ABSTRACT
Over 40 years ago, the theory of transactional distance was proposed as offering a pedagogical—as contrasted to merely technological—understanding of all forms of education in which there is separation of learners and teachers. Two broad dimensions, i.e., “dialogue” between teachers and learners and the “structure” of units of instruction, provide an heuristic device that allows for articulating and manipulating the widest range of teaching variables. A third dimension, the extent of the learner’s participation in the instructional process, labeled as the learner’s “autonomy,” provides a further basis for researching the effects of teaching techniques, media and other resources on learners with varying capacities. This chapter builds upon previous chapters regarding transactional distance and reports on recent research based on the theory and developments in the field.
