Definition

View the following link for a succinct informative video: https://youtu.be/JhCsRvpkQ8g

Substantive communication is communication (oral, written, or symbolic) that results in shared understanding in students by making thinking and understanding explicit. It goes beyond simply asking students a question and evaluating whether their response is wrong or right.

Substantive interactions must be:

1. Sustained
2. Content-Focused
3. Reciprocal

Sustained Interaction

The communication continues a thought or idea by building a dialogue where the flow of ideas is not scripted or controlled by one party.

Content-Focused Interaction

Communication must be relevant to the subject matter and concrete. Move beyond recounting of facts or procedures and encourage critical reasoning.

Reciprocal Interaction

The content of one person’s contribution is taken up by others and the overall flow of information and ideas is at least two-way in direction.

Relevance to Courses

Attending lectures and completing each section’s final assessments is not substantive interaction. In addition to being present in lectures, students need to engage with the content in a meaningful way, with feedback, before they are assessed for a grade. This can be accomplished in several ways. Below are some selected and reliable ideas to facilitate interaction:

During a live lecture

• Zoom – Zoom is a LIVE web-conferencing software that can be used to actively engage with students while delivering course content. It is not recommended to use Zoom if purely didactic instruction is occurring, this holds even if the lecturer wants students to ask questions – these questions are often points of confusion or clarification that can be managed with Q&As online.
• Poll Everywhere – ask thought-provoking questions and facilitate discussion.

Before or after a lecture

• Discussion Boards – Post thought-provoking questions on Canvas and facilitate discussion over time. This feature is not intended for right/wrong Q&A.
• Quizzes – Ask thought-provoking questions on Canvas that allow students to practice and apply their knowledge. Feedback must be provided either using the auto-grade feature, in a follow-up Announcement, etc.
• Q&A – Collect questions from students on Canvas using the Quiz feature (Type: ungraded survey) and then follow up with an Announcement, which emails the class a summary of the instructor’s feedback and insights on the questions asked.
• Live Discussions – use Zoom to meet with students live and do an activity that helps them connect the dots, identify misconceptions, and promote long-term retention
  

This is tough on you AND it’s tough on the students

We have never had to do this before. This has an enormous impact on everyone’s mental state. We all want to provide the highest quality education possible, but things will come up and accommodations will be made. Consider ways to recognize and mitigate challenges.

• Think ahead about problems students may face and come up with solutions to provide equity in learning and access. (Longer exam windows, post resources and content FAR ahead of time)
• Focus on what’s most COMMON and CRITICAL and teach it as best you can.
• Tell students that you understand and empathize with the challenges they are facing.

Beware of the “Flipped Classroom” Pitfall

• As you provide substantive communication, AVOID increasing students’ expected workload! If every lecturer uses their scheduled lecture hour to host an active case discussion that requires the students to do some learning beforehand (i.e. watching a pre-recorded lecture, reading notes), the time students spend doubles or triples! We can’t have unreasonable expectations of time spent on course material that students are incapable of achieving.

Brainstorming for Instructors:

• Stick to the most COMMON and CRITICAL problems in your field
• Where do students go wrong? / What do they commonly miss?
• When the students get to clinics, what must they be able to do?
• Collaborate with your section to create meaningful experiences that span the whole section

Skills to Model

• Debating
• Active Listening
• Open-Ended Questioning
• Giving Constructive, Targeted Feedback
• Sharing by selecting/redirecting speakers

Example Questions to Ask Students

• Is there a pattern?
• Does it always work?
• Is there a different way to do this?
• Does anybody want to agree/disagree?
• How are these the same? / How is this different?
• How did you decide this? / What is your reasoning?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does watching my recorded lecture count?

A: No

Q: Does asking students to consider a question before or during a lecture count?

A: No, UNLESS students can submit their answers and receive feedback (Use Poll Everywhere, Quizzes, Announcements to the class to give feedback)

Q: Does a quiz that assesses only right/wrong answers count?

A: No, UNLESS the feedback the students receive on that quiz or a discussion that ensues builds a dialogue on that content. (Use Poll Everywhere, Quizzes, Announcements to the class to give feedback)

Q: Does feedback on the formative, final, graded assessments count?

A: No, because students don’t have an opportunity to incorporate that feedback and improve

Q: Does posting an Announcement that provides overall feedback on a quiz count?

A: Yes, as long as that feedback arrives well before the final assessment.

Q: Do office hours count?

A: Yes, BUT the discussion during office hours should be concrete, based on something the students did that they need feedback on. (Use Zoom)