EDU 540 week 7 discussion

 

Think about a time when you participated in an online group project or activity that made you feel closer to your instructor or classmates. What was it about that experience that reduced the feeling of distance?

That perceived psychological and communication gap that separates learners and instructors is called Transactional Distance. As an educator, one of your goals is to reduce Transactional Distance by creating a learning environment that promotes engagement and interaction among students, and between students and course content.

In his article, "From Transactional to Transformational TeachingLinks to an external site.," Steven Mintz shares some steps towards this goal.
Please share your ideas for reducing Transactional Distance in the course you are designing. Consider the following when writing your post:

• Strategies that can be used to establish a strong instructor presence in your course
• Ways to foster a sense of community and collaboration among your students
• Tools and techniques that can be used to facilitate communication and interaction in your course, to move beyond just sharing space and information to shared growth and authentic learning
• Opportunities for active learning and engagement, rather than passive consumption of content