Designing instructionally sound Web courses is a difficult task for instructors who lack experience in interaction and Web-based instructional design. Learning theories and instructional strategies can provide course designers with principles and design guidelines associated with effective instruction that can be utilized in the design of Web-based instruction (WBI). However, it can be difficult, especially for novice course designers, to operationalize these theories and apply them to the design and development of specific Web courses. Effective design methods for WBI that focus on student learning are needed. Design patterns have emerged as a means to capture design knowledge and present design solutions to designers. Design patterns can be used to effectively support novice designers of Web-based courses. This paper discusses how design patterns that capture pedagogical principles and good design strategies can be used to support educators in designing instructionally sound Web-based courses. A design framework for WBI is presented and the resulting pattern language is introduced. (Contains 28 references.) (Author)