The Effects of an Artificial Intelligence Avatar-Based Virtual Reality Learning System on Vocational College Students’ Performance and Motivation

Abstract

This study examined the effects of an Artificial Intelligence Avatar-Based Virtual Reality Learning System (pAInt-VR) on vocational college students’ Performance and Motivation in learning History of Oil Painting. The study was conducted to address the limitations of conventional learning approaches, which may provide limited interaction and learning support for students when learning about artists, artworks, artistic styles, and historical contexts. The pAInt-VR system was developed to provide students with an interactive virtual gallery learning environment supported by an AI avatar. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was employed. The pretest was used to assess students’ prior knowledge, while Performance and Motivation were measured after the intervention using the post-test and the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS), respectively. The learning system (pAInt-VR versus C-VR) was the independent variable, while students’ Performance and Motivation were the dependent variables. A total of 160 vocational college students in China participated in the study, with 80 students in the experimental group and 80 students in the control group. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze the collected data. The results showed that students who learned with the pAInt-VR system demonstrated better Performance and higher Motivation than students who learned with the C-VR system. These findings suggest that integrating an AI avatar into a virtual reality learning environment can support students’ learning of History of Oil Painting and provide a more engaging learning experience.