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Transactional Distance among Open University Students: How Does it Affect the Learning Process?
Amanda Kassandrinou, Christina Angelaki [firstname.lastname@example.com], Ilias Mavroidis [email@example.com], Hellenic Open University, School of Humanities [www.eap.gr], Patras, Greece
This study examines the presence of transactional distance among students, the factors affecting it, as well as the way it influences the learning process of students in a blended distance learning setting in Greece. The present study involved 12 postgraduate students of the Hellenic Open University (HOU). A qualitative research was conducted, using information collected via individual semi-structured interviews. Content analysis of the gathered information provided evidence regarding the existence of student-student transactional distance for several reasons, such as geographical and relatively limited face to face interaction. The role of the tutor as well as of the course provider were also examined in this respect. Finally the study indicated that the existence of perceived transactional distance among the students has a negative effect on their learning process.
Keywords: student-student transactional distance, blended course, distance learning, communication, interaction.
According to Garrison (2000), within the past few years research on distance education has focused on transactional issues having to do with teaching and learning. This shift from structural to transactional issues observed at the beginning of the 21st century introduces the post industrial model of distance education which focuses on constructs of interaction and communication. The identification of these constructs can provide us with useful information regarding the design of courses which meet better the learners' needs and foster the learning process. The wider range of theoretical notions has contributed into a deeper understanding of learners' needs. Transactional distance is one of these types of constructs (Chen, 2001a). Moore (1997) defines transactional distance as the psychological and communication space between the learners and the tutor due to geographical separation. The special teaching procedures required due to this separation fall into three clusters named Dialogue (communication between tutor and learners) Structure (elements of course design) and Learner Autonomy (control of students on their learning). At the same time he identified three forms of transactional distance, namely learner-tutor, learner-learner and learner-content interaction.
The expanded use of new ICT tools facilitates dialogue, communication, interaction and cooperation for participants in distance learning courses, generating thus an increased research interest regarding collaborative learning environments (Schellens & Vackle, 2006). As a consequence, geographical distance should no longer be considered as a barrier. What is really important is gaining a deeper understanding of the communication and psychological gap among participants in distance learning courses as this may also be the key to successful teaching and learning results (Dabbagh, 2004). Perception of distance has a great impact on students of distance learning courses and it is tightly related to the fact that a great number of distance learners do not manage to complete their course (Simpson, 2003). Lack of dialogue may increase perceptual distance which could be linked with poor retention rates (Dron et al., 2004).
Most of the research conducted on transactional distance has focused on a particular dimension of transactional distance, namely the transactional distance that learners experience when separated from their tutor. The HOU, officially established through Greek Law 2552/1997, is a relatively new public educational institution and the only University offering exclusively distance education courses in Greece. In the framework of HOU, research issues – related to open and distance learning (ODL) – which have been considered important, include mainly quality and effectiveness of the offered distance learning courses, the use of ICT, the tutor's role as well as tutor-learner communication and interaction (Giossos et al., 2008).
Taking into consideration the importance of transactional distance in the context of distance education (Moore,1997; Garrison, 2000; Jung, 2001; Gunawardena & McIsaac, 2004; Giossos et al., 2009) and the relatively few studies examining learner-learner interaction in this respect, the present study seeks to explore in qualitative terms, through a case study at the HOU, if distance learners experience transactional distance when separated from their fellow students and if this has an effect on their learning process and motivation.
Theoretical framework
Moore borrowed the notion of transactional distance from Dewey and Bentley (1949), who originally identified it as an element of the learning process, in order to form the "theory of transactional distance". Moore's theory of transactional distance describes transactional distance as communication gap and psychological space of potential misunderstanding between the behaviours of both tutors and learners due to their separation (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). This notion is further refined by Giossos et al. (2009) in a review of the contemporary relevance of Moore's theory of transactional distance. More specifically, they stated that the particularities of space and time which pertain to tutor and learner characterising distance learning, create particular behavioural models for both of them, and increase the communication and psychological space between them as well as insufficient understanding of each other.
According to Moore (1997) this particular communication and psychological space between teachers and learners defined as transactional distance, is a function of the interplay among three variables: Dialogue, Structure and Learner Autonomy. Dialogue refers to the communication between instructor and learner and it is taken further than a simple two-way communication taking into consideration all kinds of interaction aiming at solving the learners' problems (Giossos et al., 2009). Moore (1997) does not focus on the frequency of interaction but on its quality as well as on the extent to which it enables distance learners to resolve the learning problems they may be experiencing.
Moore (1997) describes structure as the level of the course's rigidity and flexibility. More specifically structure refers to elements related to the course design, objectives, assignments, activities, the nature of the course assessment as well as to the extent to which the course meets individual learners' needs. The third factor, learner autonomy, is contingent upon dialogue and structure. It is a characteristic of learners who are able to exert control on their learning and manage it in a self-reliant manner. It can be affected by the dialogue and the course's level of rigidity and flexibility as well as by the extent to which learners are able to control the learning process (Giossos et al., 2009). Garrison (2000) noted that learner autonomy cannot be easily explained, as it may be related to personal autonomy of the learner or autonomy linked with the learning materials themselves. Finally, Kanuka et al. (2002) noted that both high and low levels of transactional distance may be accepted depending on the individual characteristics of each learner and his/her autonomy level.
Moore's transactional distance theory suggests the existence of an inverse relationship among these three variables (Gunawardena & McIsaac, 2004). For instance, a course with rigid and inflexible structure can decrease the sense of learner autonomy as well as the quality of the dialogue between instructor and distance learners. Consequently the learners' sense of transactional distance increases. Yet, Moore (1997) adds that when structure drops below a particular threshold, even though he does not specify it, students' sense of transactional distance can significantly increase as they may feel confused and dissatisfied.
According to Moore and Kearsley (1996) successful teaching in distance learning environments relies on the extent to which tutor and institution can provide appropriate levels of structure as well as appropriate frequency and quality of tutor-student dialogue taking into consideration learner's autonomy. The tutor is the one to determine what is appropriate and it varies according to students' characteristics, level of instruction and content (Moore, 1997). Thereby, development of well-structured support materials and increase of quality dialogue may reduce transactional distance depending on individual learners' needs.
As noted in the introduction, Moore (1997) identified three forms of transactional distance: a) learner-tutor interaction b) learner-learner interaction and c) learner-content interaction. Yet, defining dialogue as interaction between tutor and learner distinguishes it from the other forms. He used dialogue rather than interaction in order to hypothesise the inverse relationship with structure in relation to transactional distance. Another form of interaction, learner–interface interaction, was added by Hillman, Willis and Gunawardena (1994) to the already identified forms of interaction aiming at accommodating the features of electronic teaching.
Several studies (e.g. Bischoff, 1993; Saba & Shearer, 1994; Bischoff et al., 1996; Chen & Willits, 1998; Chen, 2001a; Chen, 2001b; Zhang, 2003; Force, 2004) have been carried out in order to determine the empirical status of Moore's transactional distance theory. Although their results do not unanimously converge, they all confirm its importance and usefulness as a framework within which distance learning practice should be analysed.
Bischoff (1993) and Bischoff et al. (1996) verified the presence of structure, dialogue and transactional distance, carrying out a study exploring 221 postgraduate students' perceptions of transactional distance, dialogue and structure in distance courses delivered via interactive television. Having developed a rating scale for measuring these three notions they noted several important elements about the way in which a valid rating scale about transactional distance should be developed and validated (Zhang, 2003).
The concept of transactional distance was taken a step further by Saba and Shearer (1994) who proposed a system dynamics to examine the relationship between structure and dialogue in relation to transactional distance. They observed the existence of an inverse relation among dialogue, structure and transactional distance. They also noted that the more dialogue and learner control increase in a videoconferencing environment, the more structure decreases and subsequently the more the transactional distance reduces.
Chen and Willits, (1998) examined dialogue as in-class discussion in a videoconferencing environment and noted that dialogue contributes directly to learning outcomes and reduction of tutor-student transactional distance, while transactional distance is inversely associated with learning outcomes. Chen (2001a, 2001b) examined the effects of tutor-learner interaction, learner-learner interaction, learner-content interaction and learner-interface interaction on Web based learning environments. Chen approached transactional distance as an experiential situation and referred not to transactional distance but to perceived transactional distance.
Zhang (2003) suggested that students' perception of transactional distance and their engagement with learning were mainly not affected by transactional distance between students and teacher but from perceived student-student transactional distance. After having carried out a research involving students of online courses from Nepal and Iceland Lemone (2005) concluded that transactional issues are significantly affected by cultural influences. Dron, Seidel and Litten (2004) examining transactional distance in a blended learning course illustrated the inverse relationship that exists between structure and dialogue in such a learning environment.
