Replacing the Nods and Smiles: Raising Questions about Philosophy and Pedagogy in a Predominantly Web-based Master’s Module

Abstract

This paper discusses the student and lecturer experience of a Master of Education module taught through the World Wide Web and with study guides. It explores the wide range of responses to questions about students' perceptions of the philosophy that underpinned the pedagogical approach, the structure and content of the module, the effectiveness of the communication systems, and the IT service/support for the module. Based on these responses, we have asked some questions about how we might maintain our principles but alter our pedagogy in order to lessen transactional distance and increase social presence given our inability to engage in the nods and smiles that accompanied our face-to-face approach