IMMEDIACY IN DISTANCE EDUCATION FOR ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT: IMPLICATIONS OF THEORY AND RESEARCH FOR EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE

摘要

This paper develops engineering management distance education practice implications based on the theory and research related to immediacy in teaching. Immediacy is a term used to denote the psychological distance between communicators and is commonly associated with verbal and nonverbal behaviors that generate social presence. Although not a new concept for education, the theory and research of immediacy in educational delivery has important implications for synchronous and asynchronous distance education. Increasing sophistication, availability, and use of advanced technologies in support of distance education require different strategies to maximize the impact of technology for learning effectiveness. The immediacy concept is developed and strategies to enhance immediacy in the distance education environment are provided.