Gokool-Ramdoo (2008) suggested relating transactional theory with the analysis model of student persistence of Deschenes (1996) which includes three axes of elements for exploring student persistence: a) cognitive, b) meta-cognitive and c) affective. Her approach extends Moore's theory beyond the field of pedagogy as issues such as student persistence are related not only to pedagogical aspects of distance education but also to administrative and organisational ones.
Force (2004) conducted a quantitative research on perceived transactional distance, autonomy, structure and dialogue with students of courses based on asynchronous computer mediated communication environments. The results of the factor analysis used to process the gathered data about autonomy did not confirm Moore's theory.
Dron (2006, 2007a, 2007b) introduced some new ideas in relation to transactional distance and e-learning as he analysed structure and dialogue in terms of transactional control. He concluded that transactional control is linked with both the teachers and learners' choices. He also explored control issues related to using social software, including the possibility for structure to arise as dialogue's result.
Research questions
Data collection for the current study was guided by the following four research questions:
- Do students experience any transactional distance between themselves and their fellow students and in which way do they perceive student-student transactional distance?
- Which factors lead students to experience transactional distance with their peers?
- Does perceiving transactional distance with other students affect the learning process?
- In which way do students believe that learner-learner transactional distance can be reduced so that it does not inhibit the learning process?
Context of Hellenic Open University
Offering exclusively distance education courses to students throughout Greece and abroad since 1998, the HOU consists of four separate Schools, namely Humanities, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, and Applied Arts. It currently offers 6 undergraduate and 27 postgraduate courses, accommodating approximately 31,000 students with an approximately 1/20 tutor to student ratio. All HOU courses are offered in Greek and are addressed to Greek adult students as well as to foreign ones, provided that they master the Greek language at an advanced level. Undergraduate students are awarded a degree upon successful completion of twelve course modules whereas postgraduate students are awarded a Master's degree upon successful completion of four course modules and a dissertation. There is also possibility for PhD degrees.
Throughout the 10-month academic year HOU students must hand in three to six written assignments for each course module they have enrolled in. Furthermore, they must sit exams successfully at the end of each course module in order to successfully complete it. Each course module includes five face-to-face Counselling Group Sessions (CGS) which take place in nine cities all over the country for undergraduate courses and in three cities for postgraduate ones. In this sense, it can be considered as a blended learning method. Students are not obliged to participate in these CGS. It is up to students to plan their own study during each course module, i.e. studying the course material, working on the proposed course activities, and handing in the written assignments in time while they are continuously supported by the academic staff.
Tutor-student communication and interaction within the time span between CGS is mainly held via e-mail and telephone. Additionally, there is a web-based instructional environment / portal (http://online.eap.gr) wherein each course has its own website and whose use and capabilities are gradually increasing. Course websites simplify organizational procedures and enrich students' learning opportunities and experiences while providing possibility for asynchronous interaction both between tutor and students and among students as well.
Survey tool
This study aimed at exploring in qualitative terms a relatively new area of research looking for new insights regarding perceived transactional distance among students. Qualitative research focuses on understanding specific situations as well as communicating that understanding through description (Bradley, 1993). This description consists of what the participants stated even though there is a selection and interpretation of their words. The unavoidable distortion that lies in this selection and interpretation of the participants' words is countered by the tapescripts and the fact that they were invited to have access to the outcome of the study if they wished to do so.
A deductive approach to data collection was followed. Semi-structured interviews consisting of open-ended questions was the main technique used for collecting data. According to the purposes of the study the questions of the interviews were based on six themes which orientated the study and contributed to the analysis of the results and to the deduction of conclusions. The themes were the following:
- demographic features,
- students' perception of transactional distance,
- frequency of communication and interaction,
- factors that contribute to the increase of transactional distance,
- the impact of this increase on the learning process and,
- ways in which transactional distance can be reduced.
Twelve participants were interviewed in total: ten in person and two by phone. The interviews were approximately 20 minutes in length and were held in June 2012. The interview participants were informed about the purposes of the research before the interview. The researcher assured their anonymity. Participation was voluntary. The transcriptions of the interviews and the notes of the interviewer were analyzed with a view to identify the students' perception of transactional distance and its impact on the learning process, in response to the research questions set above.
Taking into consideration the purposes of the study a convenient sample of 5 HOU postgraduate students was initially selected. According to Cohen et al. (2007) convenient sampling involves subjects that are close to the researcher. The researcher simply chooses subjects that meet the requirements of the study's purposes and to whom he or she has easy access. In this case the researcher does not aim at generalizing the conclusions of the study (Cohen et al., 2007). The rest of the students were selected using the technique of avalanche sampling as they where chosen among students who were proposed to the researcher by the first five students who accepted to take part in the research. According to Cohen et al. (2007), in avalanche sampling the researcher tracks a proper group of subjects who subsequently work as "informants" helping the researcher to track new proper subjects. Following this approach, in this study 12 students, who met the requirements, were selected. The requirements were that they were adults, they all had obtained a degree attending conventional university courses and they were HOU postgraduate students having experience in distance learning. As far as the number of the interviewees is concerned, Terre Blanche et al. (2006) consider that this amount of responses is adequate if relatively brief, semi-structured interviews are held by a researcher on issues related to attitude and perception.
Data analysis
The data collected for this qualitative study were analysed using the technique of content analysis, a technique often used in analysing data collected in terms of a qualitative research. Using this particular technique researchers aim at describing, listing and composing the information collected from the subjects (Bird et al., 1999). Data were derived from analyzing the tapescripts and the notes taken, plus the notes based on the observation of the participants during the face-to-face interviews. The content analysis of the interviews was based on the six themes set out during the description of the survey tool, which were also used for categorizing the open ended questions addressed to the subjects. These themes were tightly related to the four research questions of the study.
Findings and discussion
The results below indicate a selection of the most relevant sections of the responses, as quotes and/or summaries of the participants responses paraphrased by the researcher, were organised and coded within each of the six themes tightly related to the four research questions of the present study. Due to the volume of the responses, it was not possible for all of them to be recorded.
More specifically, themes 2 and 3 are related to the first research question about students' perception of transactional distance with their peers and the way it is perceived, while theme 4 is related to the second research question about factors contributing to the presence of transactional distance among students. Theme 5 is linked with the third research question about the effect of transactional distance on students' learning process and finally theme 6 is linked with the fourth research question about the ways they believe transactional distance with their fellow students can be reduced. Theme 1, demographic features, is mainly related to the first question, but is also examined in relation to all research questions.
Theme 1: Demographic
Female interview participants outnumbered male participants (7 woman vs. 5 men). Everybody was aged between 30 and 45 years old. They were students of three out of the four Schools of HOU. They were attending or had recently attended 8 out of 27 postgraduate courses offered by HOU. More specifically, four students attended three different courses of the School of Human Studies, three students attended two different courses of the School of Social Sciences and five students attended three different courses of the School of Science and Technology.
According to Giossos (2009) transactional distance is an experiential situation that is perceived by students. Therefore this transactional distance is perceived in different ways by each student depending on his/her cultural and educational background. The fact that all the participants had almost the same cultural background, i.e. being Greek students who came mainly from parts of Northern Greece as well as being postgraduate students having obtained a degree from a conventional undergraduate course permitted the hypothesis that transactional distance was perceived by them in a similar way.
Theme 2: Perception of student-student transactional distance
Perception of transactional distance
Responses to the questions about presence of transactional distance between each participant and his/her fellow students, the degree to which they perceive it and what kind of distance they perceive it is, showed that the great majority of the interviewees (n=11) perceived the existence of transactional distance between them and their peers. More specifically they stated that there was good contact only with few students while there was little or no communication at all with the rest.
"[transactional distance]…yes, there is, apart from very few students that we keep in touch mainly for cooperating and not for socialising..."
Trying to quantify the existence of transactional distance between them and their fellow students, five of the respondents talked about fellow students with whom they had no contact at all or they had little contact. The rest responded that they experienced much transactional distance with their peers considering the absence from CGS as a main reason for this. Three participants commented on the degree to which they perceive transactional distance.
"…Little [transactional distance] with some of them but too much with most of them. Only 5 CGS are held. I was usually absent or some of my fellow students were. So I had never met many of them… I met some of them for the very first time during the final exams."
".. Very little [transactional distance], with the ones I am in frequent contact and much [transactional distance] with the ones I have no contact at all."
"…too much [transactional distance], as I had little contact with very few of my fellow students due to my frequent absence from the CGS."
