Regular and Substantive Interaction. Distance Learning professors must maintain regular and substantive interaction between professors and students and among students. Regular and substantive interaction means engaging students in teaching, learning, assessment consistent with the content under discussion in addition to at least two of the following: direct instruction as defined in 13.A.1.d, professor feedback on student coursework, information or response to questions about the content of a course or competency, facilitating a group discussion, or other activities approved by the Distance Learning Committee. Each professor teaching a Distance Learning course (100% online or hybrid) is required to have the same amount of regular and substantive instructional hours as in non-distance learning classes. Regular and substantive interaction equivalent to a traditional class applies to any portion of a course delivered through distance learning and shall be evaluated as part of the regular evaluation cycle in accordance with Article 13.C and Article 18.
Regular and Substantive Interaction. Instructor contact will follow guidelines set forth in Title 5, Section 55204 which states in part, distance education “includes regular effective contact between instructor and students, and among students, either synchronously or asynchronously, through group or individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact, voice mail, e-mail, or other activities.” Some example means of achieving “substantive interactions” include: a) Follow-up questions on a discussion board to assist students in reaching a higher learning potential; b) Timely, personalized feedback on assignments, discussions and/or quizzes that guide students to further knowledge and skills; feedback on student assignments should identify specifically what has been done correctly, what needs improvement, or that guides students to the next steps of learning; c) course materials (e.g., recorded webinars, videos, and reading materials) which facilitate synchronous or asynchronous interactions and require the student to contact the instructor or participate in an online discussion moderated by the instructor; d) instructor announcements to the class regarding course content and upcoming assignments; e) synchronous online meetings and chats that further explore course material and answer student questions. Note: Utilization of all examples on this list is not required to meet the minimum standard for substantive contact. Regular and substantive interaction is required per Title 5, Section 55204.
Regular and Substantive Interaction i. Per SRJC Policy 3.28P, instructors will establish and publish clear expectations in the syllabus and/or other course documents concerning regular and effective contact with enrolled students, and maintain frequent regular student contact, in asynchronous and/or synchronous mode, equal to that of a similar face-to-face section over the course of each week.
