Enhancing dialogue to reduce transactional distance: a case of using mobile mediated social media in a virtual group activity

Includes bibliographical references.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