Technology and the articulation of vocational and academic interests: reflections on time, space and e-learning

E-learning is commonly thought of as a means of overcoming the constraints of time and space: offering the possibilities of ‘anytime, anywhere’ learning. The argument in this paper is not intended to debunk this as a myth, but to examine some of the ways in which time and space are understood in relation to learning and e-learning. In the context of e-learning for continuing education time takes on a special value. Yet it is strangely under-examined in the literature of e-learning. The paper emphasizes two things: (i) that time and space are not containers for activity, but social constructs; (ii) the spatio-temporal simplifications to be found in the discourse and practice of e-learning are not neutral, benefiting some people and not others, obscuring as well as revealing choices. The same is true of the simplifications about learning and knowledgeable action in the workplace, so the paper also reflects upon some of the dominant simplifications about the relationships between knowledge and action in the academy and the workplace.