International Journal of Creative Multimedia

International Journal of Creative Multimedia (IJCM)

2026-05-01T10:48:07+08:00

The International Journal of Creative Multimedia (IJCM) seeks scholarly work that explores the intersection of multimedia technology with creative content and research. We are interested in contributions that take advantage of the affordances of digital platforms in creative ways. The aim of this journal is to showcase current research in multimedia and other creative domains where knowledge of rapidly evolving digital media and its growth towards our lifestyle can be shared. IJCM is a double-blind peer-reviewed open-access journal published bi-annually (April & September) and is offered for online publication free of charge, without any submission, review, or page fees.

One Body Two Gods: A Visual Ethnographic Case Study of Ritual Roles in Southwest China

2026-05-01T09:03:16+08:00

This field report documents the dual ritual identity of a Yi practitioner in Southwest China who performs both as Lamplighter during the Taiping Lantern Festival and as Bimo in ancestral and funerary ceremonies. Drawing on visual ethnographic fieldwork undertaken between 2017 and 2024, the study incorporates participant observation, interviews, and visual recordings through photography and video. Particular attention is given to how rituals are enacted through bodily practice, symbolic gestures, spatial arrangements, and community reflection during the viewing of images. Visual ethnography is treated not only as a means of documentation but also as a collaborative process in which participants evaluate and reinterpret their own performances. The account shows how ritual authority is sustained through community recognition, generational perceptions, and symbolic consistency, while also adapting to the influence of contemporary media practices. The case demonstrates the value of visual ethnography in understanding how sacred authority is practised, negotiated, and remembered within local cultural settings.

AI-Driven Multi-Modal Framework: Expanding Comfort Zones for Autistic Children

2026-05-01T09:06:35+08:00

Autistic children often rely on familiar routines, which can limit exposure to new social, sensory, and creative experiences. This paper presents a multi-modal framework that integrates augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), interactive storytelling, and interpretable AI-based adaptation to support the gradual expansion of autistic children’s comfort zones. The paper does not report a completed intervention or effectiveness trial. Instead, it combines an integrative review of autism-support and creative-technology literature with a preliminary qualitative needs assessment conducted in Saudi Arabia to derive design requirements, localise the framework, and clarify how its components are linked. The proposed architecture is organized around five connected elements: narrative orchestration, AR experiences in familiar spaces, VR-based social rehearsal, state-based AI scaffolding, and caregiver-supported real-world transfer. The manuscript further specifies functional creative-media modules, a music sandbox and a digital art studio, and explains how challenge level, sensory load, and pacing can be adjusted through transparent adaptation rules. This paper proposes a design methodology and ethical framework, establishing a theoretical basis for future empirical validation of AI-driven transitions in ASD support.

An Instructional Design Approach for Adaptive Multimedia e-Content: Integrating Felder-Silverman Learning Styles and Backward Design

2026-05-01T09:10:50+08:00

This paper proposes a novel approach to designing and developing adaptive multimedia e-content for personalised learning environments, integrating the Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model (FSLSM), backward design principles, and adaptive techniques. The approach aims to address the limitations of single-dimensional learner profiling by considering multifaceted learning preferences across all four dimensions of the FSLSM. At the core of this approach is the recognition that effective e-content should be viewed holistically as a learning object, encompassing learning outcomes, activities, resources, and assessments. The FSLSM is employed to profile learners based on their preferences across the dimensions of Active/Reflective, Sensing/Intuitive, Visual/Verbal, and Sequential/Global. This comprehensive profiling allows for a nuanced understanding of individual learning styles. The backward design process ensures that learning activities, resources, and assessments are aligned with these preferences, creating a pedagogically sound and personalised learning experience. The approach integrates the FSLSM dimensions with backward design principles to design learning activities that cater to both active and reflective learners and are presented in both sequential and global manners.

