Regular & Substantive Interaction (RSI)

MATC requires instructors who teach sections that are scheduled as 100% Online, Live Scheduled Online, Hyflex, and Blended to demonstrate Regular Substantive Interaction (RSI) with students, as evidenced in Blackboard. The Faculty Appendix (pg. 131) and 21st C. Classroom Level 2 Checklist state that RSI is an expectation for online teaching.

To understand RSI and how to best evidence it in your Blackboard sections, see these resources. If you have questions about demonstrating RSI in your online sections, contact onlinelearning@matc.edu.

Understanding RSI - Expectations for Practice

Based upon faculty feedback, Online Learning and the Center for Teaching Excellence have prepared the following document to clearly define each RSI criteria with instructional practices and types of sufficient evidence that document RSI in Blackboard.

Understanding RSI - One Sheet

RSI Presentation - Fall 2025

Slide presentation from Faculty Professional Development Day 11/26/25

Incorporating Regular and Substantive Interaction into Course Design and Delivery by University of Cincinnati Online

Regular and Substantive Interaction Examples include weekly announcements, graded assessments with feedback, facilitated discussions, office hours.

Planning for RSI

The most direct way for faculty to know whether they are meeting the RSI requirements is to create and follow a Course Communication Plan in their online and partially online sections. Using Blackboard’s tools for communication and grade feedback creates direct evidence of RSI in the course shell. If RSI is occurring through additional means, please be sure to document them in the syllabus or Blackboard course shell.

Course Communication Planning - Blackboard Ultra

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