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By Root 469 0

be divided without weakening it. As a result of this limitation, analog communication tends to be point-to-point, and bandwidth (i.e., the portion of the network needed to convey the signal) is allocated according to the location and capacity of the sender and receiver. In digital technology, the signal is divided into discrete bits that can be reproduced, divided and distributed without any loss in quality or strength. Transmission does not have to be point-to-point but can utilize the resources of the entire network, and bandwidth can be allocated according to the information load, which is much more efficient. These innovations make possible many-to-many communication that facilitates group exchanges in real time. When a verbal or audio message, image or video is sent across the Internet, it is broken up into packets that seek out different paths across the network, in search of the fastest way to their destinations, where they are reassembled. There are four primary advantages to digital over analog technology that are important in this context. First, digital networks can handle different media (i.e., words, images, audio and video) equally effectively; second, data can be transmitted without suffering degradation; third, synchronous multiparty communication is possible; and fourth, digital networks are much faster than analog. So when digital devices are deployed on the Internet and the World Wide Web, more people can be connected, and information in more kinds of media can be sent more quickly and effectively.

A second distinctive characteristic of decentralized digital networks is that they are interactive. These networks are not centralized hierarchical structures in which the sender is active (i.e., a producer) and the recipients are passive (i.e., consumers); rather, they facilitate free exchange in which everybody can be both active and passive and, thus, participate both as a producer and as a consumer.

In terms of traditional pedagogical practices, centralized broadcast networks resemble the lecture format and decentralized interactive networks simulate a seminar arrangement. It is important to stress that distributed networks facilitate exchange not only between instructor and student but also among students themselves. In my experience, online class exchanges tend to generate additional discussion groups and forums, which often expand beyond the members of the class. Obviously, such interactivity is not limited by physical proximity but can occur among all people who have access to the necessary technology. Several of my courses have led to international discussion groups with students from the United States, Europe and Australia. The possibilities for interaction extend from individuals to institutions. As we will see below, online teleconferencing technology opens new possibilities for cooperation among colleges and universities as well as other institutions and organizations throughout the world.

Third, interactivity promotes diversity and increases both the freedom and the responsibility of members on the network. When consumers become producers, they do not have to accept what others present but have the freedom to respond in creative ways. With the interactivity established by network technology, there is a shift from mass production to mass customization. Consider, for example, the way in which the iPod led to a severe weakening in sales of CDs by allowing people to customize their music selection rather than purchase songs they don’t want. In one of the most creative uses of the iPhone I know, artist David Hockney is producing and distributing original artwork to individuals on the Web. This model could easily be adapted to create and distribute educational materials. In a later chapter, I will show how these developments reconfigure the responsibilities of teachers and give students more freedom to help fashion their own education.

Fourth, digital technology allows for reproduction without any loss of quality; the copy, in other words, is just as good as the original. Moreover, data can be stored