Learning resources are selected to cater to visual and verbal learners and are presented in both sensitive and intuitive styles. Assessments are adapted based on the learner's knowledge level, providing targeted feedback and ensuring appropriate challenges. Content adaptation within this approach is driven by the learner's preferences regarding the type of learning activity, the presentation style of the learning activity, the type of learning material, and the content style of the learning material. By considering these factors, the approach facilitates the creation of a dynamic and personalised learning environment that caters to the unique needs of each learner. This integrated approach offers a robust theoretical foundation for designing and developing adaptive multimedia e-content that promotes personalised learning.

Soma as Commodity: An Analysis of the Double Exploitation of Women in Pangku (2025)

2026-05-01T09:13:15+08:00

This study examines the multimedia representation of structural economic constraints driving the commodification of women's bodies (Soma) in the informal sector along Java’s North Coast Route (Pantura). The research employs a qualitative approach using Critical Semiotic Analysis, drawing on Roland Barthes’ framework of denotation, connotation, and myth. The primary data consist of verbal and visual signs from the film Pangku, including dialogue, settings, body gestures, and narrative structures. These signs are interpreted through Materialist Feminism, Social Reproduction Theory, and the Constrained Choices framework to reveal how capitalism, patriarchy, and informality shape women’s labor and agency. The findings reveal that Sartika’s participation in kopi pangku labor is not a free choice but a structurally constrained survival strategy driven by poverty, gendered labor markets, and the absence of state protection. Her body and emotions are commodified as productive resources in the informal economy, while her reproductive labor as a single mother remains unpaid and socially devalued. The study identifies a condition of double exploitation, where surplus value is extracted simultaneously from affective, sexual, and caregiving labor. Additionally, symbolic violence operates through emotional debt, moral stigma, and narratives of benevolence that normalize exploitation and erode social capital across generations. The study concludes that Pangku represents women’s exploitation not as an individual moral failure but as a systemic outcome of patriarchal capitalism. Sartika’s experience demonstrates how constrained choices produce the illusion of autonomy while continuously relocating exploitation from public production spaces to domestic and intimate spheres. The film exposes how informal labor regimes and patriarchal family structures mutually reinforce women’s subordination specifically analysing how cinematographic codes transform labor into a visual commodity

Mapping AI Literacy Development Through Minecraft: An Epistemic Network Analysis Study

2026-05-01T09:19:25+08:00

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes societal, economic, and technological systems, developing AI literacy among secondary school learners has become an essential educational priority. Yet, little is known about how students construct AI-related understanding within immersive, game-based environments that mirror authentic computational systems. This study addresses this gap by investigating how students engage with AI concepts while completing constructionist tasks in Minecraft and by modelling the structure of their conceptual connections using Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA). Six secondary school students were selected purposively, participating in a series of AI-focused challenges involving automation, data tracking, and ethical reflection, with discourse and digital artefacts captured and coded across three themes: (i) AI Concepts, (ii) Collaboration, and (iii) Problem-Solving. Classification into “advanced” and “novice” groups was determined by a pre-study computational thinking diagnostic and teacher-recorded performance in prior technology elective modules, thereby enhancing methodological transparency and ensuring that group comparisons were grounded in observable prior competence indicators. ENA visualizations suggested that, within this small sample, advanced learners generated dense, triangular epistemic networks indicating tightly integrated conceptual engagement, whereas novice learners demonstrated more fragmented networks that became increasingly cohesive over time. Post-task analyses further demonstrated a strengthened co-occurrence between algorithmic thinking and ethical considerations across all participants. The study’s small sample size and reliance on a single digital platform limit the generalizability of the results, and qualitative coding decisions may introduce interpretive bias. Future work should expand the participant pool, explore additional game-based or simulation environments, and examine the longitudinal trajectories of AI literacy development to understand better how conceptual, collaborative, and ethical dimensions evolve through sustained engagement.

