This study examined how passive versus interactive videos affect the learning of dance sequences at different times of day. Twenty-four undergraduate physical education students (novices) were recruited through purposive sampling and equally divided into two groups matched on chronotype: one group viewed passive videos, while the other used interactive videos featuring play, pause, forward, and replay functions. Participants completed four sessions-two acquisition sessions, one in the morning (08:00-09:00) and one in the late afternoon (16:00-17:00) on separate days, and two retention sessions one week later at the same times. Recall performance was assessed multiple times during acquisition and once at follow-up, using a 32-point scoring system based on accurate reproduction of 16 discrete movement steps, evaluated by blinded expert raters from video recordings. Physiological indicators of arousal (heart rate and body temperature) were recorded at the start of acquisition sessions, and intrinsic motivation was measured afterward. Results showed that interactive videos enhanced recall performance during both morning and afternoon acquisition sessions (p < 0.001), confirming an instructional benefit regardless of time of day. However, interactivity did not significantly influence intrinsic motivation (p = 0.841). A clear time-of-day effect emerged (p < 0.001): immediate recall was superior in the morning, whereas long-term retention was significantly better following afternoon learning, regardless of video type. These findings suggest that the morning advantage in acquisition may reflect temporary performance facilitation rather than lasting learning. Practically, to promote durable retention of dance sequences, educators should prioritize afternoon practice when teaching new material. Morning sessions remain useful for rehearsing already-learned sequences or preparing for immediate performance. Interactive video-based instruction is effective across all times of day and can be flexibly integrated into dance education.
