Interactive Animated Videos: Developing Storytelling and Critical Thinking Skills in Elementary School Students

Abstract

Research on character education and learning media in Indonesia has undergone conceptual evolution, but the research remains fragmented between the development of digital technology and the utilization of local wisdom. This study aims to bibliometrically map the research landscape, topic evolution, and research gaps related to the use of interactive animated videos based on local fairy tales on the critical thinking and storytelling skills of third-grade elementary school students (aged 7–9 years). The research method adopts a literature mapping approach based on Lens.org data and the PRISMA framework. Data are analyzed descriptively and quantitatively to dissect thematic clusters, chronological development trends, and variable relationship matrices. The mapping results show a transition from conventional story-based print media to digital interactive multimedia. The findings consistently reveal a fragmented literature: interactive multimedia research effectively measures critical thinking skills but tends to ignore local wisdom. In contrast, fairy tale-based research focuses on storytelling skills without examining higher-order thinking skills. The lack of integration between the technical aspects of interactive media, local fairy tale content, and dual outcomes creates a gap in current research. This study concludes the importance of shifting from passive visual media to convergent interactive media, and makes three main contributions: bridging the literacy-cognition dichotomy theoretically, providing a methodologically replicable mapping procedure, and presenting an empirical roadmap for media developers and educators practically.