How Instructor Immediacy Behaviors Affect Student Satisfaction and Learning in Web-Based Courses

Abstract

In this study I investigated whether instructor classroom behaviors, called "imme diacy behaviors," are significantly associated with student learning and satisfaction in Web-based MBA courses. Immediacy behaviors represent instructors' attempts to reduce the social distance between themselves and their students. While my study found that immediacy behaviors were positive predictors of student learning and course satisfaction, such other factors as student attitudes toward course soft ware, the length of a course, and prior student and instructor experience with Web-based courses were also significant predictors. These findings suggest that both structural characteristics of MBA programs and instructor behavior merit attention for Web-based courses to successfully deliver graduate management education.