Face-to-face communication is still considered essential by students in the framework of their distance learning course (Loizidou-Hatzitheodoulou et al., 2001; Wilson & Whitelock, 1998) while human contact is one of the main concerns of students and tutors who are experienced in conventional educational programmes and participate in distance learning courses (Parrott, 1995).
Ten students also commented that they perceived transactional distance as geographical noting that if they lived closer to each other, they would probably have been more in contact with their fellow students. This suggests that geographical distance is still an important descriptor within transactional distance concept. Furthermore, students perceived this distance as communication and interaction gap (n=6) as well as psychological space (n=2) between them and their peers, which is in agreement with the core notion of the transactional distance theory (Moore & Kearsley, 1996). Finally two students perceived it as a gap of co-understanding whereas two others as awareness gap.
Theme 3: Frequency of communicating and interacting
Most of the respondents (n=7) hesitated to contact their peers or considered unnecessary to take the first step to communicate and interact with the other students, mainly during the CGS. This is in accordance with other studies on student-student communication and interaction in the framework of HOU courses (Angelaki & Mavroidis, 2013; Tzoutza, 2010; Loizidou-Hatzitheodoulou et al., 2001). Yet, the rest of the respondents claimed that they take initiative for starting dialogue with their fellow students both during and between the CGS. All of them stated that between the CGS, they kept in touch with maximum two of their fellow students whereas they interact with many more during the CGS. Conrad (2005) considers course design as a main factor for encouraging student-student communication and interaction. A carefully designed course should include venues for chat, for asynchronous interaction as well as group functions and lounges for social activities boosting communication and fostering a sense of community among learners. Tzoutza (2010) in a research examining HOU students' perception of CGS stresses the importance of promoting student-student communication not only during face-to-face meetings but between them as well. Restricted student–student communication and interaction as well as hesitance to contact their peers can also be attributed to the low perceived value that students attribute to communication with their peers (Loizidou-Hatzitheodoulou et al., 2001) or to each student's temperament (Tait, 2003). A participant attributing contact with peers to her sociable and friendly character commented:
"… yes I do [take initiative to communicate with peers] because this is the way I usually act. When I like somebody I am usually the first to take initiative to approach them…"
While another one stated:
"…not much, I don't usually take the first step for communication. Between CGS I contact them only if I feel comfortable with somebody during the CGS first..."
Face-to-face meetings are also considered as a significant starting point for student–student interaction, a fact that is consistent with Conrad's (2005) study on blended courses considering face-to-face interaction as a benchmark of communication among learners.
Students showed their preference for contacting their peers mainly by phone, valuing its immediacy, and secondly by e-mail. Very few had the opportunity of meeting face-to-face between the CGS. This is in accordance with other studies (Angelaki & Mavroidis, 2013; Tzoutza, 2010; Anastasiades & Iliadou, 2010; Loizidou-Hatzitheodoulou et al., 2001) where distance learning students commented on the means of communication that they prefer to use for contacting their peers in case they have questions related to the course material or the assignments. More specifically, some participants stated:
"[keep in contact]… by phone or e-mail with two [fellow students], mainly between the CGS discussing only about the assignments…"
"We keep in touch between the CGS by phone and sometimes we meet each other or occasionally by mail about the written assignments…"
"…we usually talk about the assignments, questions having to do with the chapters we have to study, the tutor who has delayed sending comments on our assignments or something similar…by phone or e-mail…"
Regarding the way of communicating with their peers that made them feel closer to their fellow students they kept in touch with, most of them stated that they mainly preferred to communicate by phone (n=7). Communicating by phone is an easy and convenient way of communication offering immediacy and prompt answers to queries (Sarakatsanou, 2007; Loizidou-Hatzitheodoulou et al., 2001; Wilson & Whitelock, 1998). There were five students that referred to face-to-face communication and there were only two references to e-mail, proving the impersonal aspect of this means of asynchronous computer mediated communication. E-mail is mainly used for sending documents and not for discussing in order to find answers for their queries related to the assignments. Some participants commented:
"…by phone of course…I want to listen to the other's voice…"
"…by phone and then face-to-face… but mainly by phone…"
"Face-to-face, I prefer it. Actually, it's my favourite one… secondly by phone…"
"Face-to-face is better but due to distance I prefer the telephone as it is a quality means of communication, too. Seldom by mail, only in case I have to send or receive some documents."
Overall, though students mainly preferred telephone as a means of contacting their peers and discussing issues in relation to their studies, they also stressed the fact that face-to-face interaction is ideal for interacting but it is difficult because of their overcharged schedule due to familial, professional and social responsibilities as adults, not to mention the geographical distance.
The reasons for which the participants sought to contact their fellow students were mainly issues related to the written assignments, the CGS and the tutors. In addition, they talked about problems related to their jobs especially students who were colleagues. Students who felt closer to each other also contacted their peers to discuss some personal problems. Finally they communicated with their fellow students when they looked for emotional support, mainly about problems having to do with their studies. Interaction with peers satisfied all of the participants. They felt pleased and satisfied because discussing with their fellow students encouraged and supported them emotionally as they shared their stress and frustration about studying and meeting the course requirements. In addition, they often found answers to questions having to do with the course material and the written assignments, a fact that increased their satisfaction. Some participants stated:
"… without their help and support, I would have dropped out…"
"…[contacting fellow students] it helped me, as I shared my stress and I noticed that I wasn't the only one with similar queries…so I felt a bit better…"
"…Yes, I am [satisfied]. Most of the times discussing something about questions [related to assignments] led to solutions…"
These findings are in consistence with the notion that student-student communication is a really significant and helpful factor contributing to the emotional well being of students in distance learning courses (Conrad, 2005; Tzoutza, 2010; Angelaki & Mavroidis, 2013).
Theme 4: Factors increasing transactional distance among students
Reasons for development of transactional distance among students
Trying to track the reasons that make students' perception of transactional distance increase, the findings showed that students considered geographical distance (n=7) and the small number of CGS (n=5) as well as the fact that their attendance was not compulsory (n=2) as major factors leading students to perceive an increased level of transactional distance between them and their fellow students. Furthermore, overcharged schedules – and consequently lack of spare time – is another barrier for students, impeding the development of student-student dialogue and increasing transactional distance among them. Some participants commented characteristically:
" … [Geographical] distance and the fact that presence at the CGS is not compulsory mean that many students are not present at the CGS. So, we can't meet and get to know each other better…"
"… Geographical distance is large. We come from different parts of Greece and we meet our peers once every two months when the CGS are held and it's only for 4 hours…"
"… mainly [geographical] distance and lack of free time..."
"…the responsibilities that each one of us has… working… family… very limited free time. The fact that we live far away…"
Students of distance learning courses in higher education are adult learners usually overwhelmed by professional social and family responsibilities depriving them of free time and often having a negative effect on their studies (Μüller, 2008; Liu et al., 2004; Moss, 2004). Lack of free time seems to be associated both with the lack of communication between the CGS and with the frequency of presence at them, therefore increasing the feeling of distance between students and their peers. In addition, the fact that all students had obtained their undergraduate degree attending conventional university courses could justify their tendency to consider geographical distance as a main factor of increasing transactional distance.
Different backgrounds and lack of common interests were two reasons reported by one student. Another one also referred to the restricted development of the web based instructional environment / portal of the distance learning provider (HOU), providing restricted opportunities for asynchronous and – especially – synchronous CMC and therefore discouraging learner-learner communication and interaction leading to increased perception of transactional distance. According to Dron et al. (2004) and Stein et al. (2005) who studied transactional distance issues in blended learning environments, opportunities for learner–learner interaction should be part of course design cultivating and nurturing a collaborative online community, where transactional distance shrinks making geographical distance less relevant.
The reserved personality of some students was referred as a factor impeding communication and interaction among peers by one of the students. This is in accordance with other studies which consider that some students' introversion is an inhibiting factor regarding development of dialogue among students (Tait, 2003; Saenz, 2002; Angelaki & Mavroidis, 2013). Additionally a great number of the participants claimed that tutor's lack of interest in encouraging communication, interaction, cooperation and a sense of community among learners was a significant factor for increasing perception of transactional distance between them and their fellow students (n=7). A participant observed:
" … Not all of them [tutors], unfortunately very few did it [encourage communication among students] by electronically forwarding the list with the students' emails and phone numbers to each student of the group, by setting group activities during the CGS in order to encourage interaction. That was really helpful as it made us feel closer to our fellow students. It considerably helped us as compared to other tutors whose course planning didn't involve such activities…"
The important role of the tutor in encouraging quality communication and interaction among students of distance learning courses is stressed by several researchers (Conrad, 2005; Stein et al., 2005; Tzoutza, 2010; Pavlakis & Kaitelidou, 2012; Angelaki & Mavroidis, 2013). Moreover Anderson and Dron (2011) noted that in a course in which the ideal of low transactional distance is set as a goal, the tutor should assume a facilitative role as far as issues of dialogue and communication are concerned. Finally, Farquhar (2013) seeing the amount and quality not only of tutor-student dialogue but learner-learner dialogue as well, metaphorically calls the instructor a "traffic cop" who ideally ensures that each learner who enters the flow would feel safe to progress cooperating with other students, would share the road and stop long enough allowing others to traverse and progress.
