{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/13050"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/13050","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Enhancing dialogue to reduce transactional distance: a case of using mobile mediated social media in a virtual group activity","abstract":"Transactional distance (TD) theory argues that psychological and communications barriers have the potential of creating misunderstandings in any formation of learning contexts. Distance education is seen as providing both opportunities and challenges. The distance programme being studied has experienced high deferment rates. However, the lack of communication infrastructural challenges and specifically lack of interaction is one major challenge hindering reduction of TD for remotely dispersed distance learners. It has become evident that WhatsApp popularity has risen; one unique feature is its affordance to enhance communication within a group. Hence, WhatsApp group was used to enhance interactions, as well as nurturing social engagement that creates dialogue and sharing amongst a virtual group. This study was aimed at enhancing dialogue as a potential of reducing TD amongst distance students for purposes of improving their study experiences. This study set out to explore how Salmon's (2000) 5-stage Model could be used as one way of implementing a mobile-mediated WhatsApp group activity as an opportunity to reduce TD. Six pre-service teachers participated in the WhatsApp mediated group activity virtually to try and find out how implementing a WhatsApp group activity could enhance dialogue consequently reduce TD.","abstract_html":"Transactional distance (TD) theory argues that psychological and communications barriers have the potential of creating misunderstandings in any formation of learning contexts. Distance education is seen as providing both opportunities and challenges. The distance programme being studied has experienced high deferment rates. However, the lack of communication infrastructural challenges and specifically lack of interaction is one major challenge hindering reduction of TD for remotely dispersed distance learners. It has become evident that WhatsApp popularity has risen; one unique feature is its affordance to enhance communication within a group. Hence, WhatsApp group was used to enhance interactions, as well as nurturing social engagement that creates dialogue and sharing amongst a virtual group. This study was aimed at enhancing dialogue as a potential of reducing TD amongst distance students for purposes of improving their study experiences. This study set out to explore how Salmon's (2000) 5-stage Model could be used as one way of implementing a mobile-mediated WhatsApp group activity as an opportunity to reduce TD. Six pre-service teachers participated in the WhatsApp mediated group activity virtually to try and find out how implementing a WhatsApp group activity could enhance dialogue consequently reduce TD.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Tunjera, Nyarai"],"institution":"School of Education","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Ng'ambi, Dick"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014","date_published":"2014","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:10Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13050","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Ng'ambi, Dick"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Tunjera, Nyarai"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-06-01T14:13:44Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-06-01T14:13:44Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2014"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["School of Education"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MPhil"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13050"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Includes bibliographical references."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Transactional distance (TD) theory argues that psychological and communications barriers have the potential of creating misunderstandings in any formation of learning contexts. Distance education is seen as providing both opportunities and challenges. The distance programme being studied has experienced high deferment rates. However, the lack of communication infrastructural challenges and specifically lack of interaction is one major challenge hindering reduction of TD for remotely dispersed distance learners. It has become evident that WhatsApp popularity has risen; one unique feature is its affordance to enhance communication within a group. Hence, WhatsApp group was used to enhance interactions, as well as nurturing social engagement that creates dialogue and sharing amongst a virtual group. This study was aimed at enhancing dialogue as a potential of reducing TD amongst distance students for purposes of improving their study experiences. This study set out to explore how Salmon's (2000) 5-stage Model could be used as one way of implementing a mobile-mediated WhatsApp group activity as an opportunity to reduce TD. Six pre-service teachers participated in the WhatsApp mediated group activity virtually to try and find out how implementing a WhatsApp group activity could enhance dialogue consequently reduce TD."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Enhancing dialogue to reduce transactional distance: a case of using mobile mediated social media in a virtual group activity"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Ng'ambi, Dick"],"dc:creator":["Tunjera, Nyarai"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-06-01T14:13:44Z"],"dc:date.available":["2015-06-01T14:13:44Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2014"],"dc:description":["Includes bibliographical references."],"dc:description.abstract":["Transactional distance (TD) theory argues that psychological and communications barriers have the potential of creating misunderstandings in any formation of learning contexts. Distance education is seen as providing both opportunities and challenges. The distance programme being studied has experienced high deferment rates. However, the lack of communication infrastructural challenges and specifically lack of interaction is one major challenge hindering reduction of TD for remotely dispersed distance learners. It has become evident that WhatsApp popularity has risen; one unique feature is its affordance to enhance communication within a group. Hence, WhatsApp group was used to enhance interactions, as well as nurturing social engagement that creates dialogue and sharing amongst a virtual group. This study was aimed at enhancing dialogue as a potential of reducing TD amongst distance students for purposes of improving their study experiences. This study set out to explore how Salmon's (2000) 5-stage Model could be used as one way of implementing a mobile-mediated WhatsApp group activity as an opportunity to reduce TD. Six pre-service teachers participated in the WhatsApp mediated group activity virtually to try and find out how implementing a WhatsApp group activity could enhance dialogue consequently reduce TD."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13050"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["School of Education"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Enhancing dialogue to reduce transactional distance: a case of using mobile mediated social media in a virtual group activity"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MPhil"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:10Z"}