• “What do you mean, remote education can be ‘distance-free’?” you may have asked yourself.  

•  “Yes, it can. And it should!” I reply.

 

Or perhaps you might have exclaimed: 

• “Obviously, in-person classes have ‘no distance’!” 

• Well, not always.

 

The confusion here arises because when I speak of “distance” in education, I am not referring to physical distance. In fact, mere physical proximity can do very little for education if there is no methodology—grounded in pedagogical principles—to underpin the teaching-and-learning process. The interesting thing is that, with the right methodology, physical proximity may not even be essential. 

 

• But didn't you say, right in the title, that “education without distance” is essential?

• Yes, I said. And I still say so.

 

Closeness is very important, but not physical closeness. What must be eliminated in an educational activity is called “transactional distance” (TD), a concept proposed by Michael Moore. This “distance” is not measured in meters. It isn’t even possible to measure it precisely. It is a perception of “distancing,” a psychological state on the part of the student. It is TD that explains why there can be situations in which a learner may feel distant from the teacher, from classmates, and/or from the content being covered, even while physically present in a classroom. Similarly, it is the elimination of DT that explains those moments when you engage in a chat, a phone call, or a video call and even forget that you’re interacting with people who are physically distant, as if you were all sitting around a table. 

 

• And how can DT be reduced?

• In various ways. And none of them have anything to do with being physically close.

 

Michael Moore, in his seminal article proposing the concept of DT (read it here), presents three factors that influence the perception of distance in educational activities:  

 

• Dialogue: The more interactivity there is, the lower the DT will be

• Structure: The more flexible the educational program, the lower the DT will be

• Autonomy: The more freedom students have to make decisions, the lower the DT will be






 
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Another misunderstood aspect concerns the concept of “presence.” As classes resume in physical school settings, everyone talks about a “return to in-person learning.” It would be more accurate to say “return to PHYSICALLY in-person learning,” since we can have activities—with all participants present—conducted online. Such activities should not be called “non-in-person.” What’s most interesting is that, even while under the same roof—and for quite some time to come—students, teachers, and staff will still need to maintain “physical distancing.” And they will certainly continue to use online resources and environments, even during “physically in-person” activities.

 

Therefore, whatever the situation—whether in person, physically or virtually, distance learning, remote, or hybrid—educational activities will increasingly need to be “distance-free.” Free of “transactional distance,” that is. And to reduce transactional distance, we need methodology and technology. For remote activities, technology is essential, but it will also become increasingly common in physical learning spaces. In general, with the goal of bringing students closer to their peers, teachers, and course content, methodologies must incorporate a high degree of interactivity. Interactivity is the key to bridging gaps in education. “Interactivity,” incidentally, is another misunderstood term. Some believe it is the same thing as “interaction.” Others propose that “interaction” occurs between people, while “interactivity” occurs between people and machines. 

 

• “What do you mean? Is ‘interactivity’ different from ‘interaction’ or not?”

• It is as different as “radioactivity” is from “radiation.” 

 

But that's a topic for my next post. Until then.

 

Learn more about the author:

Romero Tori is a member of the Bett Educar Board, an Associate Professor Level 3 at the Polytechnic School of USP, the author of the book “Educação sem Distância,” and maintains a blog with the same title as the book.

 

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