Theme 5: The effect of transactional distance on the learning process
Role of transactional distance in the learning process
The responses of the students showed that the lack of communication or the restricted interaction with their peers, i.e. the presence of transactional distance, has a negative effect on their learning process as well as on the completion of their studies. Building relationship with their classmates was considered highly important and was related to the motivation and persistence in their distance learning course by six participants. Some of the respondents were convinced by their fellow students not to abandon their studies, although they had seriously considered it due to reasons such as financial difficulties, having failed the final exams or lack of time because of multiple responsibilities. One of the participants stated:
"…Yes they [peers] helped me a lot! They actually talked me out of dropping out. They motivated me and persuaded me about the value of the Master's degree…"
In addition, all of the students knew a case of somebody attending a distance learning course who thought about dropping out. Some of them did it but for some others tutors' or/and peers' support was significant in making them change their mind. Building a sense of community and social relationships with tutors and fellow students provides a key support system for learners of distance learning courses (Anderson, 2003; Barker, 2003; Richardson & Swan, 2003; Rovai & Baker 2005; Μüller, 2008).
The responses also showed that meaningful interaction with peers, and therefore low transactional distance, was a significant aspect of the participants learning communities. Most of the respondents' feeling of satisfaction, motivation for their studies and sense of intimacy was derived from interaction with their fellow students during the CGS as well as between the CGS for preparing the written assignments set by the tutor (Μüller, 2008; Herbert, 2006; Richardson & Swan, 2003).
Yet, there were several students (n=4) who considered interaction with their fellow students as an important aspect of their studies but not absolutely necessary as they "… can meet the requirements of the course without interacting with them [peers] or being in need of their support." Some others (n=2) stated that they do not consider communication with peers important at all in the framework of their studies. The above could be related to the learners' degree of autonomy which is mainly a personal trait on the grounds that mature learners with high levels of autonomy might be able to manage their learning easily (Benson & Samarawickrema, 2009). The students' temperament and mentality as well as the low value attributed to student-student communication may also lead them to attribute little or no importance to it during their studies (Tait, 2003; Loizidou-Hatzitheodoulou et al., 2001).
Theme 6: Ways of reducing student-student transactional distance
How can the transactional distance among students be reduced?
When asked to suggest ways that they believe would help to reduce transactional distance among peers, participants made several suggestions. In particular, concerning the provider, (HOU) they asked for more CGS meetings as well as their decentralisation (since they take place only in three cities for the postgraduate courses). The important role of CGS in fostering interaction, and therefore reducing transactional distance in blended courses, is also stressed by other researchers (Benson & Samarawickrema, 2009; Dron et al., 2004). Respondents also mentioned decentralisation of some social events (e.g. graduation ceremony) and of the facilities offered, such as library services and study centres. A respondent stated:
"…more centres around the country would mean less geographical distance. In this way they [students] would be able to communicate face-to-face more easily and frequently between the CGS."
Students also suggested that the HOU portal should be improved in order to encourage students both regarding synchronous and asynchronous CMC; in this way the feeling of learning community would be reinforced as communication and interaction among peers would be easier and prompt. One student also referred to the possibility of implementing Counselling Group Teleconference Sessions. Mavroidis et al. (2013) note that teleconference is only recently being used in Greece as an advanced ICT tool in education, mainly in pilot applications. Widespread use of teleconference by the HOU would require the development and use of appropriate, mature, tools as well as the training of both students and tutors. Up to now, HOU seems to adopt a more traditional approach focusing more on learner autonomy and independence rather than on collaborative approaches and discourse (Angelaki & Mavroidis, 2013).
The important role of the tutor in facilitating communication and interaction among learners as well as in building a sense of community in several ways in distance learning courses is stressed by many researchers (Anderson, 2003; Dron et al., 2004; Clair & Fite, 2005; Conrad, 2005; Farquhar, 2013). Most of the respondents in this study asked for "friendly teachers" who will use collaborative approaches of teaching and whose course planning will be mainly focused on group activities encouraging cooperation and team spirit. According to Terhemba (2006), assigning group activities is an important factor for increasing interactivity and a sense of belonging to a community among distance education students. Moreover, a few students thought that the tutor would definitely help communication to increase by forwarding to students the contact details of their peers from the very beginning of the course. Finally some students suggested that it would be helpful if tutors were willing to organise some kind of social meetings so that the students could meet somewhere out and discuss about things having nothing to do with the course. A participant characteristically said:
"As for the teacher, more group activities are essential and why not organising friendly catch up meetings with peers somewhere outside the classroom… to encourage socialising with our classmates."
Finally, concerning what the students themselves can do to decrease transactional distance between them and their fellow students, respondents stressed that students should take more initiative for communicating with their peers, not only during but also between the CGS. Additionally, they should seek to use more frequently the portal of HOU which mainly provides possibilities for asynchronous ways of CMC and interaction with their peers such as chats and forums which contribute significantly to the promotion of student-student communication and the reinforcement of the sense of community among learners (Conrad, 2005; Stein et al., 2005; Tzoutza, 2010).
In conclusion, students perceive that transactional distance exists between them and their peers and attribute it mainly to the geographical distance, which separates them from their fellow students. This fact results in restricted communication and interaction among them. Students' mentality and temperament, the important role of the tutor in encouraging student-student communication as well as the restricted opportunities for interaction offered by the course provider (in this case HOU) are also considered as possible reasons related with the presence of transactional distance among learners.
Moreover the value of the psycho-emotional aspects of the support from peers is obvious from this study. Many students, who had seriously considered abandoning their studies finally did not do so, thanks to the support and encouragement that they received from some of their fellow students. The problem is that communication is restricted. Students communicate essentially only with very few of their peers while there is absolute lack of communication with the rest especially during the time span between the CGS. Several ways of reducing this communication gap among students were proposed by the interview participants. Suggestions involved action taken from all parts, that is to say students, tutors as well as the distance learning provider (HOU).
Another finding of the present study that can have a considerably positive effect on distance learning practice is the tutor's essential role as communication facilitator. The tutor is supposed to continuously facilitate, foster and encourage quality communication and interaction among students. Furthermore, the students themselves should realise their own responsibility regarding the communication space they perceive between them and their peers. Finally, as noted above, as far as the institution (HOU in this case) is concerned, the findings of this study could be a starting point for considering ways of decreasing transactional distance among students as well as improving the learning results. According to Garrison (2009), distance education has not fully embraced the collaborative potential of online learning and therefore there is a need for distance education to further address issues of collaboration and community. For instance, the use of ICT collaborative tools such as teleconference, could contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for interpersonal communication and to the development of an online learning community, which – in combination with the face-to-face CGS – can assist in decreasing transactional distance.
It should be noted though, that there are certain limitations which may have influenced the findings of the present study. One limitation is that the findings cannot be generalized due to the nature and the rather small sample of the study. A larger sample would enable further investigation of presence of transactional distance among students and the effects on learners' learning process. Focusing only on postgraduate students could be perceived as another limitation although both graduate and postgraduate students share the essential element of being adult learners in an open university. Future studies could focus on undergraduate students and possibly on comparing results between postgraduate and undergraduate students. Finally, aiming at an in depth understanding of the transactional distance theory, it would be very useful to investigate in an integrated manner all the dimensions of transactional distance including tutor-learner, learner–content and learner-interface transactional distance. Building on the present study we plan to design a large survey that will allow for a wider generalisation of the findings.
- Anastasiades, P. and Iliadou, C. (2010). Communication between tutors- students in DL. A case study of the Hellenic Open University. In European Journal of Open, Distance and E-learning, 13(2). Retrieved on April 10, 2012 from: http://www.eurodl.org/index.php?p=archives&year=2010&halfyear=2&article=407
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- Farquhar, L. (2013). The intersection of dialogue and low transactional distance: considerations for Higher Education. In European Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 16(2), 28-39. http://www.eurodl.org/?p=archives&year=2013&halfyear=2&article=581
- Force, D. (2004). Relationships among transactional distance variables in asynchronous computer conferences: A correlational study. Unpublished Master Thesis Athabasca University.
