This present study aimed to investigate the effects of the asynchronous web-based "General Teaching Methods" course conducted based on direct or indirect instructional methods on pre-service teachers' achievement, metacognition, and attitudes towards web-based course. Two groups, a total of 63 third grade elementary science and mathematics education pre-service teachers, attended to one of the aforementioned web-based courses. The results indicated that the group exposed to the web-based indirect instruction significantly outperformed the group exposed to the web-based direct instruction in the final exam but not in the midterm exam and in the metacognitive questionnaire. On the other hand, the group exposed to the web-based direct instruction had significantly higher attitudes towards web-based course than the one exposed to the web-based indirect instruction. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)