Most kids are weaned on the Internet, not TV. So, iTV will have to offer a compelling experience that is distinct from broadband. Education is a possible use if schools have the $$ resources to acquire necessary equipment. In this challenging economy, where will the dollars come from?

When it becomes affordable for schools and various institutions it will become more used.

iTV can be a powerful tool for educational content. The challenge will be in finding production and distribution models that work for all the parts of the chain. As a national broadcaster, PBS has been focused on the cable networks for distributing iTV content. However, cable business models have not been structured in a way to support or even allow for high-quality educational content. Interactive educational experience have so far been much more successful on the Internet, where niche (and sometimes closed) networks are more economically feasible.

TV is often misrepresented as primarily an 'entertainment' device, when in truth most people that I've done home visits with (and I've done a lot of these - in many different countries, including this US), speak of the TV as an important source of daily information and learning about the world. Particularly men - the only thing they will admit to watching is the discovery channel, the history channel and similar outlets - well, that and sports. :-) so, if we think of education as not only formal education (teaching basic literary skills to preschoolers), then I'd say that to a great extent (60+ percent) of iTV services that are providing enhanced content will be 'educational'.

A lot. PBS is dedicated to doing it... but are audiences eager to see it?

hope it will be used extensively, since educational applications have significant potential.

Not much, unless someone comes up with a real business model for educational services.

Some educational applications will definitely employ iTV, but the economics are not yet known.

Not sure this is worthwhile if web resources are freely available. It is a lot cheaper to produce learning content for the web than it is to produce it for a (worthwhile) iTV stream. Truly rich learning content that increases retention and ability requires a lot of interactivity and (synchronized) content forms. Again, cheaper to produce for the web, where network protocols and client (i.e. PC) resources are well understood and available. The best iTV learning application IMHO is to deliver low-interactivity learning content to impoverished rural areas, where web resources are too-expensive or not available. Adoption by learning channels would increase if the goal of these channels is to rich population segments that are struggling economically. Within this model, PBS could provide access to additional resources within the broadcast to help learners access additional information about what is being discussed within the program. Even register to receive learning materials by providing personal information.

25%.

I am a bit pessimistic here; I do not anticipate more than 25-30%. The bandwidth requirements do not match up with US infrastructure (not enough inexpensive bandwidth into the home) to support widespread use of the technology. The potential is enormous, but the access is not there yet. We've actually been working with our local PBS station on opportunities for future higher ed programming. They have made the technical switch to HD, and they fully plan to take advantage of multi-casting (broadcasting four channels simultaneously). The PBS station wants to dedicate one of these channels to higher ed, and they need programming partners. The problem is the production costs are outside any model that my organization can support.

For purely educational content or distance learning applications, I think that the PC will be the main terminal within the US market for some time.

It will become increasingly important in all distance learning solutions, particularly where live broadcasting is used to introduce a live teacher into the e-learning equation.

A great extent.

It already is, in a web-like environment. I produce interactive teaching materials myself, in fact. It is an easy jump from what PBS (as an example) does now -- invites viewers to a specific URL for more information -- to viewers being allowed to pause the programming, bring up the additional information, maybe get some lessons on the basics of the topic discussed, and then resume the programming.

This is where it should start. In these economic times it will have a greater impact then computer based technology since many middle-aged and older viewers do not use a mouse and key board, but can use a remote control.

The iTV channel could provide a good national platform for distribution of national content. Demand is predicated on penetration into the classroom, and interest in the home and office. Sesame street became must see TV for parents who wanted to give their kids a leg-up and keep them entertained. Good user interfaces will only increase demand.

Massive video delivery systems are being developed in the higher education arena as we speak. I firmly believe iTV will replace PBS for the delivery of content produced by educational institutions.

It will be used, but underutilized. There will be some good examples, but the Internet provides a better platform for many educational applications. It will need to be embraced by educators, and there need to be more partnerships with schools.