Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe Beehive, a new web application framework for designing and supporting synchronous collaborative learning. Design/methodology/approach: Our web engineering approach integrates educational design expertise into a technology for building tools for collaborative learning activities. Beehive simplifies the development of the collaboration tools required to implement proven educational design strategies. The methodology consists of a framework model that has three abstraction layers: pedagogical techniques, patterns, and computer supported collaborative learning components. Findings: Building eLearning systems that are informed by the educational research in design patterns, can lead to a better, richer and more flexible, infrastructure. Beehive's design enables teachers to design and use synchronous collaborative learning activities, either by using well tested research-based learning designs or by creating their own. Research limitations/implications: The system will need to be used by a large number of teachers and learners before evaluation and usability tests are possible. Originality/value: The paper presents an integrated solution application that enables teachers and students to design and carry out synchronous collaborative learning activities in a very simple manner. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)