{"id":2984,"date":"2014-09-16T10:26:43","date_gmt":"2014-09-16T14:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grace-ed.org\/blog\/?p=2984"},"modified":"2014-09-16T10:39:04","modified_gmt":"2014-09-16T14:39:04","slug":"overcoming-transactional-distance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/grace-ed.org\/blog\/archives\/2984","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming “transactional distance”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"distance\"<\/a>
\nThere’s a term for the anxiety many novice instructors feel about the online teaching-learning environment. It’s called “transactional distance.” This relates to the dissonance of feeling “distant” or disconnected from one’s students when one is used to only teaching face-to-face.<\/p>\n

Tisha Bender, in Discussion-Based Online Teaching To Enhance student Learning<\/em> (Stylus, 2013), identifies the pedagogical components that can mitigate the discomfort of transactional distance (something that potentially affects both teacher and student online). What is interesting to note is that they are the same things that are applicable in the classroom learning environment:
\n
\nFor the student:<\/strong>
\nExperiencing a sense of belonging
\nHaving a safe place where they can risk learning
\nThe opportunity to learn from others
\nFeeling self-motivated to learn
\nUnderstanding the social environment of the learning context<\/p>\n

For the instructor:<\/strong>
\nPracticing hospitality in the learning environment
\nProviding a place where respect and affirmation or other’s opinion is affirmed
\nProviding for collaborative learning
\nCreating the conditions for learning (interest, curiosity, challenge, and meeting student needs)
\nUnderstanding and managing the social environment of the learning context (classroom or online)<\/p>\n

All that to say, one way to overcome anxiety about transactional distance is to remember:<\/p>\n