From Intention to Creation: VR for Design in Digital Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a transformative tool in Digital Cultural Heritage (DCH) education, shifting the focus from passive observation to creative interaction. However, existing research remains limited by a predominant focus on teachers’ technology acceptance and the use of homogeneous participant groups, leaving the mechanisms of student creativity largely unexplored. Furthermore, comparative studies quantifying the cognitive differences between VR and traditional media are scarce. To address these gaps, this study integrates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) into a comprehensive theoretical model, aiming to uncover the key factors influencing college students’ behavioral intention to use VR technology. We surveyed 502 design students to empirically validate this model and subsequently conducted a controlled experiment ( N = 100) using the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT) to evaluate learning outcomes. Structural equation modeling indicates that Perceived Ease of Use plays an important antecedent role by positively influencing Perceived Usefulness and Attitude, whereas Subjective Norm and Perceived Behavioral Control do not have significant direct effects on Behavioral Intention. The experimental results reveal a cognitive trade-off that can be interpreted through the mechanisms of cognitive offloading and extraneous cognitive load: while VR significantly enhances Higher-order thinking skills (analyzing, evaluating, and creating), traditional paper-based learning retains an advantage in Lower-order thinking skills (remembering and understanding). These findings suggest that VR is not a universal replacement but a specialized scaffold for creativity, advocating for a hybrid pedagogical strategy in DCH education.