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Effective Online Teaching & Learning
Effective Online Teaching & Learning
There are several strategies to effectively deliver your online course while supporting your students in their learning experience. Teaching an online course requires the instructor to be intentional in their planning, designing, and facilitating of the course design process. Well-designed courses allow for quality assurance in the student learning experience that aligns with iSLOs, PLOs, and cSLOs, as well as national online learning best practices. Below are guidelines for you to follow in developing your online course.
Interaction types
Student-instructor
Student-content
Student-student
Utilize Google Drive
Establish communication norms and expectations
Activities for Assessment: Variety is the spice of life.
Create rubrics using measurable outcomes (Bloom's)
Follow WCAG or accessibility guidelines to ensure equitable access to course content
Create a ZERO or onboarding module. this includes introduction video, a course tour, communication best practices, get to know-you activity, grading expectations
Create metacognitive analysis activities throughout the course to help student monitor their own learning.
Use backward design to align course competencies, learning activities, and formative and summative assessments
As for feedback from student about their online learning experience
Regular & Substantive Interaction (RSI)
Regular & Substantive Interaction (RSI)
Watch to 2:26 to learn about RSI. For RSI examples, keep watching the rest of the video.
What is does it mean?
What is does it mean?
The U.S. Department of Education and WCET define RSI as:
The instructor (or instructors) meets the “qualifications for instruction established by the institution’s accrediting agency.”
"Regular” interaction includes both:
“Providing the opportunity for substantive interactions with the student on a predictable and scheduled basis…” 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.”
“Substantive” interaction 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; or”
“Other instructional activities approved by the institution’s or program’s accrediting agency.”
SMCC Resources
SMCC Resources
MCCCD's Commitment to RSI
MCCCD's Commitment to RSI
Summary: Regular and Substantive Interaction is the term used in the U.S. Department of Education that mandates that all online courses eligible for Title IV funds (federal financial aid) must facilitate regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors. The Department holds the authority to review the distance learning programs of federally funded colleges and universities.
However, beyond being a federal requirement, regular and substantive interaction is a cornerstone of effective teaching. Research has shown that teacher-student interactions are vital to the learning process. While the Department of Education's mandate might seem like an external obligation, it aligns perfectly with Maricopa's commitment to providing quality education and supporting student success. For more information, review MCCCD's Regular and Substantive Interaction document.
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
Tea for Teaching Podcast - US Regulations for online courses
WCET. (n.d). Regular & Substantive Interaction. Retrieved from https://wcet.wiche.edu/policy/regular-and-substantive-interaction/
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