Student-centered learning environments provide interactive, complimentary activities that enable individuals to address their unique learning interests and needs, examine content at multiple levels of complexity, and deepen understanding. This paper provides a brief overview of learning environments and identifies the foundations and underlying assumptions of learning environments. Learning environments are rooted in five foundations: psychological, pedagogical, technological, cultural, and pragmatic. The five foundations are functionally integrated in learning systems designs. The better integrated the foundations, the greater probability of success in the setting for which it is designed. Student-centered learning environments are rooted in several assumptions. These assumptions are based on a synthesis of empirical research, theory, and supporting examples and represent how the learner, knowledge, and structure of the environment are conceptualized. A table presents 11 assumptions and functions of student-centered learning environments. (Contains 17 references.) (AEF)