There is a long history of study and recognition of the critical role of interaction in supporting and even defining distance education. Interaction has been identified as key to the success of distance learning. It is key in fostering, supporting and engaging in the learning process. posits that the physical distance that exists in e-learning courses between the teacher and the students may result in a psychological and communicational gap between them. Such a gap will often impede the ability of the teacher and his or her students to achieve the desired level of understanding among them. In the light of this, teachers and students participating in distance-learning courses will generally require -special‖ behavioral patterns, which are designed to overcome the communication gaps resulting from the transactional distance. This study examined three key distances experienced by students enrolled in distance learning courses as predictors of perceived learner satisfaction. Through a survey analysis, the study sought to answer 3 key questions -to what extent is Leaner-Leaner Transactional Distance (LLTD) predictive of students' perceived satisfaction (SPS) with a Distance Education (DE) course? Is Learner-Teacher Transactional Distance (LTTD) a predictor of students perceived satisfaction with the DE course? To what extent does Learner-Content Transactional Distance (LCTD) serve as a predictor of perceived learner satisfaction with a DE course? Subjects constituted of a random sample of 168 students enrolled for a Bachelor of education program in 2013 at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. A survey questionnaire measured the predictive constructs of the study namely, Learner-Learner Transactional Distance (LLTD), Learner-Teacher Transactional Distance (LTTD) and Learner-Content Transactional Distance (LCTD). Students' perceived satisfaction (SPS) was measured by use of a ten item Likert scale instrument. Results of the study indicated the three variables were key predictors of students' perceived satisfaction with DE courses.

Distance education (DE) has in the past few decades evolved into a complex and dynamic instructional approach that is feeding discussions that range from the quality of learning supported by this mode of delivery to the efficacy of the approach. One of the key discussions that has attracted interest and research in this approach of instructional delivery is the construct of quality and quality assurance in Distance education courses. Quality in distance education has largely and often been studied from national and institutional administrative and faculty stand points. Very few studies have analyzed quality in DE from the learners" perspectives. This study analyzed the construct of quality as perceived by the distance learner and the influence of this perception on the students" satisfaction with the DE course. In Particular, the analysis focused on identifying students perceptions of key variables that define the construct of quality from their perspective. A questionnaire, Students Perceived quality in DE questionnaire (SPQQ) constructed by the researcher was used as the key tool of data collection. Descriptive and correlational statistics were the main tools of analysis used. Results of the study clearly indicated that the theory predictor variables (SPQP, SPQI, SPQC, and SPQE ) were all positively correlated with perceived students satisfaction with the DE course. Learners particularly seemed to value fair and clear learning assessment guidelines and periodic students" evaluation of teaching and learning. The study points to the conclusion that institutions must pay attention to factors such as quality of pedagogy, learner support, technological and even physical infrastructure structure as a measure of meeting students" quality expectations. Keyword:Students" perceived quality, perceived students" satisfaction, quality of pedagogy, learner support, technological infrastructure IntroductionDistance education (DE) has in the past few decades evolved into a complex and dynamic instructional approach that is feeding discussions that range from the quality of learning supported by this mode of delivery to the efficacy of the approach to what influences how learning happens in this entity. One of the key discussions that have attracted interest and research in this approach of instructional delivery is the construct of quality and quality assurance in Distance education courses. As a concept, the construct of Quality is relative and evolving. In higher education, quality is a construct relative to the unique perspectives and interpretations of different stakeholder groups -students, alumni, faculty, administrators, parents, oversight boards, employers, state legislatures, local governing bodies, accrediting associations, transfer institutions, and the general public.Quality assurance has been defined as "systematic management and assessment procedures adopted by higher education institutions and systems in order to monitor performance against objectives, and to ensure achievement of quality outputs and qu...