Using Virtual Reality and Conversational AI to Enhance High School Students’ Intentions to Pursue Computer Science: Insights from the CS RMUTT Virtual Tour

The integration of Virtual Reality (VR)and Conversational AI in education has modernized how students engage with educational and career guidance. Despite the growing integration of VR and Conversational AI in education, empirical studies on their combined impact on students’ intentions to pursue computer science remain limited. This study proposes the Conversational AI-empowered Virtual Reality System (CAI-VR system)as an educational guidance tool designed to enhance high school students' intentions to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at RMUTT. We employed a developmental research method to develop and evaluate the system. The findings indicate that 1) the CAI-VR system demonstrates the convergence of VR, conversational AI, and multimedia elements in delivering an immersive 360-degree virtual experience. Users can access the system in two modes, i.e., Immersive VR Mode for full interactivity via VR devices and Web-Based Display Mode for browser access; 2) Usability was assessed with 30 high school students, while five experts evaluated system quality. Both assessments confirmed the system’s effectiveness; 3) the system significantly increased students’ intention scores, reinforcing its role in guiding educational decision-making; 4) further evaluation with 400 students demonstrated high awareness; however, behavioral commitment—especially in planning, preparation, and application—was lower than cognitive or affective aspects. Overall, students reported a high level of satisfaction with the system (M = 3.99, SD = 0.88). These findings suggest that the CAI-VR system can effectively support digital-native students’ educational and career decision-making. Further development should deepen learner engagement via gamified, collaborative, and personalized experiences.