Abstract
Interactive television or TV-i, a component of Vidéoway technology, is a new genre of programming that allows the viewer to intervene directly in the content of a programme during the broadcast through a remote control device Four major types of interactive segments have been identified content preference (e g selecting a song), story involvement (e g making decisions for a character), knowledge-base (e g solving a maths problem) and visual composition (e g selecting the viewing angle on a concert) Drawing both on the general research literature on children's understanding of linear television and on recent studies of TV-i for children, this article discusses the relevance of a cognitive developmental framework for the design of age-appropriate interactive programming The age of eight typically marks a turning point in children's comprehension of television narratives and characters and of the reality of television Accordingly, the article discusses TV-i in relation to Piaget's 'pre-operational' children and 'concrete operational' children respectively It also suggests that interactive television offers new opportunities for the creation of programmes that could facilitate children's learning and foster critical viewing skills In addition, the article raises a number of research questions relating to children and interactive television
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