2.7 Interactive Educational Programming

2.7.1 Interactive Documentaries

As the viewer watches the documentary video, two small semi-transparent icons appear entitled language and animation indicating that an alternative language audio is available, and that an animation (or simulation) of the topic is available. It is possible that the two icons are presented at different times.

On selection of the language icon the viewer is presented with a list of languages for which alternative audio tracks are available; a single audio track is expected to be active at any point in time. The video continues playing in the background during the presentation of the language menu and the subsequent selection. The audio track is switched at the exact location that corresponds to the switching time. Subsequently, the language icon should not reappear until the end of the audio track and the subsequent recurring availability.

This scenario assumes encoding of the time periods during which alternative videos are available and presentation of the icon only during those time periods. It further assumes that a program timeline is maintained and used to synchronize the rendering of the selected audio with the main video.

After selection of the animation icon, the video is paused, and an animation (or simulation) application is launched and enlarged to full-screen mode. The viewer then interacts with the application and experiences the animation or simulation (see Figure 2.14). During the interaction the viewer can create bookmarks or other shortcuts that enable revisiting this animation or simulation in whole or in part. On completion, as the application is closed, the video is resumed from the point at which it was paused . See ETV Cook Book Guide to Enhanced TV [ETVCOOK] for additional examples.

Figure 2.14. Golf animation by Tyee Euro & Proteus on a Microsoft TV platform ( courtesy of Microsoft) [MSTV].

The introduction of commercials during documentaries complicates this scenario. The integration of commercials can be simplified if the broadcaster ensures that applications that they broadcast are required to include advertising slots (or a display area) in which they display a small (e.g., picture-in-picture) version of the commercial video when the application is running. With that capability, resuming the program without regard to commercials missed does not diminish the value provided to the advertiser.

This scenario assumes loose synchronization of the presentation of the animation with the time periods during which a simulation is relevant. At any given time, a single animation should be applicable ; this is the animation activated on selection of the icon. After an animation has been activated and closed, the icon should not reappear until a different animation is available.

In addition to animations, the same technique could be used to embed electronic books or other reading material in the documentary. For example, an astronomy video might contain markup pages or interactive book material about relevant analysis of a star life cycle with various degrees of details and complexity, including animated illustrations and presentation of mathematical formulas.

2.7.2 Online Courses

For the purpose of this discussion, online courses are viewed as similar to documentaries, with the exception that they may be more focused on a specific topic, and likely to include one or more teachers guiding the presentation. The important aspects of online courses is that their final goal is the transfer of a skill rather than present a general overview. This means that interactive courses should be made amenable to repeated replay by viewers from storage or recording equipment.

As an example, we consider an online cooking course. The viewer can interrupt the video at any time and obtain a textual presentation of the recipe. Additional information can be provided on specific items, including vendors that provide supplies or tools; purchases can be made directly from the program. Section breaks could be used to mark specific steps or replay segments. Multiple camera angles can be used effectively to present a window zooming in on the hands of the chef or to present videos with multiple variations on a single concept.

Online course authors may find it useful to introduce interactive quizzes into the video for purposes of self-evaluation . These quizzes could contain links to locations in the video in which the answers are found. Results of such quizzes may be communicated through a return channel to a group of vendors for marketing or other purposes.

2.7.3 Instant Polls

iTV instant polls are conducted as follows : During the program, at key time points, a blended multiple-choice question pops up on the bottom of the screen. The viewer can select an answer, which can be combined with the answers of other viewers in a certain geographic location to provide a statistical report indicating the percentage of responses in each category. A real-time update of the results is displayed next to the question.

This scenario implies the following assumptions. The poll question is in context only within a specific time period. Each viewer can respond exactly once; this is ensured by the polling application. Although poll questions pop up at specific time points, they need not be tightly synchronized. Polls are limited to geographic regions defined by broadcast coverage, and no coordination is required (but is allowed) among multiple emitters broadcasting the same poll.

The viewer experience is as follows. A pop-up poll question is presented with some animated transition and the poll results are updated continuously next to each possible answer to that question, until the question expires . Some graphics are provided to indicate that a response is requested ; this indication should disappear once the question is answered . The question remains displayed until an answer is selected or until the poll expires. Once a selection is made, the question transitions out. Once the question expires, its display transitions out. Subsequently, a menu option may be presented which displays the results of previous questions in the poll. This menu option expires and transitions out as well.

An interesting variation on instant polls was produced for the broadcast version of the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest [EUROVISION] (see Figure 2.15) which was powered by Platform-I technology; a similar approach could be taken in similar frameworks (e.g., popular beauty pageant or fashion shows). The iTV service was enhanced with information on the participants , real-time voting, and live score and results updates. As an example, at the end of the playing of all the songs, the panel of experts in each country voted on the scoring order of all other countries (i.e., not allowed to score itself). The scores were reported using graphics that contained a digital scoreboard, with a thumbnail version of that country's flag.

Figure 2.15. The iTV broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest [EUROVISION].

In another example, the application in Figure 2.16 was available during October 22 “27, 2001 to SkyDigital viewers, activated by the red interactive button. Watch Your Own Week allowed kids to vote every half hour between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for the program they wanted to see on Nick next. Nickelodeon anticipated a total of 100,000 votes during the whole week using the interactive TV application; this goal was reached in two days. In total for the week, 293,403 votes were cast using the iTV application, which was developed by NDS. Nickelodeon received a total of 578,000 votes during the full seven days: 293,403 using iTV, 58,000 using Short Message Services (SMS), and 180,648 using telephone.

Figure 2.16. Watch Your Own Week voting application [NICK].