A quick scan of literature from the Journal of Educational Technology & Society would reveal that contemporary discussions around educational technology might be centered around topics such as mobile devices, web-based distance learning, game-based learning, or virtual reality to name a few. These types of emerging technologies are exciting and the fact that so much is still not known about their implications to the field of education renders them to be attractive topics for would be researchers. However, when examining recent articles centered around the use of these technologies, it can be seen that these technologies are being researched and understood through a lens that is largely based on work that came before them. In some instances, a perspective that really showcases the benefits of a given technology, is one that was founded even before that technology existed.

The concept of using technology in education is not new. It’s just that what a society considers to be technology is rapidly changing. While you surely couldn’t find scholarly research about the use of smartphones in a classroom prior to 2007 when the iPhone launched, it doesn’t mean there is no relevant starting point for someone who wishes to explore this field. Understanding that smartphones are a means of delivering an audio-visual experience for example, makes research on the topic of audio-visual media usage in the classroom potentially relevant. While the use of video-tapes might be obsolete, theories that emerged from a time when they were widely used, could still be relevant and applied to contemporary research. Understanding how the internet and social media have allowed communities and networks to form across geographical boundaries, for another example, would make past research about learning in communities relevant. Such research existed well before the advent of the world-wide web, but could still be applied, and expanded upon in the field of online learning communities.

Some might argue that as long as education has been around, technology has been mediating it. It’s just that what we view as technology is ever-evolving. (See A History of Instructional Technology by Paul Saettler). Current and future conversations in this field should recognize that significant contributions to the field remain significant even after the shiny-ness of the technology wears off.