Offers an analysis of complexity in learning environments from a cognitive perspective. This book makes specific suggestions for educational practice on complexity. It discusses theoretical accounts and empirical findings about learning, the learner, and learning environments.

Contributors. Preface. Introduction. Setting the Scene: Complexity and Learning Environments (J. Elen and R. E. Clark). How the Human Cognitive System Deals With Complexity (J. Sweller). Motivational Challenges Experienced in Highly Complex Learning Environments (R. E. Clark, K. Howard, and S. Early). Mental Models and Complex Problem Solving: Instructional Effects (N. M. Seel). The Social Complexity in Establishing and Sharing Information Resources (U. Cress and F. W. Hesse). The Culture of the Mathematics Classroom: A Complex Determinant of Students Learning (F. Depaepe, E. De Corte, and L. Verschaffel). Scaffolds for Computer Simulation Based Scientific Discovery Learning (T. de Jong). Coping With Complexity in Multimedia Learning (R. E. Mayer). Collaboration Load (P. Dillenbourg and M. Betrancourt). Balancing Support for Student Learning (J. D. Vermunt). The Use of Instructional Interventions: Lean Learning Environments as a Solution for a Design Problem (J. Elen and G. Clarebout). Performance Assessment and Learning Task Selection in Environments for Complex Learning (J. J. G. van Merrienboer, D. Sluijsmans, G. Corbalan et al.). Meeting Challenges to Researching Learning From Instruction by Increasing the Complexity of Research (P. H. Winne). System Theoretic Designs for Researching Complex Events (W. Winn). The Systemic vs. Analytic Study of Complex Learning Environments (G. Salomon). Hypothesized Performance on Complex Tasks as a Function of Scaled Instructional Strategies (M. D. Merrill). Conclusion - When Less Is More: Research and Theory Insights About Instruction for Complex Learning (R. E. Clark and J. Elen). Author Index. Subject Index.