The possibility of creating an appropriate online learning environment for distance adult students was examined in a study of 22 Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) students' attitudes regarding the online version of a course offered as part of Penn State's masters of education program. The students completed surveys before, during, and after the course. The survey questions focused on technology use, the learning process, the course's structure and content, and students' opinions regarding how well they had met the course objectives. In addition, 16 paired responses from the precourse and postcourse surveys were analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed ranks test. Most students rated their mastery of course objectives very highly. Eighty percent of the students interacted with other students between four and five times each week. Sixty percent stated that they interacted with the instructor "very often or always." As the course progressed, students reported significantly more expertise in computer use and less apprehension about using the Internet for the class. Students stated that the course's greatest strengths were the course instructors and the guidance and support provided. The surveys also established that the learning environment created made good matches to the learning principles that had guided the delivery design. (Contains 25 references and 5 figures.) (MN)