The Impact Of An EDIPT-Based Virtual Simulation Environment On Student Creativity And Narrative Quality: A Quasi-Experimental Crossover Study

Abstract

Even though storyboard instruction is an integral part of animation and multimedia curricula, it is heavily reliant on manual sketching and static digital resources that offer limited scope for iterative experimentation. This restriction is increasingly at odds with the demands of contemporary creative industries, for which rapid prototyping and design-thinking competencies are considered essential graduate attributes. This study investigates if the integration of a virtual simulation-based storyboard learning environment into an EDIPT (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) instructional cycle leads to statistically significant improvements in student learning outcomes as compared to traditional hand-drawing instruction. The study used a two-phase, within-subject quasi-experimental crossover design with a sample of 60 undergraduate students who were enrolled in animation-related programs in a Malaysian higher education institution. Participants were divided into two groups who experienced both instructional conditions in reverse order, allowing each participant to serve as his/her own control. The learning outcomes were assessed in 6 dimensions: quality of the storyboard, creativity development, coherence of the narrative, visual composition, technical execution and the efficiency of the task completion. The results indicated that the Experimental Group using the virtual simulation system based on EDIPT performed better than the Control Group in all six dimensions, including more original concepts, more cohesive narrative sequencing, stronger visual storytelling structure, and greater efficiency in task completion. These results are considered in terms of constructivist and experiential learning theory and creativity theory and discussed in relation to the cognitive affordances of immersive, iterative design environments. The study offers empirical evidence for the under researched interface of design-thinking instructional models and virtual simulation technology in storyboard education, and presents practical implications for curriculum designers and educational technologists looking to update creative pedagogy in higher education.