Television as we know it is rapidly
changing. The experience of watching
television is fast becoming less time
and place based and more personalized and platform varied. It is also
becoming a shared social experience
through the convergence of smartphones, tablets, digital television,
and apps. (See “Four Trends Leading the Way,” page 16.)
In many countries, the rate of television ownership is dropping as the
television experience shifts online
via on-demand internet streaming.
Though this change in how we watch
television is occurring everywhere,
it is most pronounced in East Asia,
where extensive broadband access and
low prices have spawned the development of internet protocol TV (IPTV).
In contrast to internet-enhanced
and web TV, such as Apple TV, or
hybrid TV, which uses HTTP proto-
cols to deliver programming on top
of existing networks via a TV set-top
box, IPTV is delivered over an IP
network. It combines standard- and
high-definition (HD) digital content,
broadcasting (via cable and high-reso-
lution television), telecommunications
(ultra-high-speed internet, digital
television, and two-way communi-
cation), mobile devices (tablets and
smartphones), and social media to
provide on-demand and personalized
PD programming to teachers at home
or at school.
ersive Environments
Immersive environments allow
users to have experiences while
“immersed” in a self-contained
artificial or simulated environment.
Because the interface is so visual,
the activities so complex, and the
experience so engaging, users can
hone their technical, creative, and
problem-solving skills in a safe environment where they don’t have
to worry about inevitable mistakes.
Many professions use immersive
environments that simulate real-life
worlds—airplane pilots with flight
simulation programs, for instance—
and many teachers interact with
immersive environments informally
as gamers. We see the potential of im-
mersive environments to help teachers
build, enhance, and refine a particular
skill or set of behaviors.
