The pedagogical-technological divide and the elephant in the room

There is a widely held belief in e-learning circles that pedagogy must come before technology. In this paper it is argued that, not only is that not true, but that it is a weak distinction as pedagogies, insofar as they represent a set of techniques and tools for learning, are as much technologies as the computers, forums, virtual classrooms and institutional structures in which they are used. This perspective has some significant implications as to how we should research and use educational technologies. The nature of the relationship between different technologies is examined and some conclusions drawn about implications for educational research, and how technologies should be designed. A major outcome of this analysis is to consider the importance of factors apart from pedagogies and other technologies that lead to effective learning experiences. It is argued that this is the elephant in the room that is largely ignored in educational technology research.