The extent of vocational education and training (VET) teachers' knowledge about and experiences of online learning and teaching was examined in a collaborative research project undertaken with leading practitioners of VET online in technical and further education (TAFE) in South Australia in 2000. Eighteen VET practitioners considered at the leading edge of online education in TAFE in South Australia volunteered for the project. Data were gathered through a survey, structured interviews, online research events, and two face-to-face workshops. The study focused on the following aspects of professional online practice: (1) producing new knowledge about online teaching and learning; (2) new professional roles and practices arising from the use of online methodologies; (3) new forms of workplace learning for VET practitioners working online; and (4) new organizational contexts for online practice. The study established that those who are considered leading-edge online practitioners are exploring and experimenting rather than systematically constructing their experiences and knowledge. It was concluded that the use of online technologies to facilitate vocational learning is not simply a matter of updating or refreshing traditional professional practice but instead represents and requires a break with the past and the construction of a new and more complex practice. (MN)