Transactional distance perceptions, student engagement, and course satisfaction in flipped learning: a correlational study

ABSTRACT

The use of flipped learning (FL) is increasing in higher education with enormous educational benefits. But limited research has investigated the relationships of students’ transactional distance (TD) perceptions, engagement, and course satisfaction in FL. This correlational study was conducted to explore these important factors and their relationships in FL. 198 undergraduate students participated in this 14-week-long study, including 105 females and 93 males. Three well-established instruments were employed to collect data. The path analyses with the structural equation model showed that students’ TD perceptions were significantly related to their engagement and course satisfaction in FL. Furthermore, the study found that each of the five types of interactions, as sub-dimensions of TD perceptions, was positively related to student engagement as well as course satisfaction in FL. The research findings provide strong empirical evidence on the effect of TD perceptions on student engagement and satisfactions, and have rich implications for the design, implementation, and research of FL.

KEYWORDS:

• Flipped learning
• transactional distance
• engagement
• course satisfaction
• structural equation model

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fatma Gizem Karaoglan-Yilmaz

Fatma Gizem Karaoglan-Yilmaz, PhD, is an associate professor of Computer Technology and Information Systems at Bartın University. She is interested in distance education, flipped learning, interactive learning environments, human–computer interaction, virtual reality, augmented reality, and eye-tracking. Her articles have been published in various well-known journals. She has presented on a wide range of topics at national and international conferences.

Ke Zhang

Ke Zhang, PhD, is Professor of Learning Design and Technology at Wayne State University in USA. Her work focuses on e-learning, innovative learning technologies, and new research methods. Her collaborative research is supported by federal government and agencies, like the US Department of Health and Human Services and National Institute of Health, with multi-million-dollar grants. Dr Zhang has also consulted for international organizations, national governments and agencies, corporations, healthcare systems, and educational institutions.

Ahmet Berk Ustun

Ahmet Berk Ustun, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Computer Technology and Information Systems at Bartın University. His academic interest areas are flipped learning, blended learning, online learning, emerging technologies, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and learning analytics. He has undertaken various duties as coordinator and researcher in several projects supported by national and international institutions and organizations. Ramazan Yilmaz, is an associate professor of Computer Technology and Information Systems at Bartın University. He is interested in flipped learning, virtual reality, smart learning environments, technology-enhanced learning, human–computer interaction, cyberpsychology, data mining, learning analytics, and eye-tracking. His articles have been published in various well-known journals such as Interactive Learning Environments, Computers & Education, Computers in Human Behavior, Journal of Educational Computing Research, etc.