Distance education can be used to address the dilemmas of teacher shortages and attrition rates that plague tbe field of special education by supporting preservice and inservice training of individuals who, because of geography or circumstance, cannot access higher education. This paper examines three problems inherent in the delivery of distance education and uses the teacher effectiveness literature as a context for exploring potential enhancements. An inservice workshop is described in which distance education was supplemented with a groupware technology that facilitated principles of effective instruction. Outcomes of the workshop, benefits and practical considerations related to groupware use, and areas of future research are outlined.