Announcements

Regular and Substantive InteractionAnnouncements

4 min read

Overview

Announcements are a potential example of RSI. Instructors should use a combination of methods most appropriate to the discipline and course. Explore this page to understand how to best create announcements that target student engagement and accreditation/evaluation requirements.

It's a great idea to click on all of the answers for the self-checks, as you'll find additional clarification for each!

Not All Announcements Are RSI

Not RSI:

Announcements that are purely administrative, such as reminders about deadlines or logistical information without any academic content or engagement, would not be considered RSI. While important, they don't contribute to the academic substance of the course.

Gray Area:

Announcements could be a conditional gray area, especially those that include academic content or engagement opportunities but are not personalized or don't necessarily prompt direct interaction between the instructor and students. These might need additional elements to fully meet the criteria for RSI.

Definitely RSI:

Announcements are considered RSI only if they are academically focused and initiate interaction or engagement directly related to learning outcomes. These might include insights into course material, questions that prompt student response, or feedback on recent assignments that applies broadly to the class.

Self Check

Start with the best example, then click on the other answers for additional guidance!

"Reminder: Assignment 2 is due next Friday at 5 PM." Replies are turned off.: NOT RSI. Announcements that are purely administrative, such as reminders about deadlines or logistical information without any academic content or engagement, would not be considered RSI. While important, they don't contribute to the academic substance of the course.
"Based on the questions I received about last week's lecture on World War II, I've posted a video response explaining the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad in greater detail. Please watch it before our next class and reply with any follow-up questions.": Definitely RSI Example: This is academically focused and initiates interaction or engagement directly related to learning outcomes.
"This week's readings on cellular respiration are particularly challenging. I encourage you to review the supplementary materials posted on Canvas.": Gray Area: It's not personalized and doesn't necessarily prompt direct interaction between the instructor and students.

Can Accreditors and Evaluators Access Announcements?

Start with your best guess, then click on the other answers for additional guidance!

No: If done in Canvas, announcements are visible! It's possible that announcements using a third-party website (a publisher content platform requiring a login for example) would not be visible.
Gray Area (Conditional Visibility): While generally announcements in Canvas are easily accessible, there might be scenarios where the visibility becomes conditional. For instance, if announcements are supplemented with external links or resources (like third-party websites or tools not integrated with Canvas), the content or engagement on those platforms might not be directly visible to evaluators.
Yes: Announcements created in Canvas are directly accessible to evaluators/accreditors.

Key Takeaways and a Reminder

Structure: By structuring announcements in a way that demonstrates active and meaningful participation, you can help meet RSI standards.
Integration: Keep all announcements within Canvas or ensure that any external discussions are adequately documented and integrated into the course's Canvas site.

Reminder on Replies

Keep in mind that if your course contains merged sections, you must turn off "replies" to announcements due to FERPA restrictions (students should only be able to interact with students in their section).

Further Examples

Weak example:

A generic announcement that can be repurposed semester over semester does not demonstrate substantive interaction:

Hi all! Here’s a handy Mnemonic for this week’s readings:
Mitosis: "Makes" identical cells. Think of the "t" in mitosis as standing for "two" — it results in two identical daughter cells.
Meiosis: "Makes" gametes or sex cells. Think of the "e" in meiosis as standing for "egg" or "sperm.”

Stronger Example:

Instead, aim to keep it current and show clear evidence that RSI is happening in your class:

During Tuesday’s office hours via TechConnect Zoom, a student in our class asked a fantastic question about the recently discovered critical component (acetyl) in the chromosome pairing process during meiosis. She asked if the findings are likely to translate to humans. The answer is yes, as many basic aspects of meiosis, including the construction of the synaptonemal complex involved in this process, are shared between worms and humans!

How to Send Announcements

Canvas Guide to Announcements Links to an external site.

Video Guide to Announcements (one minute):