This paper briefly reviews the first large-scale use of computer mediated communication (CMC) at the Open University (OU) in Milton Keynes, England, including computer conferencing and electronic mail, in an adjunct mode on a multimedia distance education course with 1,500 students. The first part of the paper outlines the rationale for introducing CMC into the distance education situation in terms of the use of the medium for regular updating of a course, and for increasing the opportunities for interaction amongst and between students, tutors, and course developers. It then goes on to describe OU's growing electronic campus as a virtual environment where members of the university community can meet, socialize, collaborate, and learn. The second part of the paper looks at the effects and implications of the use of computer conferencing within an OU course, with specific reference to the roles of the course team, teachers, and students. In particular, it asks to what extent CMC as a medium can empower students and teachers in the distance learning environment, i.e., give them a stronger role in the educational process and an enhanced opportunity to contribute and share their own knowledge and experience as adult learners. A list of 98 reports from the Centre for Information Technology in Education completes the document. (17 references) (Author/DB)