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Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel

DIGITAL CABLE & VIDEO-ON-DEMAND (VOD) FOR INTERACTIVE LEARNING: EXPLORING A MAJOR NEW CHANNEL Stephen J. Andriole Villanova University Brian C. Dooner Comcast Corporation VOD Consultant Jeffrey L. Worthington Ascendigm, LLC

ABSTRACT This paper reports on learning technology assessment project. The research assessed the potential of digital cable (TV) and its latest personalization technology—video-on-demand (VOD). VOD technology provides the capability to interact with cable-delivered content. The widespread deployment of VOD technology means that for the first time digital cable TV users will be able to interact with programmed and customized content in much the same way they interact with video cassette recorders (VCRs) and digital video disk (DVD) players. Within several years, the interaction capabilities of digital cable and video-on-demand will far exceed the interaction capabilities of today’s DVD players. How might learning content exploit this new channel? What learning “scenarios” make the most sense? What’s the schedule for the rollout of interactive VOD technology? This paper provides some answers to these and other questions.

I. BACKGROUND The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has pioneered—and matured—its program initiative called “Learning Outside the Classroom.” The success of the decade-long program is impressive. In the early days of the program, a number of decisions were made that at the time made sense – and actually proved to be incredibly timely and prophetic. We assumed that the distributed-asynchronous— anytime/ anytime—connection model made sense. We assumed that structured interaction with distributed students with semi-structured content would simulate significant aspects of the face-to-face learning experience, and we assumed that the proprietary collaborative computing and communications environments—like Lotus Notes—would support asynchronous learning. All three assumptions proved correct. Back then we looked at other content forms and delivery models, including technologies like cable TV. But in the early years of the program neither cable nor the Internet were mature enough to support asynchronous learning.

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Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel When the World Wide Web rolled out in the mid-1990s, it displaced nearly all of the proprietary applications and quickly became the primary asynchronous learning delivery platform. Thousands of courses are now accessible through the Internet (and corporate Intranets). Significant investment was made in the development of content, the organization of that content into degrees and other learning programs, and in techniques to exploit the evolving capabilities of the World Wide Web. It all works – and works well: there are somewhere around three million people learning online. As suggested, in the beginning of the program we looked at cable TV (not the much more recent access to the Internet via cable modems) as a potential learning/communications channel: it wasn’t ready, so we moved from proprietary groupware applications to the Internet. Is it time to re-visit cable? Can cable become another powerful learning channel?

II. DIGITAL CABLE: A NEW LEARNING CHANNEL Cable has penetrated over 80% of the North American households through which programmed entertainment is broadcast 24/7/365. More recently, digital cable transmission has become the new consumer standard target delivery technology, a technology that enables additional features, including two way interaction, time-shifted programming, customization, personalization and other forms of pullversus-push content options. This is the change—the disruptive event—that we believe holds enormous promise for learning outside the classroom. While the majority of cable programming is pushed at consumers at pre-determined times, an increasing amount is pulled through pay-per-view and the newest model – video-on-demand (VOD). VOD is the how the cable industry will personalize content. Programming will be selected and stored based on user/viewer preferences; content will be stored by cable providers who will host personal content on remote servers. In a very real sense, VOD servers can replace personal TIVO systems. VOD-enabled digital cable will penetrate over 36,000,000 homes by 2006 (18,000,000 by the end of 2003). This means that 36,000,000 million homes will soon be able to personalize content—and have interaction capabilities with that content long before 2006. What will people do with this capability? Some will direct their cable provider to build personalized content full of sports programming, some will only want Mel Gibson movies, but others will want more specialized content, content for which there are limited, but specialized audiences—and some will need certain kinds of content for professional reasons. In addition to conventional entertainment-based content, VOD will deliver additional learning content, such as: • Continuing professional education • Certifications • Test preparation • How-to & do it yourself instruction • Professional seminars & conferences • Self-help, self-improvement & wellness content • Corporation communications • Corporate training This list communicates the potential of the emerging VOD channel. 2

Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel Our research was targeted directly at the VOD digital cable opportunity to host theoretically unlimited amounts of learning content organized by individuals or the professional associations and organizations (including universities) with which they’re affiliated. Some learning content requires extensive interaction with an instructor, other on-line students and the learning material itself, while other content requires less. First generation VOD technology supports limited interaction; next generation VOD technology will support more extensive interaction. Many non-degree programs require very little interaction, while of course full-blown on-line degree programs require lots of interaction. The on-going exploitation of digital cable represents the exploitation of what will remain as the widest and deepest communications reach into society. Digital cable will become increasingly two-way, supporting deeper interaction between viewers/users and a wide variety of content. Digital cable is a disruptive communications technology and VOD is the first major technology to roll out under the digital initiative. VOD is not “on the drawing board”: it exists now. The major cable providers are offering VOD in various parts of the country. VOD and related technologies support the customization of learning content. Let’s look at the pieces of this market and the processes that will determine how effective the digital cable/VOD channel can become.

III. THE PLAYING FIELD The size of the emerging market is huge, as measured by projections of digital cable adoption. SeaChange and Jefferies & Company project that by 2005 digital cable box penetration will reach 45% of all cable subscribers (up from 27% at the end of 2002); this penetration will represent over 30 million cable subscribers by 2005 [1]. (SeaChange estimates the number of digital cable subscribers at 48 million by 2006) [2]. Strategic Analytics, Inc. reports that by 2005 the VOD server market—another key adoption indicator – will be nearly $700 million, up from $107 million in 2001 [1]. Cable companies have every incentive to roll out more and more digital cable boxes as a means of optimizing bandwidth usage (cost savings) and offering new types of products and services to customers (incremental revenue). For these reasons, increased digital cable penetration and further deployment of video-on-demand capabilities are the most financially attractive areas for the cable companies to focus on over the next three to five years. The learning industry is a $150 billion dollar industry, but has virtually no penetration in the “analog” or “digital” cable TV area. The availability of learning content and the arrival of a new interactive distribution channel will create new opportunities for linking digital cable/VOD users with learning content of all kinds. Initially, and consistent with the limited interaction capabilities of first generation VOD server technology, this content will be simple, ranging from videos about careers, problem-solving and specialized educational areas. But as interaction capabilities grow, learning content will grow increasingly sophisticated, as Figure 1 suggests.

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Large

M a r k e t S i z e

For-Credit Higher Ed

How-To & DIY Skills Training

Wellness & Self-help

Adult Education Non-Credit

General Corp. Training Technical & Vocational Corporate Comm. Seminars

Test Preparation

Continuing Professional Ed.

Conferences

Small Less

R e q u i r e d

I n t e r a c t i v i t y

More

Figure 1: Market Size, Content & Interactivity

IV. DIGITAL CABLE/VOD TECHNOLOGY Figure 2 describes where we are today, where we’ll be tomorrow and where we’ll be in several years. The figure organizes technology progress around what we define as “limited,” “enhanced,” and “robust” interaction scenarios. In other words, our technology trends analysis was organized around the amount of interactivity that exists today and what we can expect tomorrow. Or, from yet another perspective, how VOD technology will evolve from VCR-like to full DVD-like interaction - any beyond. The figure also suggests how input devices, set-top boxes and distance learning server will evolve over the next few years, the underlying technology system that enables access to—and interaction with—learning (and other) content.

