This paper describes the use of a Computer Mediated Conferencing system (CMC) on a one year, post-graduate teacher training course. In the course considered, teachers in training spend half of their course on campus and half on placement in schools. The electronic conferencing system is used to support learning and teaching throughout the course, but its potential to support student teachers while on placement is the focus of this paper. In particular, the use of the real time chat facilities, and their value in supporting learning and teaching, is discussed. There is a growing interest in area of eLearning across Europe and beyond. What is the role of the student and the teacher (i.e. eModerator, or online tutor, or ...) in an eLearning environment? Does eLearning differ significantly for the face-to-face learning that takes place in the in-campus and school placement sections of the course? This paper considers the student's experience of eLearning where it is only one aspect of their learning experience. The paper starts from the position that learning is not simply a matter of transferring knowledge from tutor to student, but is about the student actively constructing knowledge - building on and developing existing knowledge. Does the use of CMC help student teachers construct their knowledge? The student teachers' use of the system is analysed with reference to theoretical frameworks such as Laurillard's Conversational Framework and Salmon's Five Step Model of teaching and learning online. The importance of dialogue (both actual and vicarious) is explored and there is an analysis of how the CMC can be used to support and perhaps even extend the dialogue between tutor and students. Student-to- student dialog is also considered and the use of public message boards, private email and real time chat is evaluated. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected. A survey was used to collect data on the age, gender, subject background, previous experience of the student teachers on the course. Data about frequency and times of use was also collected. In addition, data on student teachers' attitudes to the CMC was collected by questionnaire. Follow-up interviews were conducted on small groups of students to further explore the issues uncovered in the questionnaire. It is clear that the students found few problems with using the CMC and that many found it extremely valuable. It is less clear that the students saw clear benefits from using the chat facilities. The opportunities to engage in dialogue were grasped, but the educational value of doing so was not always appreciated by the student teachers.