- Garrison, R. (2000). Theoretical challenges for Distance Education in the 21st century: A swift from structural to transactional issues. In The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 1(1), Retrieved on October 10, 2011 from: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/viewFile/2/22
- Garrison, D.R. (2009). Implications of online learning for the conceptual development and practice of distance education. In Journal of Distance Education, 23(2), (pp. 93-104).
- Giossos, I. (2009). Validity and reliability of transactional distance in the framework of Hellenic Open University. Dissertation. Course: Studies in Education, School of Humanities, Patras, Hellenic Open University. (in Greek with English abstract)
- Giossos, I.; Mavroidis, I. and Koutsouba, M. (2008). Research in distance education: review and perspectives. In Open Education, 4(1), (pp. 49-60). In Greek with English abstract.
- Giossos, I.; Koutsouba, M.; Lionarakis, A. and Skavantzos, K. (2009). Reconsidering Moore's transactional distance Theory. In European Journal of Open Distance and ELearning, 2009(2), (pp. 1-6).
- Gokool-Ramdoo, S. (2008). Beyond the Theoretical Impasse: Extending the applications of Transactional Distance Theory. In International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, (9)3.
- Gunawardena, C.N. and McIsaac, M.S. (2004). Distance Education. In D.H. Jonassen (ed.), Handbook of research for educational communications & technology, (pp. 355-395), (2nd Edition). London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
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- Kanuka, H.; Collet, D. and Caswell, C. (2002). University instructor perceptions of use of asynchronous text-based discussion in distance courses. In The American Journal of Distance Education, 16(3), (pp. 151-167).
- Lemone, K. (2005). Analysing Cultural Influences on E-Learning Transactional Issues. In G. Richards (ed.), Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2005, (pp. 2637-2644). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
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- Loizidou-Hatzitheodoulou, P.; Vasala, P.; Kakouris, Α.; Mavroidis, I.; Tassios, T. (2001). Types of communication in distance learning and their contribution to the educational process. The case of the students of the postgraduate module "Open and Distance Education" of HOU. In the Proceedings – 1st Panhellenic Conference for Open and Distance Education (in Greek with English abstract).
- Mavroidis, I.; Karatrantou, A.; Koutsouba, M.; Giossos, Y.; Papadakis, S. (2013). Technology Acceptance and Social Presence in Distance Education. A case Study on the Use of Teleconference at a Postgraduate Course of the Hellenic Open University. In European Journal of Open Distance and e-Learning, 16(2). Retrieved on November 27, 2013 from: http://www.eurodl.org/?p=archives&year=2013&halfyear=2&article=590
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- Moore, M. and Kearsley, G. (1996). Distance Education: A systems review. Belmont CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.
- Moss, D. (2004). Creating space for learning: Conceptualising women & higher education through space & time. In Gender & Education, 16(3), (pp. 283-362).
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Lucinda Creighton, former Minister for European Affairs, to be course director
With the growing need for Irish firms to respond to the developing implications of Brexit, we have announced the introduction of the PRII Certificate in European Public Affairs.
This course, modelled on the PRII's established Certificate in Public Affairs, will provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the EU decision making process, and enable them to engage with and navigate the EU bureaucracy effectively. It will be delivered by Lucinda Creighton, former Minister for European Affairs and now CEO of Vulcan Consulting.
PRII CEO John Carroll said "To protect their interests, Irish companies need to be regularly monitoring Brexit developments and know how to appropriately engage with decision makers in Dublin and Brussels when circumstance require.
Some Irish communications professionals are already engaged in that work, but many more have flagged to us the need for specific training in how to engage on the European level.
We are delighted to announce this course which will commence on April 8th. In Lucinda Creighton, we have a hugely qualified and authoritative course director, someone who has massive practical experience of European policy making, but also knows how to share that knowledge."
Lucinda Creighton said "The European Union policy making process can be incredibly difficult to understand. Whatever comes from the Brexit negotiations – and nobody yet knows what that will be - will have profound implications for nearly all Irish companies and organisations. I am looking forward to being able to share my expertise and help Irish communications professionals better understand the EU and how to appropriately engage and influence that decision making process."
The PRII Certificate in European Public Affairs commences on Saturday April 8th and runs over four full, non-consecutive Saturdays in April and May. Full details are available here. To ensure the best possible learning experience, numbers on this course are capped at 14.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What do people eat for dessert on Thanksgiving?
What are they doing?
What is the man doing?
Copyrights to the pictures and photos on this Thanksgiving lesson belong to individual photographers. We have purchased the rights to use them. Do not copy the pictures and photos on this ESL website. Permission is granted to download any of the free worksheets for classroom or home study. Contact Christina Niven, ESL teacher, at firstname.lastname@example.com. Please send corrections, comments, greetings, and requests for new lessons. Copyright © Christina Niven, 2007.


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Rialto Thermostat operates with 2 AA batteries whose charge last, according to our tests, for at least 2 years.
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Lunges and squats are often referred to as the masters of lower body exercises. In addition to your legs, these functional, compound exercises also work your buttocks. However, poor form, a muscle imbalance, the consistent overload on your knees, and the repetitive motion, can make these exercises wreak havoc on … [Read more...]
6 Flat Stomach Secrets Your Personal Trainer Is Holding Back
You want to slim down and get that flat stomach. So, you opt for what many others do in your situation: hit the gym and hire a trainer to help you reach your goals. And, while this is infinitely better than doing nothing at all, it does come with some drawbacks. You see, not all trainers are created equal. Sadly, … [Read more...]


text:
April 30, 2001-- Newsletter #128
Desktop-as-a-Service Designed for Any Cloud ? Nutanix Frame
Goodies to Go (tm)
April 30, 2001--Newsletter #128
This newsletter is part of the internet.com network.
Please visit http://www.htmlgoodies.com
Greetings, Weekend Silicon Warriors,
A student gave me a Ziggy cartoon yesterday I know was probably more true than the author wanted us to believe. It showed Ziggy reading his mail from ziggyzone.com. It was just one flame after another. The punch line was Ziggy saying, My Website doesn't get many hits, but it does get bashed. I'll bet the texts of the flame emails were verbatim. If some of the email I get is any indication, that text was real. I guess what bothers me most is what kind of person do you have to be to flame Ziggy?
Did you hear
In the ever-increasing fight to be the best domain name service on the Web, VeriSign has announced that it has added support for an additional 180 languages bringing the total number of languages it supports to 350. You can get into it a bit more at the VeriSign site itself. http://www.verisign-grs.com/multilingual/genfaq.html
Have you ever been watching CNN, seen a story, and wondered how to get a copy of the videotape? If all goes well, you'll be able to get the video right off of your computer. CNN has announced that it will undertake the job of putting almost 120,000 hours of videotape online. The project is estimated to cost 20 million U.S. dollars. Turning the tape into digital will make categorizing easier in addition to making CNN's entire video library available to just about anyone who wants it. How about that?
Now onto today's topic
The end of my school year is coming up and I just found out that I received a grant worth tens of thousands of dollars. I'm going to take the money and purchase four digital audio suites with all the bells and whistles. The four systems are built around four Yamaha 16-channel boards. The system is digital and self-contained. There's even a CD burner built right into the Yamaha board. Students can finish their project, burn it, and walk away.
There's no tape. Making an edit is as easy as clicking a button. In my day we would have to have to cut tape to make an edit. I mean cut it, with a razor blade. If you made a mistake there was no real way to undo it. Yes, you could tape up the audiotape but it would never be the same. In my day, we learned to hear drumbeats in slow time as well as backwards while we rocked the tape back and forth on the reel to reel machine so we would know where to make the edit.
While getting the specs for the digital machine, I told a student of my days in the radio studios when I use to carry my own splicing block and razor blades in a little leather case. She laughed as if I was talking about the middle ages.
It was the mid 1980s!
Technology is moving so fast that people are becoming over the hill in terms of experience very quickly. My audio stories sound ancient when they're only 15 years old.
The other day I started corresponding with a gentleman living in Japan. He asked me if I was ready for the next wave of technology.
I didn't have an answer. I know it's coming. Wireless will the way of the world soon. New languages will come into the fold. In three years, the world of technology will barely resemble today.
At 36 years old, I found myself longing for a simpler time when people coded HTML using Notepad and the latest trick was well within the grasp of the weekend silicon warrior.