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Digital Distance Learning Capabilities Timeline Limited Scenarios

Distance Learning Server

before Educational VOD

Enhanced Scenarios Applications: instant feedback & scoring, responsedriven navigation

Robust Scenarios

Adds: e-mail gateway

Integration

VOD System

Integration

Set-Top Box

Authentication

Thick set-top box running Interactive VOD app

TV / Inputdevice

Thin set-top box

Thick OCAP 2.0 set-top box

Simple digital cable remote with A/B buttons

Enhanced remote

VOD / Digital Cable technology deployed today 2003 2002

OCAP 2.0 Issued

OCAP 1.0 Issued

Technology ready today 2004

Alternate input devices

Built & deployed per today’s standards 2005 2006

OCAP 2.0 set-top box trials

OCAP 2.0 set-top boxes deployed

PHILA Tvs available

Figure 2: Video-on-Demand (VOD) Interaction Capabilities Over Time

V. INTERACTIVE SCENARIOS FOR DIGITAL CABLE-BASED The next step we took was to develop some scenarios that defined how today’s—and tomorrow’s—VODenabled digital cable can be used to deliver specific kinds of content. There are four scenarios. The first scenario—which has two versions (A & B) - assumes today’s VOD/digital cable technology with limited interaction. The third assumes—existing but not deployed—enhanced interaction technology, and the fourth assumes robust interaction (which is a few years away). The scenarios demonstrate how digital cable and VOD can be used to deliver interactive learning content, assuming various stages of technology deployment by cable operators, consumer electronics manufacturers and future technology vendors. The four scenarios are:

•

Current—“Limited” (today’s technology) o o

VCR-like functionality—baseline VOD deployment (A) DVD-like functionality—advanced VOD deployment (B)

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•

“Enhanced” (based on technology expected to be widely available in 1 to 2 years)

•

“Robust” (based on technology expected to be widely available in 3 to 5 years)

A. Scenario 1A—Today’s VOD/Digital Cable Technology with Limited Interaction & VCR-Like Navigation & Control (“Limited—VCR”) Each scenario was developed from a common perspective. We identified a learning topic and then the interactions and technologies necessary to fulfill the learning requirements. We end each scenario with a discussion of some of the issues connected with the scenario. Representative Learning Topic: Basic language skills training video with VCR-like navigation •

•

Characteristics: o

Use of remote device limited to linear, user-guided chapter navigation

o

Passive (one directional, stream-only) television experience Talking head traditionally dominates the screen; content producers should consider alternatives to keep the user experience interesting—such as: •

Heavy post production to insert graphics, scrolling text, crawls, etc.

•

Use of screen regions to simultaneously display graphics, text and video to emulate a more interactive learning experience

Some off-line, unsynchronized interaction with either Web or telephone

Chapters could pause automatically at the end (forced pause) to allow for off-line interaction

Test taking via PC-based Internet …

Interaction: o

User navigates hierarchical menu on VOD system to find educational content

o

For many cable operators, this menu system is also their interactive program guide (IPG) for tuning to channels, receiving text messages, setting parental controls, etc.

o

User launches VOD stream from the menu and uses VCR-like controls to work through the content

o

Because of the limitations of the remote control, keyboard input is not possible. Twoway interaction must take place via other media. Further, since today’s VOD streams are not synchronized with any interactive television applications, data capture from user input (no matter what the device) is limited 6


•

•

Technologies required: o

Digital cable system with digital set top box (Motorola, Scientific Atlanta [SA], etc.)

o

Programmable interactive program guide (Gemstar, SA’s PowerTV, etc.)

o

Video on demand system with sufficient storage hours to store educational content (Sea Change, Concurrent, nCube, etc.)

Observations: o

VCR control does not provide the user with many opportunities for interactive “participation” in a lesson. Therefore, one would expect learning results from this methodology to be similar to those from the use of video tapes over the past several decades. However, there are two subtle but distinct differences between tapes and VOD content. First, the VOD content is more likely to be viewed in a family room or wherever the user is accustomed to “leaning back” in the household. This is as opposed to playing VCR tapes in a more traditional “leaning forward” manner in a training center or work environment. Second, because VOD video learning content can be distributed so widely to so many households via digital cable, the spontaneous, impulse learning opportunities presented to so many prospective students should result in greater likelihood of “elective” courses being taken

o

Compared with PC-based navigation, today’s IPGs are limited in terms of overall functionality, graphics capabilities and ease of use. Operator maintenance is manual and content cannot be created dynamically like it is for the Web

