The Impact of RSI on the Hidden Curriculum

Hidden Curriculum Barrier	Historically Marginalized Students Most Affected	How RSI Responds	Equity Impact
Unclear assignment expectations	Students with less exposure to academic writing and disciplinary conventions	Substantive Interaction: explanation of expectations, examples of strong work, clarification of prompts	Makes academic expectations visible and understandable rather than assumed
Ambiguity about what constitutes “college-level” work	First-generation students and students from under-resourced schools	Substantive Interaction: feedback explaining strengths, areas for improvement, and disciplinary reasoning	Helps students understand standards of quality and how to improve
Uncertainty about participation norms in discussions	Students unfamiliar with academic dialogue or scholarly debate practices	Substantive Interaction: instructor-facilitated discussions and modeling of academic dialogue	Demonstrates how to participate effectively in scholarly conversations
Difficulty interpreting instructor feedback	Students developing academic language or disciplinary thinking	Substantive Interaction: scaffolded feedback explaining how to revise or improve work	Translates feedback into actionable guidance
Lack of familiarity with appropriate help-seeking behaviors	Students unfamiliar with academic culture or faculty communication norms	Regular Interaction: clear communication policies and proactive outreach	Normalizes contact with instructors and reduces uncertainty about when to ask for help
Uncertainty about course expectations and academic processes	Students new to higher education systems	Regular Interaction: announcements, course guidance, and clarification of procedures	Provides consistent guidance that reduces guesswork
Implicit academic norms around persistence and improvement	Students unsure how to respond to setbacks or feedback	Regular + Substantive Interaction: revision opportunities, encouragement, and guidance after mistakes	Reinforces that learning involves revision, persistence, and growth

Examples of How Faculty Can Counter the Hidden Curriculum Through RSI

Hidden Curriculum Barrier	RSI Category	What Faculty Can Do	Example in an Online Course
Students unsure how to interpret assignment prompts	Substantive Interaction – Category C (Course-Level Instructional Response)	Clarify assignment expectations and explain evaluation criteria	Post an announcement or video explaining how to approach the assignment and what strong responses look like
Students unfamiliar with academic writing or disciplinary standards	Substantive Interaction – Category B (Individualized Feedback)	Provide feedback explaining strengths and areas for improvement	Leave comments explaining how to strengthen argument structure, evidence use, or analysis
Students unsure what “college-level work” looks like	Substantive Interaction – Category A (Live Instruction)	Demonstrate how to analyze readings or construct arguments	Host a live session modeling how to interpret sources or structure a response
Students unsure how to participate in academic discussions	Substantive Interaction – Category D (Embedded Activity Facilitation)	Model scholarly dialogue and guide discussion	Respond to discussion posts by connecting student ideas to course concepts and asking follow-up questions
Students unsure when or how to ask for help	Regular Interaction – Category A (Course Structure & Presence)	Provide clear communication expectations and support policies	Include an Instructor Communication Policy and encourage students to reach out with questions
Students unfamiliar with course procedures and expectations	Regular Interaction – Category A (Course Structure & Presence)	Provide consistent course guidance	Use weekly announcements and module introductions to explain tasks and expectations
Students unsure how to interpret feedback or improve work	Substantive Interaction – Category B (Individualized Feedback)	Provide feedback that includes revision strategies	Suggest specific ways students can strengthen their work on future assignments
Students unaware that revision and persistence are expected	Regular Interaction – Category B (Engagement Monitoring & Support)	Encourage improvement and follow-up after poor performance	Contact students after low scores to offer guidance and encourage revision or continued effort