The purpose of this study was to describe how assessing interactions in a distance course impact the quality of instruction, student leaning, and satisfaction with the course. This study, further describes how interactions can be enhanced with certain technologies. The population for this research was both undergraduate and graduate students of the college of Agriculture and Natural Resources in National Chung-Hsing University (NCHU), in Taiwan. There are twelve departments under the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources including eleven departments and one graduate institute. Data was collected from students at NCHU (Taiwan) by using Qualtrics (an online survey platform) through the Internet. All data of this research collected via Internet and used SPSS 20.0 to analysis data results. It is an anonymous survey that participants just receive the survey web address from email or academic platforms of each department. There is no any identification information for each participant. According to the findings, there are some relationships between transactional distance theory, technology, and online education. The results of the regression model point out that the learner to the course content interaction is a significant predictor for satisfaction toward online classes. Learner to the course content interaction and learner to the instructor interaction are significant predictors for quality toward online classes. Learner to the course technology interaction and learner to the instructor interaction are significant predictors for learning toward online classes. Learner to the course content interaction and learner to the instructor interaction are significant predictors of enhanced interactions in online classes. However, there is no interaction effect in learner to leaner interaction to enhance the satisfaction, quality, and learning. From the above data, the learner to the instructor interaction and the learner to the course content interaction are two important factors that influence learners’ satisfaction, quality, and learning of online courses. More participants involving in this research recommended increasing the reliability and the diversity of opinions. Besides, using the same instrument for diverse populations such as differences of culture, background, and majors may find more relationships in interactions and technologies in online education. Also, do more researches for enhancing the interaction between learner to learner and learner to the course technology. It is important to find more effective technologies and media for instructors to enhance learners’ satisfaction, quality, and learning of online education.

The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to gainknowledge in how some Swedish university librariesexpresses their work regarding web based servicesfor distance learners via activity documents andwebb pages. A qualitative content analysis isconducted to investigate this. The empirical materialconsists of nineteen different documents and elevenselected parts of websites related to eleven differentuniversity libraries. The results show that there is avariation in how and to what degree differentuniversity libraries expresses their services todistance learners. Three main themes emerge fromthe content: ”the electronic library resources”, ”thevirtual library room” and ”the librarian's pedagogicalrole”, all in different ways connected to distancelearners. The results is discussed based on “thetheory of transactional distance”. The principalfindings is that the libraries expresses greatenthusiasm for digital development and web basedservices. Some in more explicit ways and some inmore implicit ways. Based on the findings from thisstudy and from the previous research and literatureon the subject, the conclusion is that it is notpossible to completely distinguish the distancestudents' needs from other students and it is notentirely possible to distinguish the role of theuniversity library in a psysical or a virtualenvironment.

