Exploring AI's Impact on Student Motivation in Higher Education: A Six C's Perspective

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is developing quickly and gaining applications in higher education (HE). Existing research on AI in HE is mainly focused on instructional strategies and learning outcomes, with little attention paid to motivation. However, motivation is essential in guiding teaching strategies and promoting learning outcomes. Further research is needed to understand AI's impact on motivation. This article aims to contribute to the existing literature by providing new insights and filling gaps in knowledge. Specifically, the six C's of motivation theory are adopted to guide the investigation. The global survey reports are utilized to analyze students' AI usage in HE and AI's impact on student motivation. The findings reveal that AI has been used in various cases in HE, and AI has dual impacts on student motivation in terms of control, challenge, choice, collaboration, constructing meaning, and consequences (six C's). In the future application of AI in HE, it is recommended that colleges and universities strengthen supervision and training of AI, and students should focus more on what they gain in the learning process rather than overemphasizing learning outcomes when using AI.