AI-ENHANCED LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR GEN Z MULTIMEDIA STUDENTS: A UX-DRIVEN CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Gen Z learners represent the first generation to grow up fully immersed in digital ecosystems, shaping learning behaviours that emphasise multimodality, interactivity, and a preference for personalised, immediate feedback. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in higher education, there remains a conceptual gap in understanding how AI capabilities, user experience (UX) principles, and Gen Z learning characteristics can be integrated to support meaningful multimedia learning. This paper addresses this gap by developing the AIMUX Framework, a user-experience-driven conceptual model designed to guide the design of AI-enhanced multimedia learning environments. The framework was constructed through a systematic conceptual analysis that synthesised literature on AI in education, multimedia learning theory, and UX design. It was subsequently examined through expert validation, during which specialists in AI-based learning, multimedia pedagogy, and UX design reviewed the framework’s clarity, relevance, and conceptual coherence. Their feedback informed refinements to the definitions, dimensional boundaries, and structural relationships within the model. The final AIMUX Framework comprises five interrelated dimensions; Adaptive intelligence, Interactive engagement, Multimodal delivery, User-centred trust and transparency, and eXperience optimisation, which collectively describe how AI can support cognitively, emotionally, and experientially rich learning for Gen Z learners. The framework offers a theoretically grounded and practically relevant foundation for educators, designers, and researchers seeking to integrate AI meaningfully into multimedia learning contexts, while also providing a basis for future empirical work.