Transactional Distance as a Predictor of Perceived Learner Satisfaction in Distance Learning Courses: A Case Study of Bachelor of Education Arts Program, University of Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

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.

Transactional Distance Dialogic Interactions and Student Satisfaction in a Multi-Institutional Blended Learning Environment

“…The former is an interesting recommendation given that Moore (1993) does not focus on the frequency of interaction but rather on the quality. Mbwesa (2014) found that learnerteacher transactional distance was experienced by most of the students in her study, and as a result, Mbwesa recommends increased opportunities and frequency of interaction between learners and teacher. One challenge that Mbwesa found facing teachers is that many of them are simply expected to begin teaching distance education courses without any training on how to effectively transfer courses to the digital environment and may therefore be unknowledgeable about how to compensate for the absence of face-to-face interaction.…”

“…While both of these studies approached dialogic interactions, they each sought to explore slightly different questions. Mbwesa (2014) studied 168 students studying in the online BA program at the University of Nairobi, Kenya to explore how predictive perceived transactional distance was of student satisfaction, and this research found that the perceived transactional distance of learner-learner, learner-instructor, and learnercontent interactions were predictive of overall student satisfaction. Ekwunife-Orakwue and Teng (2014) found that dialog impacted on student satisfaction but not on student grades.…”

“…Regardless of physical proximity, teachers are important for guiding and reinforcing student understanding, and this may be why researchers report that learner-teacher dialogic interaction is the most researched component of transactional distance (Mbwesa, 2014). Investigative focus on this dimension of transactional distance has led Ekwunife-Orakwue and Teng (2014) to state that there is consensus on the role of dialogue in transactional distance as measured via learnerteacher interaction in impacting on outcomes such as perceived learning and student satisfaction, an assertion that is supported by Lewis's (2011) finding that learner-teacher interaction was a significant predictor of student satisfaction as well as perceived learning.…”

“…Strachota's (2003) study found that learner-content was most important in influencing student satisfaction with learnerteacher interaction as second and learner-learner interaction as third. Analysis in this study also Ekwunife-Orakwue and Teng (2014) and Mbwesa (2014) explored learner-learner, learnerinstructor, and learner-content interactions. While both of these studies approached dialogic interactions, they each sought to explore slightly different questions.…”

“…The theoretical constituent of dialog can be broken down further into elements of learnerlearner, learner-teacher, and learner-content interaction (Moore, 1993; Ekwunife-Orakwue & Teng, 2014; Kassandrinou et al, 2014;Mbwesa, 2014). Although Moore (1993) did not mention it, other researchers have conceptualized a broadening of the dialogic scope to encompass elements of learner-technology interaction (Strachota, 2003;Ekwunife-Orakwue & Teng, 2014).…”