Reducing Transactional Distance in Online and Blended Courses Through the Use of a Closed Social Media Platform

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a closed social media platform as an online tool to facilitate interactions among students and faculty participating in online and hybrid courses at a public university in North Texas ( n = 330). Survey methods were used to measure undergraduate and graduate students’ perceptions of the platform. Variables included demographic information as well as perceptions of a social media...