I spoke to a group of people about Web page creation the other day. They were students and programmers. I told them that I still enjoy coding in Notepad. They laughed. They laughed much the same way the other student laughed when I told her about using a razor blade to cut audiotape.
This morning I put two and two together. I'm the old guy.
I'm the old-guy audio teacher and I'm the old-guy Web professor.
I'm the old guy.
When did I become the old guy? I don't want to be the old guy!
This is not to say that I cannot make the new digital audio processors sign and dance. I can. I can edit digitally like the wind. I just don't like it as much. I remember when my first radio station went from 45-RPM records to all CD. I hated it. I could slow the 45s down or speed them up to match beats. I could slip cue. I seemed more in control. The CDs just didn't seem right to me. The process became sterile. I couldn't touch the discs. The technology had too much control.
It's the same with the new Web media. I like coding in Notepad because I am in control. I don't have FrontPage placing code and altering elements without the expressed written consent of Major League Baseball and me.
No, I don't dislike the new stuff that's coming out. I dig it. It fascinates me. It's just that I seem to like the old stuff better. I grew up with it. I learned on it. I somehow feel that I am a better person because I had to go through it.
They say the first step is admitting it. OKI am the old guy. In only seven years, I became the old guy.
Now, if you too are the old guy (or old gal) what do we do?
Do we abandon our old guy ways for the new? Could we even do it if we tried or, as I think is more correct, do we embrace our old guy ways and act as that lightening rod that keeps the old ways around just to help others understand how we got to here and how we did it in such a short amount of time.
I'm afraid I'm going to embrace my old guy ways.
I'll be teaching HTML and Web page design every semester until I retire. I don't see me changing my methods of teaching any time soon. If you take Web design with me, you'll code in Notepad. Yes, I know there are assistants out there that will allow you to make Web pages so fast my head would swim. Do it in my class and you'll lose all the points for the assignment. There will be no argument.
That's the old guy in me and I think it's the best way. When my class is over, use any HTML assistant you want, but until that time, Notepad is the way. Take your time. Place every flag. Build the page from whole cloth like it was a Lego set.
I've had students come to me with every form of argument. They say, We could build pages faster if we used [insert program name here]. I always ask, Will the pages be better or just faster? The student usually states they will be better. I then disagree and send him or her back to their computer to open Notepad and get started.
Do the students like it? Not always. Do they thank me for it? Long after the class when they can fix the code the HTML assistant messed up they do. Am I laughed at for sticking to the older ways when there are always bigger, more powerful ways?
But you know what? Each and every student in my audio class next semester will take a razor blade in hand and correctly cut a piece of tape long before they get their paws on that digital equipment. I simply think it'll help them to understand what in the heck that digital system is copying.
It is far better to know exactly how the new stuff worksnot just that it works. The only way you can know how it works is to understand the machine's history and maybe even live a little of it. Now, everyone take up your razor blade, sharp side down.
The old guy has spoken.
That's That. Thanks for reading.
Joe Burns, Ph.D.
And remember: A drawing room received its name not because it was a place to sketch but rather because it was a place to relax. The word drawing is actually a shortened version of the word withdrawing. Thus, the drawing room is a place where persons would withdraw.
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In case you wanted to see the selfie I referenced in yesterday's post, my friend has a blog too:
Maybe you could go check her out. 🙂
In case you wanted to see the selfie I referenced in yesterday's post, my friend has a blog too:
Maybe you could go check her out. 🙂
My friends, it is the end of a Monday and my feet are propped up. It's that time of randomness between work's end and making dinner. Please don't check my spelling.
It has been a LOOOONG day, not for any sad or bad reasons, but just that life brings you tiredness sometimes.
Jack is coming along fine after his surgery with the exception that he's miserable in his crate and "cone of shame". He handled it like a champ for the first two days, happy to nap out in the privacy, but now – he's OVER IT. The most Zen dog I know is OVER IT, with the stored up OVER-IT-NESS of 11 years. The barking and whining. OH. MY. GOD. Harder on him than me, I know, but still hard for everyone in the house. Which is what brings me to today, and the repeated barking fits throughout the night that left everyone in the place a bit groggy this morning.
On top of which, I got something in my eye last night that just would. not. give. up. for several hours and repeated eye rinsing. Swollen, puffy eyes laced with gunk. Sexy.
When you wake up after little sleep, with one eye gunked shut and your brain not even thinking of firing, you reach for your fat day clothes to wear to work.
That's what today was – frumpy, fat pants, red-eyed, little-to-no makeup and half-asleep Monday. Somehow I still managed to smile and say hello and be nice to a lot of people today, but yuck. I was not feeling good in my skin.
Then I saw it. The most perfect thing for the day. A selfie my friend had taken and had the balls to post on Facebook. Like nothing I have ever seen.
First, let me tell you. My friend, she's beautiful. In the "traditional sense" – blonde, blue-eyed, gorgeous. As if that's not enough, she also has an impeccable sense of style. When I see her, she is usually put together with precision. Then there's the wicked sense of humor. One of those women that just strikes you as flawless, except in a completely relatable, good friend kind of way.
Today, there was this woman. With the hair going all…and the expression going all…there just aren't words. In the land of Monday morning selfies, this one wins the internet. Just holy shit y'all. No makeup. Pajamas. If feral can be done 'precisely', my girl nailed it. I saw this picture, and I just laughed. A whole rest of the day later and I'm still laughing about it. Not because she looked awful, because in some weird way, she didn't. But because in an even weirder way, even though I'd put on my fat work pants and cleaned myself up a bit, that picture summed up everything about how I still felt inside my skin. If I looked in the mirror, and saw my true self reflected back, it would have looked back at me with wild morning hair and an expression of …I still can't articulate the expression well enough. Something like, You're going to get my 100% today, but just so you know, this is what my 100% looks like. So on with it.
I love that she had the nerve to post that. In smiling at that and seeing that, it reminded me that we all are in this struggle together. And we should laugh at it.
Fast forward from the morning selfie, and an errand took me to the Downtown yoga studio where I teach. Just to pass through. Being tired, I also passed through the coffee shop down the street to grab a latte. The girl behind the counter had this shockingly red hair – shocking to the point that I could guess some would have comment about it. My corporate environment for one, would not welcome this look if I showed up that way. In talking about the weather, the humidity, she mentioned something about the color running. We spent a good 5-10 minutes talking about the natural dye she used and how she got her hair that color and other colors it had been. An easy, natural conversation happening in a way that doesn't occur all that often with a complete stranger. And I thought to myself, ya know, I bet this girl takes a lot of heat over that hair color but if you take a moment to just take in the whole, she's really beautiful. Clever makeup, a goth twist to her look, but so friendly and open. Our discussion got onto the topic of the perception of beauty and I said to her that what I would really like would be if the world would just get rid of the phrase –
She'd be pretty if…
If she lost 10 pounds or 30 pounds or 100 pounds. If she cut her hair different. If she waxed her lip. If she smiled more. If she dressed differently. If if if.
My god, can we stop with the IF? Or the WOULD BE?
When your friend can laugh at her feral Monday hair enough to share it with the world, that's beautiful. She IS beautiful, as is, no photoshop.
When your barista can smile at you and talk about how she got a shade of red that you don't have the courage for, she IS beautiful.
We're all beautiful, even on the rough days when we've had no sleep and even detest our fat pants.
Without the if's or the would be's, we're beautiful.
Peeps, please take a second for yourself, wherever you be in your skin, and just let yourself feel beautiful for a moment.
Because you are. Just as your are.
We're beautiful.
Disclaimer: This is going to be one of those posts where the "somewhat" comes into the "somewhat likeable". In fact, by the end of it, I may need to re-title "not very likeable at all". Don't say you weren't warned.
It's Tuesday morning, and in addition to the dog surgery, what's on my mind is wondering if it's safe to go back into my newsfeeds yet. Someone famous died last night. All of the usual content I read has been replaced by condolences I can't handle. I have seen no less than 40 posts of memes of this actor, captioned by poignant quotes from his screen career ~ mostly lines from scripts. A statement posted from his widow "liked" by thousands. I saw his own twitter feed – the last posting of which was a birthday wish to his daughter two weeks ago – turned into a digital condolences petition. And this is where my thoughts go –
I cannot imagine being his daughter, turning to such a message for comfort, trying to remember something happy, and seeing a thousand strangers reply in focused unison about his death. I cannot imagine being his widow, seeing my grief for my husband "liked".
People, what the hell are we doing?
