Rhythmic activities are an important component of Physical Education, Sports, and Health (PJOK) instruction because they contribute to coordination, balance, and the synchronization of movement with rhythm. These activities involve sequences of body movements performed in accordance with a specific tempo or musical accompaniment. Aerobic activities integrated into rhythmic activities have been associated with improvements in physical fitness, cognitive function, and executive function through physiological and neurobiological mechanisms (Garrett et al., 2024; Ren et al., 2024). One form of rhythmic activity taught in schools involves basic low-impact movements in aerobic exercise. Recent evidence also indicates that video-based coaching can support performance development in aerobic gymnastics, particularly in artistic expression and movement creativity (Anhar & Herlambang, 2025). Low-impact movements provide an important foundation because they emphasize stepping patterns, body control, and balance while involving a relatively low risk of injury, making them suitable for beginners and potentially beneficial for cardiovascular fitness (Rismayanthi et al., 2022).

Although rhythmic activities are included in the Physical Education, Sports, and Health (PJOK) curriculum under Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation No. 24 of 2016, their instruction continues to face various challenges. Students may experience difficulty understanding movement techniques and mastering motor skills when instruction relies predominantly on conventional, teacher-centered approaches with limited interactivity (Zhao et al., 2024). This situation highlights the need for instructional media capable of presenting movement demonstrations in a visual, interactive, and easily accessible manner. Advances in educational technology suggest that integrating digital and visual media into physical education can enhance learning motivation, student engagement, and understanding of movement skills (Jastrow et al., 2022). Furthermore, flashcards as a visual learning medium have been shown to improve memory retention and simplify complex information, thereby facilitating understanding (Le, 2023).

Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of QR-code-based and flashcard media; however, their contexts, content characteristics, and learning outcomes differ from the specific needs of physical education. Dewi and Zuhdi (2023) developed QR-card media for digestive-system learning in elementary school using the ADDIE model and reported positive validity, effectiveness, and user-response results. However, the media was designed primarily to support understanding of conceptual science content rather than the acquisition and performance of motor skills. Consequently, these findings do not directly address the need for students to observe, imitate, and repeatedly practice physical movements. Similarly, Sagita and Hidayah (2025) developed barcoded flashcards for heat-related science content for fifth-grade elementary students and reported high validity, practicality, and learning gains. Nevertheless, the intervention focused on scientific literacy and did not incorporate movement demonstrations or performance-based learning activities. Annastasyya and Fathurrahman (2024) developed QR-code-based flashcards for cultural-diversity content for fourth-grade students and found significant improvements in learning outcomes; however, the media addressed academic content rather than physical movement skills. A-f et al. (2025) developed and evaluated an Android-based multimedia application for healthy lifestyle instruction and reported positive expert validation, student responses, and learning outcomes across the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. These findings demonstrate the potential of technology-based multimedia to support learning in physical education. Similarly, Kresnapati and Royana (2026) developed an augmented reality-based adaptive physical education learning module using the ADDIE model to support motor skill development, further demonstrating the potential of technology-based media for movement-oriented instruction. However, these studies primarily employed mobile multimedia or augmented reality approaches rather than integrating physical flashcards, QR-code access, and web-based movement demonstrations into a single learning medium.

These limitations indicate a contextual and functional gap in previous research. Existing QR-code- and flashcard-based media have largely been developed for conceptual or academic subjects, whereas limited research has integrated physical flashcards, QR-code access, and web-based movement demonstrations specifically for rhythmic motor-skill instruction in physical education. Therefore, there is a need for a learning medium that connects movement concepts with observable demonstrations and enables students to access and repeatedly view movement examples during practice.

To address this gap, this study introduces Aero’Zen, a web-based hybrid visual-digital learning medium that integrates physical flashcards, QR-code access, and movement demonstration videos for low-impact rhythmic activities. The medium was designed to support independent, flexible, and repeated learning according to students’ needs. The flashcard visuals and demonstration videos provide contextual representations of movement, allowing students to observe coordination and synchronization during movement performance. The novelty of Aero’Zen lies in integrating physical flashcards, QR-code access, and web-based demonstration videos into a single learning medium specifically designed for rhythmic motor-skill instruction in physical education. This integration is intended to bridge the gap between understanding movement names and descriptions and observing how those movements are performed.

Accordingly, this study aimed to develop and evaluate Aero’Zen as a web-based interactive learning medium for low-impact rhythmic activities, assess its feasibility through expert validation and user feedback, and examine differences in students’ cognitive, affective, and psychomotor outcomes before and after implementation. Theoretically, this study contributes to the literature on technology-supported learning media in physical education. Practically, Aero’Zen is intended to provide teachers and students with an accessible resource for repeated movement demonstrations and independent practice.

The validation results from media experts, subject matter experts, and physical education practitioners indicated that Aero’Zen was highly suitable as a web-based learning medium. The integration of visual flashcards, demonstration videos, and concise explanations is consistent with the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, which proposes that appropriately combining visual and verbal information can facilitate information processing and learning (Mayer, 2024).

