This thesis is dedicated to my wife Gail and my children, Mark and Lauren. They have watched me spend endless hours at the computer instead of with them. They have shared in my journey and always helped me when the road was hard. They have sacrificed as much, if not more, than I have. I hope this work justifies their support. ii This study examines the ability of online distance education courses using CMC and constructivist assessment tools to support cognitive presence and deep learning. Four online focus groups were conducted, three among graduate students and one among instructors who have respectively taken and delivered online courses in the Master of Distance Education program at Athabasca University. Transcripts of the focus groups were analyzed with the objective of developing a grounded conceptual model. The learning experiences, as described by the participants themselves, have shown that deep learning and