The critical outcome of education is learning or competency development and the application of new knowledge, skills, and abilities in a variety of settings. This study identified and analyzed Texas A&M University students regarding interaction between learner and other learners, the instructor, the content, and the technology. In addition, satisfaction, quality, and learning are also examined. The population for this study is students at Texas A&M University. Inferences to other similar populations should be handled with caution as other organizations may differ greatly from this one. Data was collected using a web-formatted survey (see Appendix A) delivered to the learners using the Internet. An analysis of the data was then conducted as described below using SPSS 18. Potential participants were given the web address and entered their assigned number to confirm consent. Non-response was handled by sending reminders electronically at random intervals. It may be concluded from the data that the most import interactions are between the learner and the content and between the learners themselves. Despite significant single order correlation between enhancing interaction and learner to learner, learner to instructor, learner to content, and learner to technology our regression modeling shows the most effective way to predict learning and satisfaction is through student to content interaction. We see the most effective way to predict quality is through student to student interactions. We found no interaction effect between student to instructor interaction and increased learning, quality, or satisfaction. We found no interaction effect between student to technology interaction and increased learning, quality, and satisfaction. It is our recommendation that in order to achieve increased perceptions of satisfaction, quality, and learning, opportunities for interactions between the learner and the content should be provided. Utilizing and evaluating the technologies of online exercises, online instructional materials, online support materials, and interactive video is a great place to start. Instructors should consider evaluating these and other technologies to insure purposeful use of technologies and appropriateness.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / This study aimed at refining one of the most influential and well-known theories of distance education - the theory of transactional distance (TD). TD theory was developed by Michael G. Moore based on correspondence forms of distance education. The study researched a distance learning environment that had not been investigated in relation to TD - synchronous Web-extended classrooms. In this unique format, live on- campus classes are delivered simultaneously to both in-class students on campus and remote students on the Web who attend synchronously via virtual classroom Web collaboration software. The research involved N=235 students enrolled in 14 graduate business courses. ANOVA tests, correlation and regression analyses were deployed on the 46-item "Scale of TD for synchronous Web-extended learning environments" questionnaire. The study compared perceived TD for three attendance groups: always in-class, always online, and mixed. It found no difference in TD among them. The learning environment enabled by using Saba-Centra Web collaboration software combined with other technologies provided a comparable learning experience for all three learner groups. The findings confirmed that four dimensions of dialogue, student-student, student-instructor, student-content, and student-interface interactions are significant in students' perceived TD and their engagement with learning. Moreover, their significance levels varied for different attendance groups. This research confirms the need to refine TD theory to view dialogue as a multidimensional construct. Furthermore, student-instructor and student-student interactions were significant factors that affected TD in all three learner groups. This study analyzed student satisfaction. The study not only found no difference in satisfaction by attendance type, but also it found that TD is strongly related to student satisfaction: the lower the TD, the more satisfied the students are with the learning environment, including interactions with the instructor, fellow students, course content, and the interface. For all attendance groups, interaction with other students was the common factor that affected satisfaction. The study demonstrated that the level of TD also affects students' perceived learning: the lower the TD, the higher the students' perceived learning. Thus, the study suggests that instructors plan activities that include interpersonal interactions between themselves and students, and also among students in all attendance groups.

Esta tese aprofunda os estudos na área de formação de professores para educação básica na modalidade a distância, integrando a linha de pesquisa Ambientes Informatizados e Ensino a Distância do curso de Pós-graduação em Informática na Educaçao do CINTED/UFRGS. A Teoria da Distância Transacional estuda a distância pedagógica em ambiente virtual de aprendizagem. O objetivo é verificar como se comportam nos cursos os operadores conceituais que formam a base de compreensão deste estudo. São eles: o diálogo, a estrutura do curso e a autonomia do aluno. Estes três pilares sustentam a distância transacional para se investigar como se comportam nas disciplinas pedagógicas de cursos de licenciatura na modalidade a distância. Agrega-se a Teoria da Ação Dialógica que tem o potencial de aprofundar e enriquecer a abordagem sobre a Distância Transacional. Percorre-se brevemente o contexto histórico da Ead, os cursos de formação de professores no Brasil e o processo de escolarização da educação básica. A pesquisa é construída na triangulação analítica entre o conteúdo dos documentos referentes aos cursos e as disciplinas, o questionário assíncrono, o registro da observação no ambiente virtual de aprendizagem Netaula, o relatório de participação dos fóruns e os diálogos com a coordenação do curso de Pedagogia. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida em uma universidade particular de ensino superior da região Sul compreendendo em um estudo de caso O campo de pesquisa constitui-se de oito disciplinas pedagógicas, oferecidas do primeiro ao sétimo semestre, em sete cursos de licenciaturas, com destaque para o curso de Pedagogia, com todos os sujeitos envolvidos. Apresenta-se a voz dos agentes: alunos, os professores regentes e tutores virtuais a partir da análise dos questionários e dos fóruns das disciplinas. Os resultados mostram a relevância da aplicação da teoria da distância transacional na apreciação dos cursos de licenciatura na modalidade a distância para pensar o estreitamento da distância pedagógica nos cursos a distância. Isso implica no sentimento de pertencimento ao curso para os alunos, os professores regentes e os tutores virtuais. Destaca-se a relevância da estrutura do curso que mostra a interação mais expressiva do aluno com o conteúdo. E a importância do auto estudo e da autodisciplina para a consolidação da autonomia do aluno. / This thesis develop the studies in the area of teacher training for basic education in the distance modality, integrating the research line of Learning Management System and Distance Learning of post graduate course in informatics in education of CINTED/UFRGS. The theory of transactional distance investigate pedagogical distance in virtual learning environments. The main goal is to verify how conceptual operators make their own basis of comprehension for this study, which are: the dialogue, the structure of the course and the student autonomy. These tree pillars sustain the transactional distance to investigate how pedagogical disciplines of graduation courses behave in the distance modality. I added the dialogical action theory which has the potential to develop and enrich the approach of transactional theory. We analyze very briefly the history context of distance learning, the formation courses of professors in Brazil and the process of schooling of basic education. The research it`s built in the analytical triangulation between the content of the documents concerning the disciplines and the courses, the self-paced questionary, the observation register in the virtual learning environment Netaula, the report of the participation in the forums and the dialogues with the pedagogical course co-ordination. The research was developed in a private university of graduation teaching in the south region understanding a study of the case The rummage field it`s formed by eight pedagogical disciplines, offered from the first to the seventh semester in seven courses of graduation, and the most important for our research is the course of pedagogy with all the individuals involved. We present the voice of the agents: students, regent professors and virtual tutors starting from the review of the questionary and the discipline forums. The findings shows us relevance of the application of transactional distance theory for appreciation of graduation courses in distance modality, to analyze the decrease of pedagogical distance in the distance education courses. This implies in the feeling of belonging to the course for the students, the regent professors and the virtual tutors. The relevance of the structure of the course stands out, because it shows the most expressive interaction of the student with the content of the course. And the importance of self study and self discipline for the consolidation of the autonomy of the student.