You can blame this on my parents for raising me a bit old-fashioned, but I was brought up to believe that grief is personal. Private. IF YOU KNEW THE PERSON, or YOU KNEW THE FAMILY, you would reach out to extend your condolences either in attending the appropriate ceremonies, or offering help, or just helping without offering since sometimes people in grief can't vocalize what they need, or you send a note. If you don't fit into a category of actually knowing the person, or knowing the family, YOU LEAVE THEM THE HELL ALONE to grieve in private and comfort each other.
Let me be clear about this point, watching someone on screen, no matter how their talent makes you comforted by their movies, does not mean you know them. For those of us who appreciated his work, his life has not ended. We can connect with him anytime via Netflix and revisit the same sense of connection we had before. For those who knew what he was like "off script", and how he liked his coffee, and if he smelled like aftershave or laundry detergent when he hugged them, or that will never get another birthday wish or anniversary card, his daily contribution to their life has ceased. Connection ceased except in memory. Your knowing he is deceased when you hit 'play' on the remote is NOT the same kind of grief that a friend who has known someone for decades experiences.
Let me be clear about this other point, 'LIKING" is not an expression of condolence. Social media has made grief a competition for 'likes' and that's wrong. Grief should not get 1 like, or 100 likes, or 1,000,000 likes. If someone says something really sad in your world and the best amount of your attention it warrants is a split second 'like', lay off the like button. If you don't give enough of a damn to write an actual well wish, then move along. As much as the age of social media would like us to think otherwise, every once in awhile, it is okay to get the news of something sad, and say to yourself "Wow, that's really sad." Then maybe you leave it there. Maybe you reach out to your personal circle with a text or a phone call, or you find a way to honor what that person meant to you within the bounds of your own life – watching a movie that person was in, reading a few quotes, reminding yourself that it's been awhile since you 'yawp'd' and finding a way to do that. But maybe you, as a complete stranger, don't intrude on the grief of a family. You may have put on your 'it's being supportive hat', but noise is not being supportive. 'Likes' and 'Retweets' and 140-characters are noise. They are not sincere loss. Their grief is not about you, and they should not have to be burdened with the obligation of gratitude for your grief tweet.
Can we stop with the memes? If you hear about the death of someone that touched you in some meaningful way, and your first thought is "wow, I should pull up a photo of them, find a good quote, and create a meme that might go viral on Facebook', you, sir, are an asshole. Unfortunately, a lot of us choose to 'share' and 'retweet' assholes. Mainly because it doesn't dawn on us in the moment that they're assholes.
When I saw the news about his passing (I'm not repeating his name in this post because I don't want to add to the 'trending'), I tell you, I took a good solid think about what or IF I wanted to post about it. Feeling already inundated by the headline shares and meme shares, and what seemed to be at least 23 separate people just posting listings of his movies and characters, I asked myself "how can I help?" and "what do I – me, myself – not the dozen memes or celebrity quotes, but simple me – think about this?". I thought it was sad. Tragic. I thought about how depression is a bigger asshole than death-meme-makers. I felt sad again that Good Will Hunting was a brilliant character portrayal on his part and that I'll never see another new movie with him in it. I thought about watching The Bird Cage. But I didn't.
A solid 30-minutes later, I had a brilliant epiphany. I asked myself if anyone was expecting me to comment on it, and why they would be. In this day and age, our social media gives us the illusion that people may actually expect or wait on our comments about tragedy, so we feel obligated to post. That is my ego talking, not my grief. If you want to check your ego, ask yourself why you think the internet gives a damn about your opinion on the suicide of an actor you never met.
Be helpful. Be considerate. Be kind as often as possible. Be respectful if you can't be anything else. I try to keep these things in mind when I'm posting, though I am human and I fail too. Helpful, though, is the word that started to stick out to me. In tragedy, how do you be helpful in a meaningful way? Please do not confuse R.I.P. retweets with something meaningful.
Instead, I asked myself who I know that struggles with depression, and I made a mental note that I needed to reach out to them this week – in person, or with a call, with a PERSONAL CONNECTION. Because instead of focusing on a stranger, or sending messages to that stranger's wife and child that I hope for their sake, they do not see, there are people present in my day-to-day that need help. That need a connection and a reach out and a check-in. If I want to think about tragedy, I might better consider how to prevent one that can still be prevented, rather than focusing on what poignancy I can come up with for a stranger to see how many 'likes' it might get.
From our California coast trip. Seriously can't think of a more relaxing vacation that we've taken together. I'm not usually fond of pictures of myself, preferring the other side of the lens, but this one is just very…me. Probably due to that guy reflected in my sunglasses. He inspires that smile.
I crossed a starting line this morning, friends.
To my recollection, I haven't done a race since a fateful 10k in March that I should have stopped at 5k. My knee aching badly, I hobbled across the finish dead last with the bike dude picking up cones as I passed them. I wish I were joking, but I'm not. Talk about having your ego
tarred, feathered and left for dead checked! I decided it wasn't worth writing about at the time because I wasn't in a good place with it. After that, I decided I wasn't registering for a damn thing until I was certain my knee could hang with me for the distance. And I haven't, watching the races go by on the calendar.
As the clock has kept ticking through prime running season, a friend of mine decided to run for the first time. Ever. And something clicked in her, in that funny way that running makes things click for people, and it said to her "if you stick with me, I'll change your life". So right now, she's trying to stick with it. Working the Couch-to-5k program, about 3 weeks in, and while I'd like to say I offered to run a 5k with her for the purely selfless reason of being a supportive friend, I'll be honest in saying that I offered to go along if she picked out a 5k for more selfish reasons – it inspires the hell out of me to see someone step out of their comfort zone like that.
To get into the struggle, squash the fear, and try.
My friend, she jumped into the struggle this morning. There were intervals, and hard points, and surprises. We did some breathing and tapped into my running toolbox. The smaller details in between the start and finish are her story to write, not mine. But Peeps, my friend finished her first 5k this morning! With her husband and her son by her side.
And while she was getting through her first 5k, I was getting through my third pavement run this week with no knee pain. It's been a SLOW recovery to get this kneecap moving right again, but it finally seems to be working proper.
Bashful Ostrich 5k is a small race, probably about 150 participants. A thing that makes it perfect for a first 5k, by the way. We lucked out with the weather having a chill in the air to start, as most of the course around the Scarlet Oaks college campus is without shade. One water stop, which today was enough. A hotter day, you'd need a second, which pains me to write since I usually don't take water at all for a 5k anymore. FLAT! If you are trying to PR and need a flat course to do it, this is FLLLLLLLAT! Making up for the lack of interesting things on the course, the volunteers were all VERY pleasant and helpful, and there was a hat in the swag bag. I really love baseball hats.
It's a sweet race. That seems like an odd word to describe a race for me. Sweet. But Bashful Ostrich is sweet, and small, and has that little community feel to it – like if I went back to it next year, the same runners would be there and remember you. It's also sweet, in that with 150 participants, almost everyone makes top-10 in age groups. There are LOTs of door prizes. You end up with more loot than just your swag bag – I added a knit Winter beanie from Monumental Marathon & a luggage tag to my stash. I also bought a $5 messenger bag from the previous years' swag stockpile that was up for sale. $5. For a messenger bag! If they gave away bubblegum, it would be about the cutest 5k ever! I'd need to pet it on the head, call it Ted and give it treats.
In asking myself whether I would do the race again, the course would make me a little 'meh' about it, but the cute factor would probably get me to say 'yes'. Also, there was a guy there dressed head to toe in a homemade Captain America outfit that he had put SERIOUS thought into. How can you not love that? Someone said he dressed as Batman last year. I may show up next year just to see what he's wearing – it was a GOOD costume!
Up next: Midsummer's Night Trail Run, a 5-miler through the trails of Mt. Airy Forest this coming Tuesday.
Because once your knee stops hurting, one of the first things you should do is register for a 5-mile trail run. Jeez-Louise! I need my head checked!
One of those runs came along. The kind where you can feel the stars beginning to align a full hour or two before your run, a little pep in your step starts – you know in your soul it's going to be a GOOOOOOD run. A REALLY GOOD run.
It's been a while since I've had one. I've been picking up some extra yoga-teaching opportunities as a sub, and focusing on my swimming. Running had temporarily fallen by the wayside, and I'll be honest in saying that I didn't run very much at all in July. When I did run, I took Fred with me – which meant shorter runs and all of them intervals (.25 on/.25 off) to get her conditioned without ripping up her little puppy feet. Okay, big puppy feet now. I hadn't earned a good run. I hadn't put the time in on running that it takes for one of those to happen.
