The research on the online formative processes has a technical basis, that the relation with the technique is never purely instrumental. In addition to a technical basis that defines its functionality, the digital platforms, virtual environments and digital media network have as a characteristic the fact of allowing the transmission of elements either abstract or symbolic. This paper proposes an exercise in epistemological and methodological issues involving research on the online formative processes in order to overcome the antagonism between the cultural dimension and the technique of the technological means. There are two possible explanations for the relationship between technologies and education, proposing a socio-technical approach as a possible theoretical and methodological orientation.
technology and education; technical objects; socio-technical approach; information and communication technology