This article presents a conceptual framework for the research and practice of educational computer conferences that shifts the focus from the on-line messages being exchanged to the participants' engagement with the conference. This framework, known as the "Iceberg Metaphor" or the "Michigan Model of educational telecommunications," maintains that on-line communication is similar to the tip of an iceberg, whereas a great deal of the conference participants' learning experience takes place off-line. This conceptual framework was used in a recent case study at the University of Michigan regarding preservice teachers' use of a computer conference. The Metaphor's implication for this study was to shift the focus of inquiry from the conference transcript to extensive interviews with the participants to better understand their overall engagement with the conference. A summary of this study and its major findings are presented. The final section of this article discusses the possible implications the Iceberg Metaphor and related research may have for the creation, implementation, and evaluation of international educational computer conferences. (Contains 15 references.) (Author)