The high validation scores suggest that Aero’Zen was considered suitable in terms of media quality, content, functionality, and practicality. Its integration of visual flashcards and demonstration videos provides students with multiple representations of movement concepts. These characteristics are consistent with previous research highlighting the potential of digital media and visual learning resources to support student engagement, information retention, and learning in physical education (Jastrow et al., 2022; Le, 2023). The staged presentation of movement information through flashcards and QR-code-linked videos may also facilitate information processing by allowing students to access movement demonstrations repeatedly and at their own pace (Cavanagh & Kiersch, 2023).

The positive responses obtained during the small- and large-scale trials further support the usability of Aero’Zen as a learning resource. Students reported positive perceptions of the platform, suggesting that its combination of visual materials, QR-code access, and demonstration videos was well received during rhythmic activity learning. The ability to repeatedly access movement demonstrations may provide greater opportunities for independent learning and reduce students’ reliance on direct teacher demonstrations. This characteristic is consistent with student-centered approaches that emphasize learner autonomy and flexible access to instructional resources (Kerimbayev et al., 2023). Digital learning resources may also support motivation and engagement when appropriately integrated into the learning process (Wong & Hughes, 2023; Zhao et al., 2024).

The pre–post evaluation showed statistically significant differences between pretest and posttest scores across the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains (all p < .001). Higher posttest scores were observed in all three domains following the implementation of Aero’Zen, indicating improvements in students’ cognitive learning outcomes, affective responses, and movement performance over the study period. However, because the study did not include a control group, these improvements cannot be attributed solely to Aero’Zen. The findings should therefore be interpreted as within-group changes associated with the implementation period rather than definitive evidence of a causal intervention effect.

The observed changes may be understood in relation to the characteristics of the Aero’Zen learning medium. The integration of visual flashcards, demonstration videos, and QR-code-based access provided students with opportunities to view movement information through multiple formats and repeatedly access demonstrations during learning. According to the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, appropriately combining visual and verbal information can facilitate information processing and support understanding and retention (Mayer, 2024). Previous research has similarly highlighted the potential of interactive digital media to support engagement and learning in physical education contexts (Jastrow et al., 2022; Zhao et al., 2024). Nevertheless, these theoretical mechanisms should be regarded as plausible explanations for the observed changes rather than mechanisms directly tested in the present study.

The psychomotor domain showed a particularly substantial within-group change, with scores increasing from 19.87 ± 2.945 at pretest to 32.00 ± 2.166 at posttest. The mean increase was 12.13 points (95% CI [10.73, 13.53]), with a very large paired-samples effect size (Cohen’s d = 3.23). The availability of repeated movement demonstrations may have contributed to this change by providing students with opportunities to observe and imitate movement models, which is consistent with observational learning principles (Han et al., 2022). However, this interpretation should be treated cautiously. Because the same assessment framework was used at pretest and posttest and no control group was included, testing effects, repeated exposure to the movement tasks and assessment criteria, familiarity with the learning activities, and other uncontrolled factors may also have contributed to the observed change. Therefore, the large effect size represents the magnitude of the standardized within-group change rather than an estimate of the causal effect of Aero’Zen.

This study extends previous research on QR-code-based learning media, digital flashcards, and instructional videos by integrating these components into a web-based hybrid learning medium specifically designed for low-impact rhythmic activities in secondary school physical education. Unlike learning media developed primarily for conceptual or academic content, Aero’Zen combines physical flashcards, QR-code access, and web-based movement demonstrations to connect movement-related information with observable performance examples. This integration represents the primary contribution of Aero’Zen and provides a flexible resource that can be accessed repeatedly during learning and independent practice.

The findings also highlight the potential practical application of Aero’Zen as a digital learning resource for physical education teachers and students. Its integration of visual flashcards, QR codes, and demonstration videos may support more flexible and interactive learning by providing additional opportunities to access movement demonstrations beyond direct teacher instruction. This potential is consistent with broader research emphasizing the role of digital media in supporting physical education and health-related learning (Knoke, 2024).

This study developed and evaluated Aero’Zen, a web-based interactive flashcard medium integrating visual illustrations, QR-code access, and demonstration videos for low-impact rhythmic activity instruction in physical education. The findings indicate that Aero’Zen is a feasible and practical learning medium with the potential to support students’ cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning outcomes, including movement coordination and performance, while providing opportunities for more interactive and independent learning. The integration of visual flashcards, QR-code access, and web-based demonstration videos represents the primary contribution of Aero’Zen to rhythmic activity instruction. However, the observed pretest–posttest improvements should not be attributed solely to Aero’Zen because testing effects, repeated exposure, and other uncontrolled factors cannot be excluded in the one-group pretest–posttest design. Future studies should involve larger and more diverse samples and employ controlled or randomized experimental designs with longer follow-up periods to provide stronger evidence regarding the effectiveness and generalizability of Aero’Zen.

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the supervisors, media experts, subject matter experts, physical education practitioners, and all students of SMK Negeri 2 Semarang who participated in this study. Their valuable support, guidance, and cooperation contributed to the successful completion of this research.

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The data are not publicly available due to participant privacy and confidentiality considerations.

This research does not receive external funding.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.