Exploring the Behavioral Intention of Higher Education Students Using Interactive Films for Online Learning

Abstract

With the continuous popularization of online learning in higher education, interactive films, as digital media that integrate non-linear narrative and user decision-making mechanisms, are expected to create a personalized and immersive learning experience in online education. This study constructs and validates a theoretical model integrating perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, autonomy, competence, and relatedness based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT), to explore the influence on students' behavioral intentions regarding online learning through interactive films. The study distributed paper questionnaires to university students from six higher education institutions in Chongqing and employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for empirical testing of the relationships among variables. The results indicate that, apart from association, all other factors significantly influence behavioral intentions, confirming the applicability of the integrated TAM and BPNT model in this context. In the future, efforts should be made to enhance its usefulness and ease of use at the instructional design level to meet students' autonomy and competence needs for a better user experience. This includes improving tool availability and motivation support to expand its potential applications in online education.