Five Principles of Online Learning

Regular and substantive interaction (RSI) is essential for distance education.

Instructors keep in contact with students on a predictable and timely basis, both to ensure quality of instruction and to verify performance and participation status. Learn more about RSI on the Distance Learning Compliance page of this guide.

In distance education, the role of the instructor is to serve as a facilitator, guiding each student's learning process.

Online learners should be encouraged to interact not only with the content and instructor, but also with their peers in order to collaboratively share and reflect, understand, research, and come to their own conclusions about the course material.

Course activities should be authentic, and based on tasks that engage online learners in reflecting on their lived experiences, and apply course content in a real-world, meaningful context.

Online learners should also have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge about the world through critical thinking and reasoning skills across various authentic assessments.

Distance learning instructors should engage all types of learners by providing content and assessments that respect and appreciate the different needs, learning preferences and learning strategies of diverse learners.

Providing varied means of engaging with the course content through multiple modes of delivery provides online learners with agency over their own learning.

Seeking feedback from students is important. Consider signing-up for Small Group Facilitated Diagnostic (SGID) to get mid-semester feedback from your students.

In accordance with the University of Hawaiʻi Commitment to Accessibility, distance education courses should be designed based on Universal Design for ALL. Consistent navigation of your course site and predictable due dates provide a user-friendly experience and help online learners focus on the course content, rather than focusing on learning the technology. For assistance with course design, schedule an instructional design consultation through the Office of Distance Learning.

To ensure that the design of your courses meets all accessibility requirements. Learn more about Accessibility on the DL Compliance page in this Guide.