INTERACTIVE ANIMATION DESIGN TO PROMOTE TRADITIONAL CULTURE LEARNING SKILLS OF CHINESE PRESCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

Using interactive animation technology to enhance the traditional culture learning skills of Chinese preschool students is considered an innovative teaching technique. This study used "Mixed Methods Research (MMR)". The research objectives were:(a) To investigate the design elements of interactive animation appropriate for the cognitive development of preschool children. (b) To explore the key factors influencing the enhancement of their skills to learn traditional Chinese culture, thereby promoting the development of their comprehension and creativity. (c)To design interactive animations aimed at improving preschool children’s skills to learn traditional Chinese culture. (d)To evaluate the effectiveness of interactive animations and knowledge for interactive animation designer. The research methods were divided into the following four phases: (1) Researching interactive animation design elements suitable for preschool students and child cognitive development mechanisms. (2) Selecting traditional Chinese culture content suitable for preschool students to enhance preschool students' comprehension and creativity skills. (3) Interactive animations were designed to enhance preschool students' skills in learning traditional culture. (4) Evaluate the learning effectiveness of interactive animations for preschool students and the satisfaction of relevant personnel with interactive animation design and knowledge for the designer. The results of the study show that: • Interactive animation design elements: (1) Characters with exaggerated movements can easily draw children into the plot. (2) Children are more inclined to cartoon characters with high color saturation, and they like animal characters more thanD human characters, especially animals with big eyes and oval shapes, which they feel more familiar with. (3) Children are more sensitive to upbeat rhythm accompanying increase children's interactivity. (4) When interacting, children prefer simple click and drag touch buttons. • Traditional Chinese culture: (1) For students aged 3-4, with an emphasis on language input and comprehension; for students aged 5-6, to develop their creative expression. (2) Traditional cultural festivals are suitable for guiding children's interests through task-based interactive experiences. (3) In character design, using cartoon animals combined with cultural props enhances approachability; (4) “Signature action” help strengthen emotional expression and enhance character recognition. • Cognitive Development in Children: (1) “animism” promoted the development of children’s imagination and creativity; (2) Intentional attention pays more attention to design details and refinement than unintentional attention. (3) Preschool students' thinking skills tend to be exaggerated visually, voice and animation guidance methods are easier for children to accept and understand. • Preschool students scored an average compared with pre-test [M=27.14, SD:4.8] and post-test [M=31.35, SD:5.1], a significant overall improvement [MD=4.21, SE: 1.11]. A significant difference between the pre- and post-assessment grades [T=6.47], proving that students' traditional culture learning skills improved significantly through the use of interactive animation [p:3.35 × 10⁻⁶, significant, p<0.05]. The interactive animation design demonstrated high levels of practicality and effectiveness, as evidenced by the consistently high satisfaction reported by participating preschool students, parents, and teachers during the instructional sessions. The average student satisfaction score was [x̄ = 4.32, SD: 0.49]; the average parent satisfaction score was [x̄ = 4.10, SD: 0.51]; and the average teacher satisfaction score was [x̄ = 4.09, SD: 0.49]. The data analysis shows that interactive animation has great application potential and that the design framework is practical and effective. Keywords: Interactive Animation, Preschool Students, Traditional Chinese Culture, Learning Skills