Reframing Animation Relevance in the Southeast Asian Platform Era: An Industry Perspective

2026-05-01T09:28:41+08:00

This article presents an industry perspective on the shifting paradigms of animation in Southeast Asia. The dispute over two-dimensional (2D) versus three-dimensional (3D) animation is typically framed in terms of technological innovation, realism, and production sophistication, with a preference for global blockbuster standards. However, for younger audiences in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, animation relevance is increasingly driven by platform-based consumption, cultural connection, creative economics, and production sustainability rather than visual quality. This conceptual article examines the relevance of 2D and 3D animation for Generation Z (Gen Z) and Generation Alpha (Gen Alpha) audiences within Southeast Asian media ecosystems. Using a qualitative synthesis approach, the paper integrates convergence culture, representation theory, youth media psychology, and creative industries perspectives to analyses how animation styles perform across cinema, streaming, social media, and interactive platforms. The analysis argues that while 3D animation remains dominant in high- end cinematic and franchise driven context, 2D animation has rebounded strongly in the region due to its expressive stylisations, cultural flexibility, lower production barriers and cost, also the alignment with short form and creator led platforms. Rather than viewing 2D and 3D as competing hierarchies, this article asserts that the relevance is context dependent and increasingly hybrid, particularly in Southeast Asian production environments. The article concludes that future animation strategies in the region should prioritise audience-platform fit, cultural resonance, and sustainable production models over technological hierarchy.

Animating Oral Traditions: A Qualitative Evaluation of 2D Media for Preserving Sabah’s Heritage

2026-05-01T09:31:28+08:00

The present article studies how 2D animation adaptations could preserve and communicate Sabah's indigenous narratives using qualitative data from written interviews and content analysis of five student-produced 2D films. The subject matter addresses the cultural significance, authenticity, and intergenerational reach of animated folktales, turning findings into production checklists and classroom-ready supplementary material. A qualitative design comprises written interviews with cultural participants and a content analysis of five short films: Susuzan Do Nulu Kinabalu (2024), Solungkoi (2023), Legend of Batu Luang (2024), The Tale of Kumokodong (2025), and Tales of Hantu Bubu (2024). These animated media are examined through reflexive theme analysis. The authors acknowledged that using written interviews has methodological drawbacks when compared to oral interviews, especially this methodology lacks the ability to capture nonverbal clues and the natural spontaneity that comes with face-to-face interaction. The findings revealed four themes: cultural identity and values, storytelling medium and reach, authenticity and portrayal, and intergenerational transmission. Participants described animation as accessible to youth and global audiences when symbols, language, and story integrity are protected through early and continuous collaboration with cultural custodians. For practical applications and significance, the study provides a five-criterion authenticity rubric, a four-step production pipeline, and contextual advice to help with authentic adaptation and cultural learning in classrooms and communities.

Platformised Authenticity: A Digital Sustainability Framework for Intangible Cultural Heritage

2026-05-01T09:34:18+08:00

This study examines how authenticity is formed and negotiated in the digital dissemination of intangible cultural heritage under platform-based cultural production. It develops a Platformised Authenticity Framework (PAF) to explain the relationship between authenticity, commercialisation, and digital sustainability. Using a mixed-methods design, the study combines a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications with a qualitative case study based on interviews with eight key stakeholders. The findings identify three interrelated stages of platformised authenticity: the display stage, in which heritage is made visible through visual narratives in digital environments; the perception stage, in which algorithmic recommendation and audience judgement shape cultural credibility; and the experience stage, in which emotional engagement and participatory interaction support social reproduction. The analysis further shows that inheritors, content creators, and users play different but interconnected roles across these three stages. By moving beyond a static understanding of authenticity, this study shows that the digital sustainability of intangible cultural heritage depends on the continued interaction among material integrity, platform visibility, and participatory cultural experience.

