Revisiting the Transactional Distance Theory: A qualitative Study of Two Web-based Distance Learning Courses at a Campus-based University

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the use of Moore’s Theory of Transactional Distance as a way of understanding the factors contributing to students’ learning experience. The paper presents an initial reflections based on a small-scale study of two post graduate level distance learning courses offered by a conventional university in the UK (University of Leicester). The objective of the research was to gain an in-depth insight into the characteristics of the three variables of distance education proposed by Moore (1972, 2013), namely ‘structure’, ‘dialogue’ and ‘autonomy’, and to identify associations are there among three variables.