Bridging Gaps in Open Distance e-Learning: Applying Moore’s Transactional Distance Theory to Support Early Childhood Care and Education Students

Abstract

Open distance e-learning (ODeL) provides students who hold multiple roles and are affected by barriers such as distance, cost, and time with an opportunity to pursue their studies; these students are called distance students. In ODeL, the separation between the teacher and students can lead to communication gaps, a psychological space of potential misunderstandings between the behaviours of teachers and those of the students, called transactional distance. This paper explored how the transactional distance theory is used to support early childhood care and education (ECCE) students in ODeL. The study was conducted in one private higher education institution (PHEI) that offers qualifications in ODeL in the Gauteng province, South Africa. Adopting the interpretivism paradigm, the study is grounded in Moore’s theory of transactional distance as a theoretical lens. A purposive sampling strategy was used to target ECCE lecturers in the PHEI. A qualitative methodology was employed, with semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection method. Interviews allowed for an in-depth exploration of the participants’ perspectives and experiences in terms of supporting students in the ODeL context. A multiple case study design was adopted to provide a holistic understanding of student support in the ODeL. Thematic analysis was used to make sense of the data collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that the participants applied Moore’s transactional distance theory by using the Canvas learning management system to initiate communication with students and by designing less structured courses to decrease the transactional distance.