This volume focuses on the LIVE (Learning in Virtual Environments) project, a three-year project focusing on developing distance education and open and distance learning skills in teacher education. The pilot stage, reported in this volume, was conducted in the spring of 1997 at the Department of Teacher Education of the University of Helsinki (Finland). The purpose of this volume is to reflect on various questions raised by previous research and the experiences of teacher educators. Papers in this volume include: "The Poor Relation of the Education System? Aspects of Distance Education and Open and Distance Learning" (Seppo Tella); "The Planning of an Open Learning Environment and Didactic Media Choice in Teacher Education" (Janne Sariola); "Variations of Co-Operative Learning: An Analysis of Four Different Approaches" (Anne Vahapassi); "What the LIVE Project Tells Us about the Nature of the School" (Heikki Kynaslahti); "An Overview of Modern Information and Communication Technologies (MICT) in Teacher Education at the Helsinki University Department of Teacher Education" (Aarno Ronka); "Findings from the Pilot Stage of the LIVE Project" (Riikka Ristola & Aarno Ronka); "The LIVE Project: Learning in a Virtual School Program" (Tomi Nummi, Aarno Ronka, & Janne Sariola); and "The Technical Infrastructure of the LIVE Project" (Tomi Nummi). (Contains 114 references.) (AEF)