Exploring student engagement and reuse intention in a VR-based art exhibition

This study explores the psychological and experiential factors influencing students’ intention to reuse a virtual reality (VR) art exhibition. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Flow Theory, and the Experience Economy framework, the research investigates how immersion, presence, interactivity, aesthetic appreciation, and perceived enjoyment shape behavioural responses in VR-based art education. A post-experience survey was administered to 148 fine arts students after their engagement with a VR art gallery via Oculus Quest 3. Using Pearson correlation and mediation/moderation analyses via the PROCESS macro in SPSS, the study found that perceived enjoyment significantly mediated the relationship between experiential factors (immersion, presence, interactivity, and aesthetic appreciation) and the intention to reuse the VR experience. Notably, perceived enjoyment fully mediated the effects of immersion, presence, and interactivity, and partially mediated aesthetic appreciation. Furthermore, the influence of perceived enjoyment on reuse intention was moderated by students' prior experience with e-learning technologies. The final model highlights the central role of emotional responses, particularly perceived enjoyment, as the primary pathway through which users decide to reuse VR in art education. These findings offer theoretical contributions to understanding engagement in VR environments and provide practical recommendations for designing emotionally rich, visually compelling educational experiences.