abstract: The purpose of this action research study was to measure the transactional distance of computer science students who participated in an online virtual community after completing a college preparation program. Using data and results generated from previous cycles of research I developed and moderated an online virtual community designed to lessen transactional distance using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods research design. This study addressed the following research questions: 1. How and to what extent will participation in a virtual community influence the transactional distance between students and course content? 2. How and to what extent will participation in a virtual community influence the transactional distance between students and their instructors/teaching assistants? 3. How and to what extent will participation in a virtual community influence the transactional distance between students and other students in the same courses? The participants for this action research study included approximately 200 students enrolled in six online sections of an entry level computer programing course from various locations around the world. Also participating in the community were the online instructors who taught the course, teaching assistants, advisors, and the action researcher. Using the sociocultural, transactional distance, self-determination, and adult learning theories as a framework, the virtual community provided occasions for students and instructional team members to share experiences and support each other academically and socially. The community was designed to enable students to give and receive frequent feedback, increase autonomy and their sense of belonging, and provide additional opportunities for them to learn from each other. Through a descriptive analysis of the transactional distance survey results, I was able to determine that transactional distance between students and their teachers, and students the course content slightly increased, while the transactional distance between students and their classmates somewhat decreased. There was also an increase in average final grade and pass rate and a decrease in student withdrawal rate. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2018

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the relationship between autonomy, student-instructor dialogue, and student satisfaction within a web-based distance Russian language course. Forty six (46) students from two US higher education institutions participated in this study. Using an Exploratory Model with the elements of an Explanatory Model (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007), the qualitative and quantitative data were collected at the middle and at the end of the course to provide thorough investigation of the three variables, to reveal their interactions with each other, and to discover whether these variables and their relationship change over time. Qualitative data were used to explore the aforementioned constructs, and to enhance the instrument tested in the subsequent quantitative phase. An additional quantitative phase at the end of the course, and follow-up qualitative interviews were provided to discover the changes that occurred in the main variables and in their relationships throughout the course. Content analysis was utilized for the interviews, while reliability (Cronbach alpha) analysis, correlational analysis, t-test, and non-parametric Wilcoxon and sign test were used for the data analysis of the surveys. Findings revealed that autonomy, dialogue, and satisfaction have significant correlation at the beginning and the middle point of the course. All three variables grew throughout the course, however the relationships among them significantly decreased towards the end of the course. The conclusions include suggestions and implications for teachers, students, and course developers.

