The document discusses designing a framework for serious gaming on interactive television (iTV). It proposes a format called ELU that combines linear audio/video streams with interactive educational content to enhance TV programs. The ELU format aims to leverage iTV's potential for learning while addressing its constraints like limited interactivity. It also describes tools for authoring, managing, and deploying ELU content on different iTV platforms. The goals are to make educational content accessible to broader audiences and provide additional support for weaker users. Evaluation of the ELU framework involved testing applications in various educational domains with over 200 users across 7 countries.

1. ELIOS Lab
Designing a technological framework for
serious gaming
on interactive TV
F. Bellotti, R. Berta, A. De Gloria
ELIOS Lab
DIBE – University of Genoa
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 1

2. Introduction
TV & education (mass audience)
Cultural movies, documentaries, news,
educational programs
Potential of iTV as a learning medium
Pervasiveness
t-learning
TV-based interactive learning at home
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 2

3. Introduction
Now challanged by other media forms
Interaractivity & mobility
New services to generate new TV forms
able to attract and retain audiences
Investigate how to support authors in
exploiting the t-learning potential
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 3

4. TV specific features
Several t-learning principles and
applications inspired by e-learning
TV medium’s specific features
Transmit information through broadcasting
Limited computing hardware
Different user interaction modalities
Remote control, low resolution screen, no
windows, no mouse, no keyboards
User typically in a relaxed environment and
attitude
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 4

5. TV specific features
TV typically perceived as an entertainment
medium
Emphasis on engagement and fun also for
educational topics
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 5

6. Key t-learning peculiarities
Edutainment particularly suited for
such a less formal learning
environment
Applications
e-learning user-driven strategies
Applications respond to user actions
t-learning more suited to media-driven
strategies for interactivity
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 6

7. Key t-learning peculiarities
A strong motivation for investigating how to
exploit Serious Games’ principles on iTV
A challenge on how to adapt the SG’s typically
user interaction-driven philosophy to a media-
driven environment
A number of educational games titles already
exist for iTV
Simply exploit TV as a display/computation medium
We are interested in exploring the integration of
SGs and TV programs
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 7

8. Sample existing applications
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 8

9. Enhancing educational TV programs
A lot of iTV research done
Personalization, interactive narrative and
remote collaboration
Research should be done on how to
support pedagogical experts to enhance
linear TV A/V streams
iTV educational services as enhancements
aimed at giving more value to TV-specific
languages and styles
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 9

10. Integrating TV & SG
Exploit and enhance the value of creative TV
professionals
e.g. authors, scriptwriters, cartoonists, etc.
Allow viewing of a program by interactive and
non interactive users
Foster a meaningful re-use of archives of TV
programs and historical videos
Approach complementary to techniques
borrowed from e-learning
e.g. remote user collaboration
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 10

11. Further requirements from user/stakeholder analysis
Compatibility with other iTV platforms
Support for various categories of users
Efficient content production
Support for User Generated Contents
(UGC)
High-quality graphics and usability
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 11

12. The ELU format (high-level)
A linear A/V stream
No user control
Non-linear interactive contents
Available over the video
Controllable by the user
Exploit a linear story
Can be viewed also by non-interactive users
Provide enhancements to improve the
interactive user’s experience
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Serious Games Development & Applications
12
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010

13. The ELU format (high-level)
Expected advantages
low production costs
centrality of TV authors
possibility of various user interaction levels
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 13

14. The ELU format (high-level)
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Serious Games Development & Applications
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15. Production & deployment chain
ELU AT EMP
- Creation of SCORM - Management
ESL
educational modules execution of the
- Customization and
courses
integration of
edutainment services
- Time-synch. with A/V
- Platform independent MHP STB
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Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 15

16. Production & deployment chain
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17. HCI Elements
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18. ELU Style
Communication is a very important part of a TV
program
Careful support of multimedia design
2 clusters of configuration parameters
Content, Style
Libraries of styles by 3rd party media designers
Concept similar to skins in web development
A course as the composition of a style part (media
designer) and of a content part (author)
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 18

19. ELU Scrpit Language
The screenplay of the programme
Implemented in XML
The time events, sorted in chronological order,
the time-line, then the logical events
To each event, an instruction corresponds
Controlling the presentation of cards, also keeping
into account the sync. constraints
LatestDisplayTime, minimumDisplayLength
Every instruction may be filtered by one or more
conditions – Personalizer Conditions
Dynamic and static user profile
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Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 19

20. EMP
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Serious Games Development & Applications
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21. Portability
ELU format is platform-independent
ESL language and the Authoring Tool
EMP is platform-dependent, first implementation
done for the MHP standard
Consequences
Programmes are specified in ESL and Services’
config. files
No impact by a platform change
The EMP to be updated
Comp. Layers not touched
I/O classes yes
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Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 21

22. TVEduGames
Games & Quizzes
Quiz. Sequences of questions and answers;
VisualQuiz. Q&As in images;
Couples. Join the matching elements;
RightPlace. Put icons in their right place;
RightOrder. Order a sequence of items;
Puzzle. Build an image from shuffled pieces;
Memory. Remember the cards;
Stop it! Stop the animation at the right time to answer
the question;
RepeatedTrials. Statistic outcomes from experiments
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 22

23. TVEduGames
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Serious Games Development & Applications
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24. Conclusions
Design of a system architecture with specific
modules aimed at supporting serial instantiation
of SGs applications in several different iTV
contexts
e.g. cards, game templates, ProgressBar,
PerformanceMeter
Visual authoring tool to support efficient
production of the interactive elements
Evolutionary rather than revolutionary approach
A media-driven strategy and the role of the
author/director in proposing contents
1st International Workshop on
Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 24

25. Conclusions
Added value of SG interactivity
help the viewer to better contextualize/understand the
video stream and
go more in depth about the touched items at the end
New iTV applications, in particular to support
weaker users
i.e. users that could not view the video without a help
Tools tested in 7 countries with over 200 end-
users and in a variety of edu domains
Cultural tourism, basic business, MBA statistics,
driving license, computer basics and basic statistics
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Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 25

26. Future work
Support of specific categories of users (e.g. the
elderly) through dedicated applications and also
through new interaction modalities
Pointing devices, gesture recognition and non-speech
vocal input
New generation iTV middleware to better
support media-driven interactive applications
Further increase in the appeal and usefulness of
the interactive enhancements by integrating
features and modules supporting social
interaction enabled by a more widespread use
of the return channel
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Serious Games Development & Applications
Univ. of Derby, 8 Jul. 2010 26