Reclaiming Creative Agency: A Virtue Ethics Perspective on Human-AI Collaboration in Motion Comics

2026-05-01T09:38:09+08:00

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has radically reorganised the production models of digital animation, and AI-driven motion comics have catalysed a transition towards high-efficiency production paradigms in the creative sectors. However, this technological empowerment hides an emerging ethical dilemma on the creative agency. Creators face 'moral deskilling', that is the erosion of narrative and emotional articulation through excessive automation, resulting in professional identity being hollowed out. This study uses a comparative case analysis with a theoretical lens of Virtue Ethics to create a tripartite analytical framework of Techne, Phronesis, and Virtue. It is through this framework that the research methodically dissects the processes of agentic weakening and suggests a path towards reconstruction. The results indicate that by using intent-focused ethical practices, creators ought to repurpose AI as a collaborative prosthetic based on a virtuous agent. This transition allows moving to passive operators to the so-called Virtuous Creator, thus ensuring the ethical autonomy in human-AI co-creation and avoiding the danger of colonisation of technology. On the one hand, theoretically, the given paper expands the scope of application of Virtue Ethics to the sphere of digital creativity; on the other hand, it provides practical recommendations regarding industry ethics standards and the recovery of creative agency, creating a sustainable synergy between humanity, art, and technology.

Digital Pedagogies in Cultural Heritage: Evaluating Creative Multimedia Integration and UI/UX Efficacy in Online Learning Environments

2026-05-01T09:41:53+08:00

This study investigates the intersection of creative media design and cultural education, focusing on how interactive digital interfaces facilitate the transmission of traditional knowledge. This qualitative cross-sectional case study was conducted within a sociocultural theoretical framework. Researchers used a purposive sampling method. In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve university students from different cultural backgrounds in Karachi, Pakistan. The researchers used thematic analysis strategy to analyse students' perceptions, indicated that standard digital interfaces often fail to account for the sociocultural nuances of diverse learner groups. Findings suggest that high-fidelity multimedia elements significantly improve student retention of cultural nuances compared to text-heavy digital platforms. It is recommended that the quality assurance framework should integrate culturally aware engagement mechanisms to ensure effective learning outcomes.

Virtual Avatars in Digital Heritage: A Systematic Review of Design Evolution and User Experience

2026-05-01T09:44:49+08:00

This systematic review synthesises findings from 22 peer-reviewed articles to examine the design evolution and multi-functional roles of virtual avatars in digital heritage. The literature under review represents an avatar as a cultural guide, a narrative character, an educational resource, and a social interface supported by artificial intelligence to enhance engagement, interpretation, and immersive learning. In the studies, the use of avatars has been found to correlate with greater user presence, emotions and quality of interactions in museums and heritage setting. Newer technologies, especially AIGC and the generation of avatars, are associated with advancements in realism of visuals, adaptive behaviours, and multimodal communication, which alters the perception of authenticity and responsiveness. Simultaneously, repetitive constraints are observed: vulnerability of trust, lack of emotion consistency, uncanny valley reactions and new ethical issues connected with AI-created representations. Furthermore, it provides the direction of both the practical and research on creation of a more culturally grounded and user responsive avatar system that can provide more meaningful and context sensitive digital heritage experience.

The Influence of Creative Multimedia and Social Media on Purchasing Decisions Among Newly Employed Youth: An AIDA Model Perspective

2026-05-01T09:46:56+08:00

The emergence of social media has become a powerful force in shaping consumer behaviour, particularly among young consumers. Drawing on the AIDA Model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action), this study examines the purchasing decisions of newly employed youths by analysing their perspectives on social media use and the associated forms of digital social influence. The primary aim of the study is to identify the most influential social media platforms and the key social factors that affect purchasing decisions among this group. Using a qualitative research approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine participants’ experiences with frequently used platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook. The findings reveal that TikTok is the most dominant platform influencing purchasing behaviour due to its algorithm-driven content, creative multimedia elements, user-generated videos, and interactive features. Additionally, social factors such as peer influence, digital word-of-mouth, social proof, influencer engagement, and pre-purchase information searching were found to significantly shape purchase decisions. These findings highlight the importance of social interactions and platform design in influencing young consumers’ buying behaviour and contribute valuable insights into the evolving digital consumer landscape. The findings further reinforce the relevance of the AIDA Model in understanding the role of social media in shaping purchasing decisions among newly employed youth.

