Actionable Approaches for Ensuring Regular and Substantive Interaction in Online and Blended Learning Courses

Audience Level: 
All
Institutional Level: 
Higher Ed
Streamed: 
Onsite
Special Session: 
Leadership
Abstract: 

OSCQR can be used to assist campuses, instructional designers (IDs), and faculty ensure that online courses can demonstrate designs comply with the new US Department of Education regulation requiring Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) between online learners and their instructor(s). You will be provided with an overview of OSCQR and the tools and information to improve the instructional design (including RSI) and accessibility in online courses.

Extended Abstract: 

Meaningful engagement between instructors and students is an essential component of successful online and blended learning, driving higher quality interactions and experiences. This aligns with accreditation requirements as well as the Department of Education’s rules requiring courses to include regular and substantive interaction (RSI) especially in distance and competency-based education "to ensure federal financial aid funds are used appropriately."

In this workshop, your facilitators will 1) discuss how to create a learning environment that cultivates quality, meaningful interactions and 2) share innovative, best-practice examples of regular and substantive interaction in action across diverse contexts. Participants will explore the tools and approaches to best support students in sharing their ideas and engaging more deeply in their learning, as well as collaborate with their colleagues on developing high-impact strategies for ensuring RSI. This workshop is perfect for educators, practitioners, and designers with any experience level with RSI - it is geared towards anyone looking to reflect on and deppen points of engagement in the courses that they are building, teaching, and continuously improving.

Participants will leave this workshop with greater understanding and practical knowledge for how to:

  • Identify the essential elements of Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI)
  • Apply the OSCQR Rubric to assess and improve RSI within online and blended courses
  • Evaluate use cases for practical, easy-to-use tools to assist in cultivating engagement
  • Develop a plan of action to drive higher quality interactions and experiences
Materials for Workshop: https://bit.ly/OSCQRRSI
Position: 
2
Conference Session: 
Concurrent Session 4
Conference Track: 
Instructional Design
Session Type: 
Discovery Session
Intended Audience: 
All Attendees