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Understanding transactional distance in web‐based learning environments: An empirical study
Author(s) -
Huang Xiaoxia,
Chandra Aruna,
DePaolo Concetta A.,
Simmons Lakisha L.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
british journal of educational technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.79
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1467-8535
pISSN - 0007-1013
DOI - 10.1111/bjet.12263
Subject(s) - operationalization , transactional leadership , distance education , transactional analysis , autonomy , empirical research , computer science , psychology , mathematics education , social psychology , mathematics , statistics , epistemology , political science , philosophy , law
Transactional distance is an important pedagogical theory in distance education that calls for more empirical support. The purpose of this study was to verify the theory by operationalizing and examining the relationship of (1) dialogue, structure and learner autonomy to transactional distance, and (2) environmental factors and learner demographic factors to transactional distance in web‐based distance courses. More than 200 online undergraduate and graduate students in a M idwest university in the US A were surveyed. The findings indicate that high levels of structure and dialogue are not necessarily incompatible while supporting the inverse relationship of structure, dialogue and learner autonomy to transactional distance. Environmental factors and learner characteristics impacting transactional distance are identified, and practical implications of the findings for online course design are discussed.