Cross-university computer supported collaborative learning courses are promising applications to enable future workers’ acquisition of skills and experience regarding computer-supported collaborative activities at an early stage. However, very few is yet known about both appropriate didactic concepts and critical success factors regarding such contexts. To address this issue, we designed a didactic cross-university CSCL course concept for the collaborative use that was carried out within regular courses of two cooperating universities. The collaborative course (N = 51) was evaluated using a post-hoc online survey. Results indicate that transparency of the collaborative group task is a key to course success. Furthermore, any type of coaching is highly recommended since in particular novice collaborative learners need frequent feedback and support in cross-university course settings. Gamification elements can play a crucial role in this context to keep learners focused and motivated to carry on with the demanding group work. Conducting group work can foster learners’ collaborative competences. Future research should build on the present first approach by conducting well-structured investigations in order to furtherly contribute to this widely neglected field of research.