Clark's Four Learning Architectures provide a learning theory rationale for composing a "blended learning" strategy.
• Receptive (information acquisition),
• Directive (response strengthening),
• Guided Discovery (knowledge construction), and
• Exploratory (linking to real world tasks and resources).
The different architectures suggest different ways to organize lesson content, what kind of practice is included, the value of making mistakes during learning, and the opportunities for the learner to control the learning process. The different Delivery Systems modalities which constitute a "blended" or "hybrid" learning approach reflect the kind of instructional choices that the designer believes is appropriate (most effective and efficient) for a particular audience. The section entitled "Four Architectures" provides a detailed discussion of Clarke's model.
The Variety of E-Learning Instructional Methods & Activities
A particular learning event will engage a learner in Receptive, Directive, Guided Discovery or Exploratory Learning; while the sequence of activities in a Blended Learning course has the potential to engage all of these learning architectures (instructional strategies).