Faculty Resources

Regular and Substantive Interaction

Distance Education courses must meet specific college, state, and federal requirements that apply specifically to the online environment. The most important DE regulation is "regular substantive interaction," which means:

• The instructor initiates communication with students on a regular basis.
• There is an opportunity for students to engage with the instructor.
• The communication contains instructional content.

Contact also includes responsiveness to student-initiated communication, providing direct instruction, assessing or giving feedback on coursework, and facilitating group discussions. This type of instructive communication is critically important because it helps determine eligibility for students to receive financial aid for the course!