This multiple case study provides a description and explanation of what, why and how instructional strategies have the potential to promote learning-centered synchronous dialogue online, specifically in the synchronous web-based course system (SWBCS), Elluminate Live! This research was guided by the theory of transactional distance, specifically the dialogue component. Qualitative data collection techniques were employed, including, interviews, observations, researcher's reflective journal, surveys and Delphi. Three cases were examined, consisting of the instructor, their students and the synchronous sessions during the course. Data were analyzed iteratively to garner themes. Member checks were conducted to maintain an active corroboration on the interpretation of data between the researcher and those who provided the data. This study suggests that instructors can promote learning-centered dialogue in the SWBCS by: (a) building social presence, (b) facilitating discussions, (c) providing feedback, (d) assigning group work, (e) respecting diverse talents and perspectives, and (f) emphasizing time on task. The main tools used to implement these strategies in the SWBCS were the duplex audio (VOIP), direct messaging (text chat) and whiteboard. Unique aspects of promoting dialogue in the SWBCS are that it can allow for: (a) relief of communicative anxiety, (b) convenient, inexpensive invitation of guest speakers, (c) facilitation of multiple threads of discussion and (d) extended opportunities to offer office hours. The main tools used to implement these strategies in the SWBCS were the duplex audio (VOIP), direct messaging (text chat) and whiteboard. Two of the three instructors and a majority of the students whom were interviewed perceived the SWBCS effective for implementing instructional strategies that promote dialogue. Further research may examine a greater variety of content areas, more in depth questions of why particular instructional strategies are implemented using the SWBCS or the relationship between dialogue, structure and learner autonomy in the SWBCS.

The purpose of this study is to explore the viability of an international distance English-language program in the development of language and cultural proficiency. Students participated in tests at the beginning and at the end of the course to determine how well they developed both language and cultural proficiencies. The measures included (a) the computer-administered Oral Proficiency Interview (OPIc) from theAmerican Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), (b) ACTFL-aligned assessments of reading, listening, grammar, and vocabulary skills, and (c) the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS). In addition, course activities surveys provided additional information about student perceptions of course activities. Participants in this study came from various countries as they prepared to attend a U.S. university in Hawaii.The distance learning program fostered language proficiency through various learning activities, with an emphasis on synchronous dialogue over video chat technologies. In addition to English-language proficiency, the program sought to help students learn to effectively communicate with students from other cultures. Cross-cultural proficiency was fostered through cross-cultural dialogue with tutors, teachers, and other students. Students showed improvement in speaking, listening, vocabulary, and grammar. However, on average, students did not show an improvement in reading proficiency. Students reported that dialogue with tutors and teachers was among the most helpful activities in learning English. Students showed some improvement in cultural proficiency. However, this improvement was not universal across all measures of cultural proficiency. Students reported that certain activities—particularly dialogue with tutors and other students—as helpful in developing cross-cultural proficiencies.This study also investigated the relationship between language proficiency and cultural proficiency. Results were mixed. With a few exceptions, cultural proficiency did not predict a student’s language proficiency at the beginning of the course, during the course, or at the end of the course.

Online or web-based courses have become prolific in our educational environment over the past several years. The development of these courses can be guided by systematic design models to ensure quality instructional design. Transactional distance, the theory that claims the distance an online student feels is more of a pedagogical distance than a geographic one, consists of three factors: structure, dialogue, and learner autonomy. Accurate measurement of these three factors is needed in order to substantiate its claims and to best determine the delivery implications. This study produced an instrument that measures the structure component of the transactional distance theory as it pertains to the online environment. A total of 20 online courses were evaluated using the Structure Component Evaluation Tool (SCET). Experts in the field validated the instrument and reliability was determined by calculating Cronbachs alpha as well as examining inter-rater reliability. The SCET also excelled in a comparison to other instruments in the field in terms of its ability to produce rich, valid information about the structure of online courses.