In Chapter 4, an alternative approach is described for coping with the barriers and which forms the central theme in this dissertation. This alternative approach suggests an ecological approach to social interaction implying that the primary object of study is the CSCL environment itself and not the educational techniques nor the pedagogical methods. Environmental properties of the CSCL environment –referred to as social affordances– are seen as being co-responsible for the degree in which social interaction is taking place. The alternative approach is formulated in a theoretical framework, which, in addition to the ecological approach, includes the concepts of sociability and social presence. The framework is used as a guideline for designing and implementing sociable CSCL environments. Therefore, the focus of this chapter is on the barriers of the third ring and partly on the barriers of the second ring, because the framework addresses social presence.

Contemporary computer-supported collaborative learning environments are predominantly functional, focusing almost solely on the support of cognitive processes for learning. However, members of asynchronous distributed learning groups using these functional environments feel isolated and remote and, consequently, cannot establish relationships with each other resulting in a failure to achieve trust and a sense of community. The barrier here is that these purely functional environments lack social functionality. This barrier is identified in the present research as a barrier in the third Ring. This chapter advocates designing and implementing sociable computersupported collaborative learning environments and proposes a theoretical framework as a guideline for designing and implementing such sociable environments. The framework comprises three foci: the ecological approach to social interaction, the concept of sociability, and social presence theory. Because the framework also addresses social presence, barriers that exist in the second Ring are occasionally addressed.