Internet-based teaching and learning has been the topic of many recent projects and research work. While it is relatively easy to use the Internet to transport conventional types of lectures and course notes, it is more difficult to utilize the full power of Internet-based techniques to advance teaching and learning conceptually. In this paper we will discuss the KBS Virtual Learning Environment built within our group, its theoretical background in the form of constructivist models of learning

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... nd teaching, its use for our courses and its implementation. Keywords Distributed Learning Environments 1 Dipl.-Math. Nicola Henze Dipl.-Math. N. Henze has received her masters degree in mathematics from the University of Hannover. As a member of the knowledge-based systems group at the University of Hannover, she is working on adaptable and adaptive hypertext systems and user-adapted learning environments. Prof. Dr. techn. Wolfgang Nejdl Prof. Dr. Nejdl has graduated from the Technical University of Vienna in computer science, and is currently full professor for computer science at the University of Hannover, and head of the knowledge-based systems group. He has worked in the areas of databases, artificial intelligence and hypermedia for education, and has published more than 90 articles in conference proceedings and journals on these subjects.