Several lines of educational theory and practice are relevant to conceptualising SCLEs. One important contributor is the literature on instructional design, which is concerned with the practices of designing physical and virtual learning environments. Grounded in constructivist perspectives on learning, this literature takes the stance that learning is an active process of knowledge construction and sense-making that evolves with guidance from teachers, other participants and/or the material environment (Land, Hannafin & Oliver, 2012; Mayer, 2004). Whilst differing interpretations remain, there is general agreement that SCLEs offer opportunities for students to work on real-world problems, gain practical experience from practices characteristic to the knowledge domain, and take ownership of their inquiry processes (Land, Hannafin & Oliver, 2012). This suggests the tasks and learning activities included in the pedagogical design should involve students in the types of explorative and investigative practices that are central to generating knowledge and showing expertise in the domain, and that such practices should be related to problems or situations that are relevant to the students’ prospective work. The students’ engagement with knowledge is highlighted, more than the content of what is taught. The emphasis on ‘ownership’ denotes that students, at least to some extent, should develop and follow their own paths in the inquiry process and commit to the task at hand. A general principle is that activities should be guided, or ‘scaffolded’, by teachers and/or other actors and resources in the environment (Land, Hannafin & Oliver, 2012). This has implications for how the teacher’s role is conceptualised. Rather than traditional instruction, teaching becomes a matter of designing activities and environments by carefully assembling a set of tasks, tools, resources and responsibilities that are distributed to participants (Goodyear, 2015). The role of the teacher in the learning process becomes that of a facilitator and a guide in the students’ evolving inquiry process rather than a transmitter of knowledge.