This current research aimed to reveal the effect of two types of providing adaptive guidance (fixed - flexible) in light of the phenomenon of the inverse effect of experience in the smart learning environment on reducing the cognitive load and developing some database programming skills among computer students. An experimental design with two experimental groups was used in this research. The research included an independent variable that had two types: levels of fixed adaptive guidance and levels of flexible adaptive guidance. The level of guidance is adjusted in light of the inverse effect of experience, such that the details of the guidance increase as the degree of experience of the student decreases, and vice versa, the details decrease as the experience decreases. The degree of experience increased and the level of guidance for one student changed in the smart environment. Learning may begin with low experience and then increase after learning some topics. This phenomenon is consistent with the theory of cognitive load. The research included two dependent variables: cognitive load and database programming skills. The basic research sample consisted of 60 third-level students in the computer program at the Faculty of Specific Education - Zagazig University. The results resulted in that the students of the second experimental group (which studied using flexible adaptive guidance) achieved better results than the first experimental group (which studied using the Fixed adaptive guidance) in reducing the cognitive load of students, while the first experimental group achieved better results than the second experimental group in both the cognitive and skill aspects of database programming skills. One of the most important recommendations of the research is the need to pay attention to designing smart environments based on levels of flexible adaptive guidance if the goal is to reduce the cognitive burden of students.