This paper outlines work in progress at the University of Edinburgh on the construction of a small World Wide Web-based interactive learning environment (EPIC) developed for the teaching of high performance computing. The paper begins by outlining work done in cognitive science on how people make use of structure in physical environments. Within this context, the EPIC system is presented as an illustration of how the principles can be applied to aid the learning process. User feedback and future plans are also discussed. (Author/DLS)