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This paper reports on large‐scale trials of Internet‐based university‐level distance teaching. The use of technology, and more specifically the Internet, has been an important advance for distance education. However, simply translating material from familiar media into electronic form is rarely productive—and is certainly inadequate for supported distance education, which aims to engage the student in a “community of learning.” The value Internet technology brings to distance education lies not in direct translation from other media but in transformation of support mechanisms to exploit its potential range. The paper addresses how instruction and support functions can be served and potentially enhanced by an Internet‐based structure. It considers which changes in culture help to preserve or improve teaching quality while adapting to screen‐based and often asynchronous interactions. It discusses our trials of …