities:
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providing direct instruction;
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assessing or providing feedback on a student’s course work;
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providing information or responding to questions about the course content or competency;
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facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency;
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or other instructional activities approved by the institution’s or program’s accrediting agency."
Accreditation Alignment & Regulatory Changes
The Final Rules on Distance Education and Innovation have impacted accreditation within higher education. Provided below are sample updates posted by accrediting agencies. Additionally, the RSI updates are also visible in glossaries of accrediting agencies. Examples of new requirements are provided below:
Higher Learning Consortium
New Federal Requirements for Approval of Distance Education Programs
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Important Information Regarding Distance Education Regulatory Changes
The United States Department of Education provides a full list of recognized accrediting agencies.
RSI Institutional Resources
Carnegie Unit
Resource
Credit Hour
"A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and
verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency...."
Resources
Credit Hour Assignment
Notional Hour
"'Notional learning hours' are the estimated learning time taken by the 'average' student to achieve the specified learning outcomes of the course-unit or programme. They are therefore not a precise measure but provide students with an indication of the amount of study and degree of commitment expected."
Resources
Online Education
"Online environments may present some inherent barriers to students engagement,
therefore both synchronous and asynchronous instruction requires
intentional and meaningful design,"
Resources
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How the Pandemic Is Pushing Professors to Improve Their Pedagogy (Supiano, 2020)
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The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning
(Hodges et al., 2020) -
Ed Dept Issues Proposed Distance Learning Rules, Emphasizes Flexibility (Busta, 2020)
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Education Dept. Advances Long-Standing Plan to Loosen Regulation of Online College Learning (Douglas-Gabriel, 2020)
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How Teaching Changed in the (Forced) Shift to Remote Learning" (Ledermen, 2020)
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New Regulations Review #1: Regular & Substantive Interaction (WCET-Downs, April 2020)
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New Regulations Review #2: Credit Hour, Title IV Eligibility, & What Exactly is a Week? (WCET-Downs, April 2020)
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Not Fooling – A Third Package of Proposed Regs Has Arrived (WCET-Downs, April 2020)
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Licensure Research & Disclosures: Stakeholder Engagement Tips (WCET-Downs, Feb 2020)
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Promising Practices for Navigating “What’s Next” (WCET-Downs, April 2020)