Students’ Creative Learning Engagement with AI Painting Tools: A Technology Acceptance and Learning Experience Perspective

Abstract

With the increasing application of generative AI in art and design education, AI painting tools have become integrated into the idea development, visual experimentation, and image-making behavior of students. Nevertheless, studies have seldom investigated the impact of such a tool on the participation in creative learning. Based on technology acceptance and learning experience points of view, the presented paper explores how perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived creative control and teacher support influence creative learning engagement with flow experience and learning satisfaction acting as mediators. Questionnaire survey was administered to university students who have used AI painting tools and 382 respondents were obtained. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived creative control positively influence flow experience. Learning satisfaction is also enhanced by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived creative control, teacher support and flow experience. In addition, flow experience and learning satisfaction are associated with higher levels of creative learning engagement and learning satisfaction has the most direct effect. Such findings underline the importance of student agency, positive learning experience, and pedagogical support in AI-assisted creative learning.