Making learning meaningful has always been recognized as a critical element in learning. The primary idea behind a REAL is to create an environment where students create complex, rich knowledge structures that apply to a variety of problems. This cannot be done from decontextualized, lower level activities. To become capable problem solvers, instructors must provide students with a variety of learning activities that are anchored or situated in realistic problems, while showing them how to use their existing knowledge to address each new situation.