Rich educational environments encourage students to construct their own knowledge, to solve problems collaboratively, and to heighten their interest and motivation to continue to learn. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study that investigated the formation of collaborative problem solving through social interaction during a large-scale space science simulation exemplifying an innovative educational design. Results from this study suggest that this nontraditional educational approach is conducive to collaborative problem solving, involves students in small and large group experiences, and actively engages students in learning. Contains 18 references. (WRM)