This case study examined learning experiences of three nontraditional online learners who were unsuccessful in an online course, Middle Level Education, and opted to repeat it in a face-to-face setting. Their unique experiences and perspective provided an opportunity to shed light on the nature of preservice teacher education for nontraditional learners in both contexts. Self-regulated learning and the Community of Inquiry model underpin the research and were lenses for analysis. Findings indicated the importance of establishing all elements of the Community of Inquiry model, but specifically, effectively establishing teaching presence and cultivating social presence among students to support online success.