Game-Changer NPCs: Leveling-Up Technology Acceptance and Flow in a Digital Learning Quest

Abstract

Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) combines gamification with educational content to create engaging learning experiences tailored to today’s learners. Non-Playable Characters (NPCs), integral to many video games, are computer-generated characters controlled by game algorithms rather than players. Despite their prominence in gaming, research on NPCs’ impact on learners’ perceptions, experiences, and acceptance of DGBL environments remains scarce. This study presents a framework that investigates the impact of non-player characters’ (NPCs) attributes, including social presence, telepresence, social support, and storytelling, on factors related to technology acceptance, such as perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, as well as on the flow state and the intention to continue using a digital game-based learning (DGBL) environment. An experiment was conducted where learners were administered a survey after interacting with NPCs, simulating peers, professors, or industry experts teaching Fintech topics within a DGBL environment. Analysis of 200 valid responses using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling revealed that NPCs’ attributes significantly enhance perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and flow state in the DGBL environment. Furthermore, the findings indicate that perceived ease of use and the flow state positively affect learners’ intentions to continue using the DGBL environment. Thematic analysis per participant feedback highlighted the value of DGBL as an innovative educational approach that makes learning about Fintech accessible and engaging. These results are interpreted through the Technology Acceptance Model, flow theory, presence theory, and gamified learning model, offering insights into how NPCs can be effectively designed to enrich the DGBL learning experience and foster technology adoption.