Leveraging Moodle for Personalised E-Learning: A Framework-Based Analysis of Tools, Resources and Plugins

2026-05-01T09:50:28+08:00

This exploratory study examines the feasibility of Moodle as a platform for personalised e-learning, emphasizing resources, tools, and plugins that facilitate instructional adaptation according to diverse learner characteristics. The research relates these Moodle features with the Personalised Learning Design Framework (PLDF) proposed by Short (2022), which delineates essential elements for individualised learning. The PLDF specifically covers five essential aspects: Instructional Elements, Dimensions of Personalised Learning, the entity responsible for customizing instruction, the level of learner agency in this process, and the types of data that inform instructional adaptations. A framework-based qualitative analysis was conducted on a curated set of Moodle activities and plugins selected from the Moodle plugin repository and core LMS features. Each was systematically mapped against the five PLDF components to assess its personalisation potential. The findings reveal that tools such as Lesson, and Conditional Activities support adaptive content delivery and differentiated assessments. Plugins like Adaptive Quiz and H5P interactive elements enable data-informed personalisation, while features such as User Overrides and Groupings facilitate instructor-driven customisation. These results highlight Moodle’s capacity to support various dimensions of personalised learning and delivers an exhaustive reference for educational technologists and LMS specialists, presenting practical insights into the optimal utilisation of Moodle’s features to enhance personalised learning experiences – enabling more inclusive and learner-centreed educational environments. This paper establishes a basis for the actual execution of personalised learning activities, assisting instructors in customizing instruction to enhance engagement and outcomes for all students.

Teachers’ Confidence and Pedagogical Perspectives on Social Media-Based Augmented Reality in Malaysian Early Education

2026-05-01T09:53:00+08:00

Augmented Reality (AR) is increasingly discussed as a contemporary approach to enriching teaching and learning practices. However, its integration in early childhood and primary education remains underexplored, particularly from teachers’ perspectives. This study investigates teachers’ familiarity, confidence, conceptual understanding, and pedagogical perspectives regarding the integration of AR in classroom contexts following structured exposure to AR content creation using social media-based AR platform. A mixed-methods approach was adopted involving kindergarten and primary school teachers purposively selected due to their direct pedagogical roles in foundational education and their relevance to the study’s focus on early learner contexts. Pre- and post-test surveys were administered to examine changes in teachers’ familiarity, confidence, and knowledge related to AR integration. Paired-sample t-tests and McNemar analyses revealed statistically significant improvements across most perception and knowledge measures. Semi-structured interviews further explored teachers’ instructional intentions, perceived pedagogical value, and implementation challenges. Findings indicate increased instructional confidence, improved conceptual understanding, and recognition of AR’s potential to enhance learner engagement, visualisation of abstract concepts, and differentiated learner support. Time constraints and technical limitations were identified as key considerations for sustainable integration. The study highlights the potential of social media-based AR as an accessible instructional innovation and underscores the importance of scaffolded hands-on professional development, peer-supported learning, and curriculum-linked lesson design activities to support sustainable AR integration in early education settings.

Unveiling the Cinematic Aesthetics of Dain Said: Exploring Influences and Artistic Vision in Filmmaking

2026-05-01T09:55:37+08:00

The purpose of this study is to examine how Dain Iskandar Said articulates a distinctive Malaysian cinematic aesthetic through transnational stylistic influences and a sophisticated artistic vision in filmmaking. In the process of producing a film, it is important to consider the rules of composition so that it has effective communication with the audience about the meaning of certain things and why it is projected in a certain way as well as the aesthetic values throughout the whole film. There are several Malaysian films known for their aesthetic values, display-ing visually striking cinematography, art direction, and overall artistic sensibility. To name a few, we have some notable ones such as “The Red Kebaya” by Oliver Knott, “Lelaki Harapan Dunia” by Liew Seng Tat, “Bunohan” by Dain Said and Yasmin Ahmad films “Sepet,” “Gubra” and “Mukhsin.” In this study, the re-searcher will focus on three things. Focusing on cinematic aesthetics, stylistic in-fluences, and artistic vision, this study positions Dain Said’s work as a stylistic genealogy that translates European contemplative cinema into a locally grounded Malaysian visual and atmospheric language.

