The Role of integrating AI and VR in fostering environmental awareness and enhancing activism among college students

Abstract

Given the increasing concern about the destructive impact of sympathetic activities on the Earth, involving the next generation in environmental conservation is crucial. Therefore, this study aims to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) can strengthen college students' environmental awareness and encourage them to make a move on environmental issues. Four hundred college students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds participated in a six-month study, and 375 valid questionnaires were successfully collected. By combining AI and VR, we provided interactive and engaging courses to deliver knowledge about environmental issues and inevitable disasters. The research demonstrates that using AI and VR technologies to teach environmental challenges can significantly improve college students' understanding of these topics, assist them in developing a conservationist value system, and provoke them to carry on environmental advocacy. This study adopted scale items to measure college students' environmental awareness and activities. More isolated structural equation modeling validated the value of AI and VR in environmental education. Additionally, mediation and moderation analyses indicated that the strength of college students' ecological susceptibility and motivation indirectly influenced their enthusiasm and environmental awareness through AI and VR. Through comparative analysis, we found that AI and VR exert differential effects on college students. Further correlational and regression analyses demonstrated that raising college students' environmental awareness can effectively promote their pro-environmental behavior, offering them more critical agency, possibly without the need for continued use of AI and VR. Therefore, employing AI and VR in environmental education may effectively help young people in ecological sustainability. Ultimately, we discussed the current AI and VR technologies adoption in Chinese universities and proposed relevant policy implications.