But then the stars – and there's no ignoring those stars when they start to tug at you and say "hey! hey you! lace up!". I was actually dancing around the house as I got dressed for the run, and chanting rather selfishly "I'm going for a ruh-hun, all by my-sel-elf!" to Fred. Who was entertaining other company, so she didn't really care – but she did find the little dance amusing. Dogs like it when their humans dance for them. In case you didn't know. I decided on my favorite around-the-house route, an ambitious 6-miler for the amount of not-running I've been doing lately – and then set the goals. Interval (3:1) the 3-miles to the park and stay unwaiveringly strong for those intervals, then walk it back to just soak in the sunshine on the cooldown. I set out –
And it was GLORIOUS!!
Apparently, there was some keg of energy that I needed to get out of my system because the first 1.5 miles of intervals were sub-9 min/miles. Um, I don't run sub-9's. Really, I don't run sub-10's. Guess I do now. At one point I looked down at my Garmin and saw 8:12 pace. One of those moments where you go "WHAT THE HELL am I doing, I NEED to slow down!" except then you shrug your shoulders and go 'but I feel good, so I guess I'll just go on then'. So, yeah, the first 1.5 I went out WAY too fast, and spent the other 1.5 slowing down and struggling just a little. But I stayed with the struggle and made my goal all the way to the park, even running past my usual endpoint just to make sure I rounded out all the way to 3 miles.
Then I paused at the beautiful overlook that's there and just took a moment to enjoy the view. What's the point of it all if you don't stop for the view.
Drinking fountain stop. Then I walked over to the jungle gym and used it to knock out some sets of elevated push-ups and regular sit-ups, beginning the walk back after that. Then I decided to add some sets of alternating lunges, side-lunges, and knee-ups to the first few blocks of the walk back. Grinning at all the other runners who passed by, heading to the same point I'd just left. Never mind me over here, just lunging my way down the street, nothing to see, move along. It felt a little ridiculous. It also felt really STRONG and AWESOME!
My legs were spent by the time I got back to the house, but WOW did I feel good! Re-energized. Inspired.
Friends, sometimes running hands you a gift even when you don't deserve it and you haven't earned it. Haven't put in your time. It takes a moment to say "hey, you've got rested legs – and this is what they're built to do" and you have to say THANK YOU! and take off like a shot because ignoring that gift would be wrong in your soul. And you remember why you put the time in the rest of the time.
Time to start logging miles.
If this weren't a collage of faces blended together, changing every few seconds…men, women, all colors, nationalities, ages…showcasing diversity in our city, then blasted all huge size across the face of one of Cincinnati's most legendary icons – Music Hall…
It would probably be very weird.
Anyone else remember General Zod, and all the talking heads in Superman 2 (I think it was 2)?
This was taken at Lumenocity last night. I'm sure there are 1000's of pictures all across the web from the weekend, and that a lot of them are far better than this one. But sometimes, you leave the camera at home, take one shot of something cool with your phone, then you shut the thing down and enjoy the show with a husband that busted his ass to make sure you had a SWEET spot all set up.
Somehow, in a crowd of 17,000 people, we had chairs and a picnic blanket and a cooler of snacks & beverages. Space. We could see. We managed to grab a no-fuss bite at A Tavola ahead of the show and weave straight through to our seats afterward. A lucky contact meant free parking in a secured lot a block away. No long lines, no waiting. Traffic smooth enough that we were home 20 minutes after it was over. I was absolutely astonished at how smoothly everything worked.
The show was AMAZING!!!!!!
It doesn't hurt that I adore Charlie Harper art and a large portion of the show was a tribute to his work. I honestly didn't expect that this would be much more than a light show (and shhhh! maybe a little boring), but it was way more than that. Funny. Creative. SPECTACULAR! Other arts brought in during the twilight hours waiting for it to be dark enough for the light show – ballet, opera. A friend of mine sings with the May Festival Choir and I've never heard it, except that she was volunteering with their performance last night. What an excellent venue to expose the community to all the arts available in the city! (and point out that Music Hall needs some preservation funding!)
They're going to have to change some things next year – all the grumblers bitching about not getting FREE tickets, and all – but honestly, I hope they don't change too much. It was truly a fantastic event – and one of the most civilized groups that large that I've ever been in.
No session out at the lake this morning. Head cold I've had since Monday still has me a little fogged in my noggin' and I didn't think getting lake water up my nose would be beneficial.
From the California file, the Golden Gate bridge is out there somewhere beyond the wall of fog. On any other day, or maybe even later on the same day, that overlook is an amazing view of the bridge. On this day, it was foggy and chilly, and even the wind had a bit of fierce to it. One of the new words we learned in San Fran: MICROCLIMATE.


text: The Eligibility Affidavit is a document provided by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) to assist coaches in determining eligibility for the NJCAA. The coaches of Missouri State - West Plains utilize this document to collect the needed information vital to confirming the student-athlete will be able to participate on the level desired for both the player and the program. Submission of this form to the coach staff does not guarantee eligibility, it is simply a tool used to collect information.


text:
It seems we are in a tomato-basil trend right now for DH Wednesdays. Last week we made Permesan Crusted Veal cutlets which were served with a basil/tomato sauce. This week we are serving
Tomato and Basil Poached Fish.
This is a simple but delicious Mediterranean dish. Light and healthy it is simply thinly sliced potatoes stewed in a tomato basil sauce. Right before everything is done the fish fillet is placed on top to quickly poach in the sauce. I used Redfish so it didn't take long – Donna says about 2 or 3 minutes – for the dish to be complete. The fish is then served on top of the potatoes and sauce for a quick meal.
You can find the recipe on page 96 of Donna Hay's off the shelf
And visit Chaya and Gaye for their delish fish dish. This was Kayte's pick, but she is not blogging right now. It was a good pick.
And remember I said we were on a tomato/basil trend? Next week is Pasta with Tomato, Basil, and Olives!


text: Toronto Homeowners Install Soundproof Windows By Nick RaffoulNovember 20, 20150 Back to Home Toronto Homeowners are Installing Soundproof Windows If you live in a city or metropolitan area, you have probably had to bear with consistent outside noise for some time. Whether due to passing traffic or constant construction, outside noise can hinder your ability to live comfortably in your home. However, you don't have to move to the suburbs to get the kind of peace and quiet inside of the home that most city residents can only dream of. Soundproof windows give Toronto residents the kind of peace and quiet necessary to live comfortably and productively. Here are a few reasons to install soundproof windows if you live in the city: 1. Get a Good Night's Sleep No more waking up to the sound of construction or the garbage truck instead of your alarm clock. Most people value their sleep. Even those people that do not sleep in need a good night's rest to be productive. Soundproof windows will give your home and bedroom the silence necessary to ensure that the city ruckus won't keep you up in the middle of the night. This is especially important if you're raising children. It can be difficult to get your baby to nap when the condo up the street won't be finished until next year. 2. No More Noise Complaints Having soundproof windows means that your home will be better shielded from outside noise. This can help if you have noisy neighbours. It will be a little easier to get along when you don't have to hear the party extend until 3am. 3. Get More Work Done If you have a home office or an artist's studio, you've probably tried many different ways of dealing with outside noise. Outside noise is definitely a distraction that can cause less than optimal performance levels. Soundproof windows will help to reduce noisy distractions from the outside world, which are abundant in any city environment. Soundproof windows work great for those who work from home or have a home-based office. If you're looking to be more productive in the home, soundproof windows may be the quiet solution you're looking for. 4. Turn Down the Volume of the TV Have you ever wished you could turn down the volume of the noise outside? Put an end to missing the best part of your favourite shows because the construction outside is drowning out the dialogue. Soundproof windows will allow you to enjoy your favourite sports, TV shows and movies without putting the volume at full blast. This way, your neighbours won't have to know that you spent your weekend watching 22 episodes of your favourite TV show. Those are just a few reasons why the common person might benefit from soundproof windows, especially when living in a noisy environment. Many people also use soundproof windows for specialty applications, such as home theatres, entertainment centres and home recording studios. Soundproof windows help give Toronto residents the peace and quiet necessary to live comfortably in the city. Not only will you sleep better, but you'll also be more productive and be able to enjoy your favourite books or TV programming without any outside disturbance. Trust windows can help you with window replacement design ideas. Trust Windows specialize in taking you from start to finish, providing in home estimates, manufacturing of the windows and full installation. Sound Proof Windows TorontoBy Trust WindowsSeptember 7, 20160PrevsView AllNextSound Proof Windows Toronto Looking for a way to make your windows more sound proof? Contact the window professionals at Trust Windows for more information about the renovation services provided. Our team of specialists offer window and door renovation options in Toronto and the surrounding area. Contact us today! Back to Home