o

Heterogeneity of input devices makes interactive data capture difficult, if not impossible, so the Web or the telephone (or possibly even cell phones or other wireless devices) would have to be used in order for true interaction to occur

o

From the standpoint of the cable industry, the first and second generation VOD systems’ that we see today have been brought to this level with one primary purpose – to allow cable operators to offer true movies-on-demand to customers. This allows them to compete with Blockbuster and other physical rental outlets for non-theatrical movie revenue. Business models are yet evolving in the area of on demand or time-shifted television programming. However, the basic VCR-like functionality required for these television entertainment applications also lends itself well to the education model

o

One of the clear benefits of today’s VOD system technologies over traditional VCR tapes is that extensive data can be gathered about user activity, both at the individual level and in the aggregate. This can even be done by geography, neighborhood, cable system node, etc. Details can easily be gathered such as number of times a stream is launched, the number of times the stream is paused (and where), rewound, fast-forwarded, etc. Although many cable operators’ data gathering specifications do not call for this level of detail to be warehoused and analyzed, today’s technology allows for it. Therefore in an education application, analysis could be done of at what points during a particular piece of content a user goes back and reviews, or skips, or pauses, etc. Trends could be

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Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel analyzed individually, by groups or in the aggregate, giving the content developer invaluable feedback on the use of the content.

B. Scenario 1B—Today’s VOD/digital Cable Technology with Limited Interaction & DVD-Like Navigation & Control (“Limited—DVD”) Representative Learning Topic: Same basic language skills program as with Scenario 1A but with DVD-like navigation. Also, safety skills training video example with extensive use of graphics and nonlinear DVD navigation capabilities. • Characteristics: o

Use of remote device allows non-linear, user-guided menu-based navigation

o

Passive (one directional, stream-only) television experience

o

Some off-line, unsynchronized interaction with either Web or telephone

Chapters pause at end automatically (forced pause) to allow for offline interaction

Simulation of scoring for simple yes/no and multiple questions can be achieved with guided “flowchart-like” nesting and looping of streams

Correct/incorrect responses evaluated and responded to by conditional branching rules authored into the DVD. These streams would be nothing more than 3 second loop that states something like “Incorrect Response” each time a user picks the wrong menu item in response to a multiple choice, yes/no or true/false question

More sophisticated test taking via PC-based Internet

User experience is enhanced in comparison to Scenario 1A by making full use of rather robust DVD authoring tools and a number of navigation options that provide greater user interaction

Subtitling options

Menu nesting features

• Interaction: o

User navigates hierarchical menu on VOD system to find educational content as with Scenario 1A

o

User launches VOD stream from menu and uses DVD-like controls to work through the content. Compared with Scenario 1A the user cannot only pause, rewind, etc. but may in this scenario also branch by using main menus and submenus authored into the content. This allows for non-linear branching, review without rewinding, etc.

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Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel o

•

•

•

Because of the limitations of the remote control, keyboard input is not possible. Further, since today’s VOD streams are not synchronized with any interactive television applications, data capture from user input (no matter what the device) is limited


Digital cable system with digital set top box (Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, etc.)

o


o

Video on demand system with sufficient storage hours to store content

o

Advanced VOD deployment, i.e. an interactive VOD system (such as SeaChange’s VODLink). This technology processes any authored DVD and converts them almost automatically into a VOD “offering.” As of Summer 2003, these technologies are available only in the lab and have not yet been deployed in a commercial application in the field. However, trials are anticipated sometime in late 2003 with several major cable operators: it is off the drawing board and coming into the field

Content creation efforts required: o

DVD authoring involves much the same effort as with traditional VCR training tape products. However, the producer has to have a DVD authoring skills (or resources) and other resources (hardware and software) to do the actual authoring

o

Additional effort is also needed to create “incorrect response loops” and other navigational specifications

o

Attention must be carefully paid to creating sufficiently compelling content to assure retention of use focus in what will likely be a “lean back” viewing environment

o

Interactive program guide must reflect current content offerings

o

Video on demand system has to be populated with MPEG-2 streams matching IPG offerings and propagated to all head-ends offering access; differences in encoding could arise if deployment is across heterogeneous VOD equipment vendors or across multiple cable operators

o

DVD author must coordinate conversion of DVD content into the interactive VOD system (SeaChange’s VODLink, other still nascent technologies) software

