Summary of "MAJLIS PELUNCURAN CABARAN DIGITAL STORYTELLING ANIMATION (DSTA) 2026 PERINGKAT KEBANGSAAN"
Overview
The video serves as the launch and briefing for DSTA 2026 (Digital Storytelling Animation Challenge) at the national level in Malaysia, organised by the Kedah State Education Department through the Education Resources and Technology sector, with the Ministry of Education (MOE) as the trust-holder.
The program is designed to develop students’ digital creativity (2D/3D animation) and 21st-century skills, with ethical AI-assisted production now integrated into the workflow.
Key Themes and Purpose (DSTA 2026)
Challenge theme
- The theme is “Adi Wira RPM”, aligned with the Malaysia Education Plan (RPM) 2026–2035.
RPM student characteristics
Students express noble values tied to the five RPM characteristics:
- Civilized
- Knowledgeable
- Skilled
- Resilient
- Confident
Required characteristic inclusion
- Each animation submission must include at least 1 and at most 3 of the characteristics above.
How the Competition Will Run
Dates
- Launch: 9 April 2026
- Latest submission deadline: 17 June 2026, 11:59 PM
Categories
For primary/secondary, the briefing repeats that the competition structure effectively covers:
- 3D category
- 2D stop motion / animation category
Eligibility and team rules
- Open to Malaysian students aged 7–17 (MOE schools)
- Form 6 students are not allowed
- Team composition: 3 students + 1 mentor
- Students may participate in only one team
- Teams must choose whether they submit for 3D or 2D
- Schools may submit multiple teams/entries (no strict limit stated)
- Each student may belong to only one entry
Main Objectives
- Improve students’ creative and innovative skills in 2D and 3D animation
- Promote ethical and meaningful use of AI in animation production
- Strengthen students’ ability to create digital narratives grounded in values
- Encourage collaboration between students and teachers
- Build resilience and critical thinking through healthy competition
Major Rules and Constraints
General content/ethics
- Work must be original and not previously entered elsewhere.
- Must not include religious, racial, cultural, or political sensitive elements, or content that offends any party.
- No copyrighted material, trademarks, or official identities of any party
- Even with permission, copyrighted material remains prohibited (example: commercial songs).
Mandatory YouTube submission rule (new emphasis)
- The animation must be publicly uploaded on the school’s official YouTube channel.
- If uploaded on a personal teacher account or a student-created channel, the entry won’t be evaluated.
Technical submission requirements
- Duration: 1 to 3 minutes (including intro/credits)
- Outside this range will not be graded
- Aspect ratio and quality:
- Must be 16:9 (briefly referenced as “169”) with minimum 1080p
- Submissions at 360p/720p, or with incorrect aspect ratio, will not be graded
- Language:
- Must be Malay (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka standard)
- AI outputs resembling Indonesian / mixed languages must be re-edited to standard Malay
AI documentation is compulsory
Teams must submit:
- Scripts/storyboards
- An AI usage explanation document
- For AI-generated parts (e.g., idea generation), teams must provide links to the AI tools/conversations used
The judging team will review links to check how students interacted with AI, not just the final output.
What Is Prohibited (Explicit)
- Inappropriate content: extreme violence, profanity, pornography, or offensive sensitivities
- Work that does not match the RPM Adi Wira theme or misses required RPM characteristics
- AI-only work:
- Entirely AI-generated without students’ involvement, or without proper AI documentation
- Missing or insufficient technical compliance (format/duration/quality)
- Product/service promotion through the animation
- Non-Malay language
- Using pre-made template animation platforms that automatically provide characters/backgrounds/structures without meaningful student modification
- Such “ready-made” motion/templates are treated as disqualifying (briefly illustrated)
- Stop motion clarification (LEGO):
- LEGO-based stop motion is allowed only if students build/create their own characters/vehicles from LEGO pieces
- Not allowed: using pre-defined branded/logo characters or already-complete LEGO characters provided as-is
Judging / Scoring Criteria
Six assessed areas:
- RPM characteristics/theme compliance — 15 marks
- Animation techniques & character design — 25
- Narrative structure & storytelling — 20
- Meaningful use of AI (assessed via AI documentation) — included as part of scoring
- Audio quality & editing impact — 10
- Wow factor — 10
Workshop Pathway and Rewards (State-level PAJSK/PJSK)
Beyond the main competition submission, students can participate in three workshop “small challenges” (Challenge 1–3) plus the main challenge.
- Students attend via live or recorded streams
- After watching, they answer quiz questions in provided forms
- For state-level PAJSK/PJSK recognition, quizzes must be answered correctly
- Quizzes are individual, not group-based
- National-level PAJSK merit is linked to submitting a work for DSTA 2026
Commentary / Teaching Emphasis: Storytelling > “Pretty Animation”
The workshop stresses that the jury is not selecting the most sophisticated animation. Instead, the priority is heartfelt stories delivered through animation.
Common weak patterns:
- “Beautiful visuals but no soul”
- Too many messages that confuse the viewer
- No real story (missing beginning–climax–end)
A strong story should include:
- Clear story arc
- Character change/transformation
- One main message
- Conflict as the engine (stories require obstacles, not just happy scenes)
Recommended structure:
- Three-act structure
- Act 1: introduction
- Act 2: conflict
- Act 3: resolution
- Tied back to RPM qualities
AI Guidance Approach (How AI Should Be Used)
- AI is positioned as a tool/assistant, especially for:
- idea generation
- script support
- storyboard assistance
- optionally backgrounds/music/sound elements
- AI is not required for every stage, but the project must include AI elements and demonstrate ethical use through documentation links
- The workshop warns against leaving “steering” entirely to AI:
- students must actively direct AI toward the correct theme/message and story structure
Presenters / Contributors (Mentioned)
- Rabiatul Naj binti Rosman — Coordinator, Student Digital Education Empowerment Program (MOE)
- Yang Berusaha Tuan Abdul Rahim bin Mat — Director, Kedah State Education Department
- Hajah Aniza binti Kamaruz Zaman — Director, Educational Resources and Technology Division (referenced in opening acknowledgements)
- Mr. Mokhtar bin Wahid — Deputy Director, Educational Technology Integration Sector (referenced in acknowledgements)
- Mr. Hamizi — Assistant Director, Educational Technology Resources Sector, Kedah State Education Department
- Mrs. Rabiatun Najwa — referred to as “Mrs. Najwa” / later “Rabiatun Najwa”
- Mr. Ramizi / Hamizi Mahfen — closing portion attributes “Hamizi bin Mahfen” for DSTA 2026 and workshop wrap-up
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