Can Cloud Classroom Technology Enhance Intrinsic Motivation among Materials Science and Engineering Undergraduates?

The proliferation of online educational technologies in STEM higher education in recent years has aroused research interest in their relationship with students’ intrinsic motivation. However, research specifically examining how these technologies affect intrinsic motivation in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) undergraduates remains scarce. This research leverages a case study of the MSE discipline at a Chinese “Double First-Class” STEM university and an instrumental variable (IV) approach to address endogeneity, examining the causal effect and mechanisms of Cloud Classroom technology on MSE undergraduates’ intrinsic motivation following its accelerated adoption during the pandemic. The results indicate that a higher frequency of daily use of Cloud Classroom is positively associated with improved intrinsic motivation, whereas the duration of use does not robustly predict motivational gains. The mediation analysis reveals that Cloud Classroom usage enhances students’ intrinsic motivation in the short term through three key mechanisms: improved instructor quality, enhanced course design, and prompt feedback. Among these, prompt instructor-student feedback constitutes the most influential channel, mediating 7.2% of the total effect. Based on these findings, this study provides valuable insights for higher education institutions seeking to enhance intrinsic motivation among MSE students through the implementation of similar online educational technologies.