Enhancing Creative Self-Efficacy and Learning Motivation Through IRS-MFL and VPP Simulation in a Net-Zero Carbon Sustainability Course

This study aims to evaluate how integrating an Interactive Response System (IRS) with Modified Flipped Learning (MFL) can enhance students’ attendance, learning motivation, and creative self-efficacy in a sustainability course contextualized by Virtual Power Plant (VPP) simulations. The IRS–MFL framework incorporated micro-learning videos, in-class real-time feedback, and collaborative learning activities to reduce cognitive load, alleviate learning anxiety, and promote engagement. Within this framework, the VPP simulations were not treated as an independent variable but rather as contextualized course content that provided authentic, sustainability-oriented problem scenarios for applying the IRS–MFL pedagogy. Quantitative analyses demonstrated significant improvements in attendance, reduced learning anxiety, and increased creative self-efficacy after the intervention. Qualitative reflections further revealed heightened motivation, deeper understanding, and strengthened systems thinking toward sustainability challenges. Collectively, these findings indicate that the IRS–MFL framework—contextualized through VPP simulations—effectively enhances both affective and cognitive learning outcomes, offering a replicable pedagogical model for sustainability-focused STEM education.