This paper is about distance education design in a CSCL framework, building on theories of communities of practice. One teacher and nine student groups in higher education have been followed during one course. An analysis is made on1098 posted contributions, and interviews made with all participants. The result shows that the teacher says she is embraced by socio cultural theories. However, in practice she carries through the course in a constructivist manner, leaving it up to the students to form their pedagogical practice to a great extent on their own. Structuring assignments, feedback, designing for the unexpected, teacher as a co-learner, are aspects highlighted in the analysis.