Board Game-Based Experiential Learning as a Sustainable Innovation for Media and Information Literacy

2026-05-01T09:59:36+08:00

The rapid spread of misinformation within digital media ecosystems poses a significant challenge to sustainable development, democratic participation, and informed civic engagement, highlighting the critical role of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). However, traditional MIL instruction often relies on didactic approaches that limit learner engagement and experiential depth. This study investigates the critical success factors of a board game-based experiential learning approach as a sustainable and innovative intervention for MIL education. An MIL workshop was conducted with 422 students using a board game designed around Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT), enabling structured cycles of experience, reflection, conceptualisation, and action. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, combining Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and correlation analysis with qualitative reflections collected through open-ended questionnaires. Five key factors were identified: (F1) Experiential Skills Development, (F2) Affective Motivation, (F3) Social Learning, (F4) Game Engagement, and (F5) Active Participation. The findings demonstrate that experiential learning plays a central role, strongly influencing motivational, social, and engagement-related factors. The intervention strengthened cognitive and affective MIL competencies, indicating that continued experiential engagement may further support the progression from awareness to active participation in addressing misinformation. This paper contributes a scalable, low-cost, and non-digital educational innovation, offering practical insights for educators and policymakers seeking to design inclusive, learner-centred MIL interventions that support long-term social resilience and sustainable development.

From Storytelling to Story-Generation: Negotiating Narrative Authority in AI-Assisted Advertising

2026-05-01T10:03:18+08:00

Contemporary advertising has evolved from a functional conduit for commercial information into a pervasive visual cultural text that shapes social realities. However, the emergence of Generative AI (GenAI) disrupts the ontological premise that narratives are stable artifacts strictly controlled by human intentionality. This paper explores the paradigm shift from storytelling to story-generation, examining how AI-assisted animated advertising reconfigures narrative authority. Using a conceptual qualitative analysis of current generative workflows. The study argues that advertising narrative is increasingly defined by the visual organisation of meaning, relying on rhythm, symbolised imagery, and affective atmosphere rather than linear plots. In this generative framework, authorship is no longer a localised property of a human auteur but a distributed structure where agency is shared between human prompts, algorithmic logic, and vast cultural databases. Consequently, narrative authority is relocated to the design of generative conditions and the curation of triggered outcomes rather than the direct fabrication of fixed images. Despite the expanded narrative potential, While AI facilitates execution, this shift introduces risks of narrative fragmentation and semiotic instability, challenging the brand's role as a consistent gatekeeper of meaning. The paper concludes that advertising has become a generative visual cultural practice, suggesting that the brand of the future will function as a curator of algorithmic systems. Ultimately, this research provides a framework for understanding how "algorithmic vision" redefines the social imaginary through emergent and variable visual texts.

How Generative AI is Transforming Multimedia Education: Skills, Integrity, and Learning Outcomes

2026-05-01T10:05:48+08:00

Creative multimedia education is rapidly evolving with the integration of generative AI, which is changing the nature of ideation, production and presentation. This paper offers a conceptual qualitative study of existing generative AI practices and their impact on multimedia education. The research draws on literature and industry reports to explore three aspects: (1) the shift in skill development from production to art direction, prompting, and refinement; (2) the growing complexity of academic integrity, authorship, and assessment validity; and (3) the nature of learning outcomes, where rapid prototyping and accessibility may both enhance creativity and risk undermining core skills. The paper draws on current educational guidelines and industry reports to offer a model for human-AI co-creation in multimedia learning. It also proposes assessment strategies that prioritise transparency, quality of refinement, and ethical disclosure. By shifting the focus from generative AI as a productivity enhancer to a pedagogic design challenge, this research adds to the debate about how educational institutions can update their curricula and assessment practices to ensure effective learning in AI-augmented learning environments.