Transactional Distance gives us an answer to the question: why is instructing students so hard?
There exists a
psychological disconnection between the teacher and learner. Successful
teaching and meaningful learning occurs when we bridge this gap. The gap is defined as transactional distance or an area of
interaction where confusion can arise.
There are three variables that an educator can control to decrease
Transactional Distance: dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy. See the last post for more information regarding the rationale for our
investigation.
As productive dialogue increases, transactional distance
decreases. Dialogue is more than
talking. It involves listening,
responding, and conversing.
Productive dialogue is any interaction that leads to greater student
understanding.
The Distance Learning Monthly Newsletter will thoroughly
discuss the impact of dialogue on Transactional Distance in TV teaching. This article
applies the idea to a traditional setting. The goal is to deepen dialogue to make it more productive.
