The paper deals with the design of Smart Learning Environments (SLEs). Over and above that, it’s about the interconnection between SLEs and the internet of things. With the question of how an interdisciplinary approach can contribute to the design of SLEs together with the disciplines of education, computer science and architecture the study empirically applies data collected in 2016. The empirical research was initiated by consolidating the findings from transdisciplinary analyses of the literature in a hypothetical model for designing SLEs. This model pooled success factors from different spheres of influence and served as a tool for empirical research. A triangulation was used for facilitating a model-validation in the context of 7 expert interviews, 7 questionnaires as well as a workshop with training experts. The data analysis resulted in the development of a holistic, socio-technical framework.