Observations: o

Compared with PC-based navigation, today’s IPGs are limited in terms of overall functionality, graphics capabilities and ease of use. Operator maintenance is manual and content cannot be created dynamically, like it is for the Web

o

Heterogeneity of input devices makes interactive data capture (at the remote “clickstream” level difficult, if not impossible. This is separate and distinct from the data capture happening at the VOD system level. This of course is still possible

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Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel o

First and second generation VOD systems’ first priority has been allowing cable operators to offer movies on demand to customers. This allows them to compete with Blockbuster for non-theatrical movie distribution. Business models are evolving in the area of on demand or time-shifted television programming.

C. Scenario 2 –VOD/Digital Cable Technology with Enhanced Interaction (“Enhanced”) Learning Topic: Simple language skills instruction with enhanced user input and interaction •

•

Characteristics: o

Use of remote control device for responses to brief questions/quizzes

o

Television experience:

Talking-head picture in separate region from interactive graphics screen region presents lessons with use of a/v materials

Use of “soft” radio buttons (on-screen representations of buttons that can be navigated to with the remote and highlighted for selection) for responses to •

Yes/no questions

•

Multiple choice questions

Scrolling text region below scaled video region reinforces lecture concepts and presents test questions

Instant feedback and scoring

User responses trigger content branching (response-driven navigation)

Interaction: o

User navigates to content through IPG and selects course

o

System “remembers” who student is and what progress made to date (requires integration of VOD with a technology yet to be commercially introduced that we will call a “Video Distance Learning System” or VDLS)

o

Course proceeds with full screen VOD functionality. After each lesson, the full screen view changes to the screen region mode show below. Multiple choice review questions are presented with response via navigating and clicking on correct answer with remote control device used for digital cable STB and VOD system

o

Upon completion of each lesson or chapter, the VDL system must make adjustments to the sequence of streams launched based on the ongoing performance of the student. Using the DVD metaphor, this would be the equivalent of dynamically authoring or assembling the DVD based on student interaction. Obviously, this is superior to the static

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Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel nature of “burned” DVD navigation rules. Records could be kept by student and analyzed in the aggregate to provide feedback to the courseware developer o

Certain sections the courseware could be dynamically extended or augmented, explanations could be made more thoroughly and lessons could even be repeated with different instructors or approaches. This of course would require that supplemental content be made available on the VOD servers for this conditional, non-linear branching

o

Also at the completion of each lesson, record is being made of responses for not only this student, but others taking the course. Further, it’s likely that these students are taking the course on different VOD systems with different set top boxes. Polling and aggregating results therefore requires that the VDL system be Internet-based. It’s imperative that the VDL system be standards-based and integrate with all major VOD systems. It must therefore have all the necessary rights to access and to share information with these VOD systems

• Technologies required:

•

o

Authoring tools combining the power of the DVD authoring environment with technologies yet to be developed. Although companies such as Chaos Media Networks have pioneered some technology in this area, the market is by no means mature and the long-term financial viability of these prospective vendors must be taken into consideration. Overall, these technologies would have to include some of the lower-end features of Web distance learning courseware development tools combined with the presentation and interaction capabilities of interactive television content creation authoring environments

o

Digital cable system with digital set top box (Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, etc.)

o


o

Video-on-demand system with sufficient storage hours to store content (Sea Change, Concurrent, nCube, etc.)

o

Next generation interactive VOD system (SeaChange’s VODLink)

o

“Video Distance Learning” systems that have yet to be developed

Observations: o

o

For this scenario to become feasible, two major components of the technology infrastructure must be put in place

