http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ A search of MERLOT materials Copyright 1997-2013 MERLOT. All rights reserved. Tue, 21 May 2013 15:25:00 PDT Tue, 21 May 2013 15:25:00 PDT http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/images/merlot.gif http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ 44 34 http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=523711 Teaching in both synchronous and asynchronous distance learning (DL) environments is characterized by a physical separation between teachers and students. This separation creates “transactional distance” or psychological space that can cause possible gaps in students’ understanding of content as well as misconceptions about them as learners and the learning process. Consequently, identifying pedagogical mechanisms and teaching strategies that contribute to reducing these gaps represents a central challenge for researchers in the field of online teaching and learning1. In response to this challenge, Bar- Ilan University’s E-Learning Center has developed teaching strategies based on the SWOT model to identify Strengths and Weaknesses and evaluate Opportunities and Threats in relation to online academic courses in a variety of content areas. Virtual conferences –