There are a growing number of texts about e-learning, but most address only the problem of how to teach. None that I am aware of addresses the social implications of e-learning, its transformative effects, the social and technical interplay that affords and directs e-learning, and is currently reshaping educational practices. The research question, therefore, is ‘does e-learning require a new theory of learning?’ Methodologically, this theoretical review belongs with the field of education, particularly technology-enhanced learning. But the notion ‘technology-enhanced learning’ implies that learning exists, and is somehow ‘enhanced’ by technology. The line that I will take suggests otherwise: that learning and technology are reciprocal and co-evolutionary. Although e-learning practice is changing quickly, well developed theories take time to develop, test and modify. This paper will lay the groundwork for future theoretical work. As I have written before in outlining the case for the Sage Handbook of E-Learning Research (co-edited with Caroline Haythornthwaite) while “e-learning is a fast-changing field, what has been lacking in the literature is a work that emphasises key theoretical frameworks that underpin the field, addresses the complex interplay of technical, social, and organisational aspects of e-learning endeavours, and the relationship between research, theory, practice and policy.”