Interactive VOD capability—something that doesn’t exist today, although some companies are working on early implementations

Video distance learning applications and infrastructure

Also, for this scenario to be deployed in the manner described, additional work with respect to scaling video is required by both the cable operator and the content creator. 11

Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel Since video content will be produced assuming full NTSC screen resolutions and size, there must be additional encoding and video asset management of a scaled version – one that fits in the screen region envisioned in this scenario. Although some set top boxes such as the 2000 class boxes from Scientific Atlanta can scale on-the-fly, others do not. Indeed, if recent trends toward all digital video networks require cable operators to deploy lower cost digital boxes, including those from Motorola that do not scale on-thefly, this issue will most certainly remain. Depending on the screen regions involved in the applications, this may or may not be relevant o

Interactive VOD is likely a natural evolution of the entertainment aspect of VOD, so the market will likely present a solution to this issue over the next several years

o

The VDL system is more complex and will likely be slower to emerge. However, certain variations of the above scenario can be developed without such a system in place. For example, instead of recording scores from multiple choice selections, the system could branch based on responses. This could simply follow the DVD metaphor based upon user response. If a response was correct, a small stream could be launched that says “Correct!” Otherwise, the menu authoring of the DVD functionality would provide for branching to a “Wrong Answer” stream, followed by a review of the subject matter not understood

D. Scenario 3—VOD/Digital Cable Technology with Robust Interaction (“Robust”) Learning Topic: For credit, non-technical courses • Characteristics: o

o •

Keyboard input:

Test taking—short response via TV-based keyboard

Text entry—e-mail to professor via TV-based e-mail

Television experience:

Overall, this scenario would emulate much of the interactive television experience as it has evolved to date o

User interaction data and database of responses, scores, etc.

o

Advances made in this scenario versus the previous two are mostly in the area of VDL systems. In other words, much of the user interaction with the content is the same, but in this scenario much of the content is either dynamically assembled or customized for each student, depending on teacher or course moderator input or rules

o

Courseware development tools will need to be sufficiently advanced to allow costefficient content creation for courseware developers

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Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel •

•

Interaction: o

As with other scenarios, the user would likely navigate the same hierarchical menu on VOD system to find educational content. However, perhaps in this application there is more of a “walled garden” or content segregation approach that limits login to students registered in particular courses. Once logged in, there could be numerous menu systems unique to the learning process as a whole, or to the educational institution or organization offering the courses

o

User launches the VOD stream as before and would still use VCR-like and/or DVDlike controls to work through the content, depending on how the application has been authored

o

Because of the limitations of the remote control, keyboard input is not possible. Twoway interaction must take place via other media. Further, since today’s VOD streams are not synchronized with any interactive television applications, data capture from user input (no matter what the device) is limited

o

True two-way applications could span the range from real-time, text-based interaction to one-way downstream, live video with synchronized text or speaker phone/conference call interaction to one-to-one two-way video interaction. The latter two examples however would require advanced bandwidth management tools and infrastructure that has yet to be commercially deployed


Advanced 5000-class cable set top box (more advanced than most of today's advanced set top boxes)

o

Advanced input devices (i.e. wireless keyboard, mouse, etc.)

o

Extensive interconnected applications on the server

o

Web cam (depending on the need for true two-way visual dialog) - impractical for the foreseeable future due to numerous bandwidth and security constraints

o

Standards-based authoring environments—yet to be developed—but will likely leverage the already widely accepted Web standards and methodologies. Ideally, a uniform authoring environment will emerge with conversion engines and utilities for Web-to-VOD content conversion

o

Wired teaching environments either in a classroom setting, audio/visual room or learning studio for any live or rapid content development applications

• Observations: o

Most of the observations contained in this scenario are speculative. None of the cable television technologies have evolved to the point where asynchronous, TVbased learning can be implemented. However, these observations are based on likely user behavior and adoption patters for both Internet based-learning and interactive television usage 13

Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel Developing content for advanced interactive educational applications is likely to be highly complex and costly for any early adopters of any VDL system. Movement towards standards for TV/VOD based courseware and integration with and conversion from Web-based courseware would likely be the most efficient and cost effective ways for commercial enterprises to develop economically viable product and service offerings in this area

o

VI. WHAT NEXT? Figure 3 suggests where we might go from here.

Technology C apabilities

Educational VOD Project Scenarios 1a. “VCR”

1b. “DVD”

VCR-like content control

DVD-like content control

2. Interactive VOD

Interactive

3. Web-like VOD

Web-like interactivity

True 2-way Interactivity:Very Low

Low

Moderate

High

Set-top requirement:

Low

Moderate

High

Low

Learning Content: Life Skills How-To

C ontent Types

Lifelong Learning

7:46 pm

Career Center

Education Content:

Financial Matters

Home & Garden

Health & Fitness

Personal Growth

Lifelong Learning

Academics

Professional Ed

Skills Training Professional Primary Secondary

Design

Design

P roject P hases

Test / Pilot

Out o scop f e

Design Test / Pilot

Field Trials

Test / Pilot Field Trials

Field Trials Roll-out

Roll-out

Roll-out Performance Testing

Performance Testing

Performance Testing

2003

2004

2005

2006

Figure 3: High Potential Opportunities

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2007


VII. CONCLUSIONS Our research confirmed our hypotheses about the potential of digital cable and video-on-demand (VOD) as a learning content delivery channel. We believe that the interaction technology roll-out schedule is perfectly consistent with the use of VOD technology for learning outside the classroom. There are several extremely promising opportunities for digital cable-based learning. This conclusion is based on: •

The Roll-out pace of digital cable and its most promising interactive capability, video-on-demand (VOD),

•

The interactive capabilities of video-on-demand (VOD) and set-top box technology trends; and

•

The cable industry’s interest in learning content.

What should happen next? We have an opportunity to pioneer the delivery of learning content through video-on-demand (VOD). The following questions will guide the next phase of our work: •

What kinds of learning content can be delivered via VOD technology today? What matrix of features and content describe the range of potential digital cable/VOD learning offerings?

•

What’s the entire process to identify a learning area, convert or create learning content, load it on a VOD server, and deliver it as part of a larger VOD offering look like? How much does it cost? Where are the bottlenecks?

•

What’s the best way to convert learning materials into digital cable-based VOD-delivered learning content?

•

What are the operational issues and the economics of the content conversion/creation process?

•

What are the interaction requirements for VOD-based learning?

•

What’s the demand for learning content delivered via digital cable? What’s the best way to promote the availability of learning content?

•

How should performance be measured?

•

How can the creation, conversion, loading and delivery of learning content be “systematized”?

•

What are the best organizational strategies to institutionalize the use of digital cable/VOD to deliver effective learning content?

•

What’s a workable business model for VOD-based learning content? How can providers make money and customers reap benefits? 15

Digital Cable & Video-On-Demand (VOD) for Interactive Learning: Exploring a Major New Channel •

What standards should be considered by the cable industry to accelerate the production and delivery of learning content via VOD?

VIII. REFERENCES [1] Jefferies & Company, Communications Equipment, Industry Update, “Video-on-Demand (VOD) Pause, Rewind & Fast Forward.” September 17, 2002 [2] As quoted in the Forrester Research report, “VODlink: SeaChange Untangles Cable's Interface.”

http://www.forrester.com/home/0,6092,1-0,FF.html

IX. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Andriole is currently the Thomas G. LaBrecque Professor of Business at Villanova University where he teaches courses in business/technology alignment. He is formerly a Professor of Information Systems & Electrical & Computer Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he conducted applied research in information and software systems engineering, principally through the Center for Multidisciplinary Information Systems Engineering, which he founded & directed. The MISE Center generated over $5M in external funding, principally from industry, the federal government and foundations. While at Drexel, and as part of the MISE Center’s R&D program (and with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation) Dr. Andriole designed and implemented the nation’s first totally online masters program in information systems.

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