Using Moore's Transactional Distance Theory to Examine Selected Online Co-Curricular Educational Opportunities in Student Affairs

The ubiquitous nature of digital and social media has had a tremendous impact on higher education. In essence, these new pedagogical media has required faculty members to learn new methodologies to deliver their course content—often through distance education approaches. Transactional Distance Theory, designed by distance research scholar Michael Moore, is the preferred framework for instructional design for distance education. Even though there are examples of student affairs educators teaching students online, there are limited references to distance learning theory as a foundation for the work they are doing. This study was designed to explore the ways in which two online orientation co-curricular educational opportunities (CCeOs) created for student affairs departments adhere to the tenets of Moore's Transactional Distance Theory. In addition, a secondary purpose was to identify tangible examples that could inform an operationalize definition of Moore's Transactional Distance Theory for application in student affairs online CCeO development and, ultimately, enhance learning efficacy for these online educational programs, which is the purpose of an instructional design theory. The theoretical framework for this study was Moore's Transactional Distance theory. Document analysis was used to assess and interpret materials from two online orientation programs. The findings of this investigation reveal the existence of two online CCeOs created by, or for, student affairs educators that adhere in significant, although limited, ways to a pedagogical theory traditionally used in online course design.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Higher Education

Department dc:contributor.department

Higher Education

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Krieger, Carl Thomas

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Janosik, Steven M.
• Robbins, Claire K.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Sparrow, Jennifer Lynn Vanderhorst
• Serna, Gabriel Ramon

• Distance Education
• Transactional Distance Theory
• Student Affairs
• Orientation
• Co-Curricular Educational Opportunity

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:13343

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/80474