AI Educational Platforms and Digital Technology Skills in Vocational Education: An Empirical Study

Artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly reshaping education, particularly vocational education and training (VET) which bridges education and industry. Vocational colleges face the imperative to modernize teaching to cultivate workforce-ready graduates with solid digital skills. This study focuses on the "Fundamentals of Digital Technology Application" course at Chongqing Public Transport Vocational College, adopting a blended learning mode to explore the relationship between platform participation indicators (video viewing, forum interaction, quiz scores) and students' digital technology skills, as well as the effectiveness of AI platform functions in facilitating understanding of IoT, big data, and AI. Employing a mixed-methods approach integrating quantitative platform data, surveys, and interviews, the study finds that increased participation in video tutorials and quizzes significantly improves practical task performance—quiz completion rate has a prediction coefficient ?=0.41 for final grades, and video viewing duration ?=0.32, together explaining 58% of score variation. Personalized feedback and gamified quizzes boost learning motivation and knowledge retention. However, unstable network connections, disparities in digital literacy, motivational issues, and inadequate feedback mechanisms hinder learning. This study provides evidence-based perspectives on AI platforms' role in VET, emphasizing adaptive teaching design and teacher training. It proposes prioritizing platform accessibility, integrating industry-related projects, and adopting blended learning to support diverse learners in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.