Abstract:
Fostering interaction has been one of the primary goals for distance educators in an effort to close the physical distance between teachers and students. This interaction has been attempted using both technological and instructional means. Although the two rneans function virtually in tandem, the attention paid to and the effort to improve them has not been equal. A glance at the history of distance education technology provides some insights into the issue. Technological advance and distance education have gone hand-in-hand since the turn of the century. One trend in distance education technology has been improving the speed and amount of interaction possible between teacher and students. Before the invention of computers, the primary delivery means for distance education was print, a reliable medium but slow in facilitating feedback. As technological progress accelerated in the recent decades, electronic media became the dominant means for course delivery. Today many electronic technologies such as a microwave, satellite, cable TV, fiber optics, two-way audio, two-way video, Internet and World Wide Web are popular in distance education. However, the interaction between participants in distance education environment continues to be of concern.
Keywords:
interaction, distance education
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