Waddle: using virtual penguin embodiment as a vehicle for empathy and informal learning

This paper presents, Waddle, a virtual experience to promote informal learning by embodying the user as an Adelie Penguin to partake in a narrative-based virtual reality application that shares the story of the lives of these unique animals. We test the effects of this experience on informal learning and empathy, an important component for fostering social engagement with ecology. The research demonstrates that the developed experience is able to support informal learning, virtual embodiment, and is able to create a positive change in empathy.