Effectiveness of AI-supported situated immersive virtual reality environment on learning motivation, flow experiences, and achievement in packaging structure design

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of the Situated Immersive Virtual Reality (SIT-IVR) learning environment with AI-supported scaffolding on learning motivation, flow experience, and achievement among design students. A quasi-experimental design was employed in a study involving 80 third-year undergraduate students at a university in Shanghai, China. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group (N = 40) that used SIT-IVR and a control group (N = 40) that used desktop VR. The data were analysed using MANOVA, independent-samples t‑tests, and ANOVA. The results showed that the experimental group’s learning motivation and flow experience were significantly higher than those of the control group. The experimental group’s achievement exceeded that of the control group (adjusted means: 77.96 vs 69.14, p = 0.002, partial η² = 0.120). The findings indicate that the SIT-IVR learning environment, based on situated instructional design, can enhance design students’ learning. Its strengths do not stem from technology itself, but from the integration of authentic tasks, immersive interaction, and AI-supported scaffolding. Therefore, the SIT-IVR learning environment can serve as a model for developing intelligent immersive e-learning environments in design education.