I decided to read this publication more for the reference to blended learning and the instructional media matrix. What I found was pretty thorough overview about distance learning from a historical standpoint, definitions of different terms and also a look at what myths we've become accustomed to as educators.One of the things that was brought up was learning styles. I've heard this mentioned in other research but this publication states "cognitive science has revealed that learners differ in their abilities with different modalities, but teaching to a learner‘s best modality does not affect his or her educational achievement. What does matter is whether the learner is taught in the best mode for a specific type of content." Therefore, choosing the appropriate instructional strategy based on what you want them to learn should be paramount. Whether their preferential mode of learning is addressed should not be a factor. Ninety percent of what the brain processes is visual so that should be taken into consideration.
Another point was that we've separated generations with the "Digital Divide" conversation and some researchers are saying that we are putting a "one size fits all" determination when really there is a vast array of skill level even within the so-called digital native generation. "Our main point for designers is that they should not be distracted by whether their learners are part of a so-called Digital Generation, but instead should focus on designing instruction based on sound cognitive learning strategies."
The discussion on blended learning mentioned "finding the right mix" it wasn't as prescriptive as I thought it would be but I guess that's the case with most documents. It was recommended that a thorough needs assessment be completed in order to determine which instructional medium contributes to the learning solution. The guide includes a concept map that depicts the blended learning model‘s three main components and related subcomponents.Link to the guide:
http://www.usdla.org/USDLA_Ins_Media.pdf
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