University Continuing Education Association (now UPCEA)
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Athabasca University (Canada)
The Pennsylvania State University College of Education
IACE Hall of Fame (University of Oklahoma)
University of Guadalajara (Mexico)
European Distance and E‑Learning Network (EDEN)
USDLA
The Pennsylvania State University
American Society for Training and Development (now ATD)
Distinguished Professor of Education, The Pennsylvania State University
Visiting Professor (sabbatical), Open University (UK)
Visiting Fellow, St. Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge
Founding Director, American Center for the Study of Distance Education (ACSDE), The Pennsylvania State University
Visiting Professor, Dept. of Continuing and Vocational Education, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Senior Counselor (return), Open University (UK)
Education Studies Faculty (academic), Open University (UK)
Senior Counselor, Open University (UK)
Visiting Professor, Dept. of Continuing and Vocational Education (summers), University of Wisconsin–Madison
Assistant Professor (Adult Education; Coady International Institute), St. Francis Xavier University
Instructor/Continuing Education Officer (Adult Education), University of East Africa (Nairobi)
Michael Grahame Moore is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Education at The Pennsylvania State University and founding editor of the American Journal of Distance Education. He is widely recognized as a pioneer of distance/online learning scholarship and practice. In 1972 he introduced the Theory of Transactional Distance, articulating how dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy shape teaching–learning at a distance. His career includes founding Penn State’s American Center for the Study of Distance Education, conceptualizing elements of Penn State World Campus, and extensive international consulting. He has edited multiple editions of the Handbook of Distance Education and co‑authored Distance Education: A Systems View of Online Learning. Honors include honorary doctorates from the University of Guadalajara (2010), Athabasca University (2017), and UW–Madison (2020), induction into the IACE Hall of Fame (2013), and USDLA Hall of Fame (2002).
A pedagogical theory for distance education positing that the effectiveness of teaching–learning at a distance is governed by the interplay of dialogue (interaction), structure (course design), and learner autonomy. It reframes ‘distance’ as a psychological/communication space to be managed through design and facilitation, guiding both research and instructional decision‑making.
Moore advanced the American independent study tradition by theorizing learner autonomy and the roles of course structure and teacher–learner interaction in supporting self‑directed learning at a distance, laying groundwork for subsequent transactional distance work.
American Journal of Distance Education • Journal
Moore argues that key terms in distance education—distance, independence, and interaction—are often used imprecisely, hindering research and practice. He proposes three distinct types of interaction that educators should intentionally plan for: learner–content, learner–instructor, and learner–learner. Each supports different teaching tasks, subject areas, and learner needs, and effective programs should align media and strategies to maximize the appropriate interactions.
Routledge • Book
An extensive compendium covering historical/theoretical foundations, teaching and learning with technology, management and policy, and audiences/providers in distance education. Contributors synthesize empirical research and identify future directions for scholarship, practice, and policy in online and blended learning.
Handbook of Distance Education (3rd ed.) • Chapter
This chapter revisits the transactional distance theory as a pedagogical lens for all forms of education where teachers and learners are separated. It explicates two central dimensions—dialogue and structure—and a third, learner autonomy, as a heuristic for designing and researching distance education. The chapter synthesizes subsequent empirical work and developments showing how varying these dimensions affects learning outcomes in technology‑mediated environments.
Wadsworth Cengage Learning • Book
A comprehensive, research‑informed text that applies a systems perspective to planning, designing, teaching, and managing distance/online education. Topics include historical context, technologies and media, course design and instructor roles, learner characteristics, administration and policy, theory and scholarship, research on effectiveness, and global perspectives.
Theoretical Principles of Distance Education (Routledge) • Chapter
Moore’s first extended English‑language articulation of transactional distance frames distance education as a pedagogical construct rather than a mere geographic separation. He orders teacher–learner relationships into a typology shaped by course structure, teacher–learner interaction, and the learner’s self‑directedness, providing a basis for systematic research and design across distance modalities.