Harnessing AI, Virtual Landscapes, and Anthropomorphic Imaginaries to Enhance Environmental Science Education at Jökulsárlón Proglacial Lagoon, Iceland

Abstract

Introductory environmental science courses offer non-STEM students an entry point to address global challenges such as climate change and cryosphere preservation. Aligned with the International Year of Glacier Preservation and the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, this mixed-method, IRB-exempt study applied the Curriculum Redesign and Artificial Intelligence-Facilitated Transformation (CRAFT) model for course redesign. The project leveraged a human-centered AI approach to create anthropomorphized, place-based narratives for online learning. Generative AI is used to amend immersive virtual learning environments (VLEs) that animate glacial forces (water, rock, and elemental cycles) through narrative-driven virtual reality (VR) experiences. Students explored Iceland’s Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon via self-guided field simulations led by an imaginary water droplet, designed to foster environmental awareness and a sense of place. Data collection included a five-point Likert-scale survey and thematic coding of student comments. Findings revealed strong positive sentiment: 87.1% enjoyment of the imaginaries, 82.5% agreement on supporting connection to places, and 82.0% endorsement of their role in reinforcing spatial and systems thinking. Thematic analysis confirmed that anthropomorphic imaginaries enhanced emotional engagement and conceptual understanding of glacial processes, situating glacier preservation within geographic and global contexts. This AI-enhanced, multimodal approach demonstrates how narrative-based VR can make complex cryospheric concepts accessible for non-STEM learners, promoting early engagement with climate science and environmental stewardship.

1. Introduction

The cryosphere (the ice of lakes, rivers, reservoirs, glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice, snow, and permafrost) is undergoing unprecedented transformations due to sustained global temperature increases [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. The year 2023 was the warmest year on record with a global mean temperature of 1.45 °C (±0.12 °C) above the pre-industrial baseline [8] (p. 3). According to the “State of Global Water Resources 2023 Report,” 600 gigatons (Gt) of water was lost from glaciers with 2023 showing ice losses from all glaciated regions globally for the second consecutive year with the most significant water loss [9,10]. One third of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) culturally important glaciers are projected to disappear by 2050 [8].

1.1. Building Awareness and Advocacy for a Cryosphere in Flux

Environmental educators can help students grasp the significance of rapid cryosphere change by grounding instruction in the local water cycle. Shifts in streamflow, groundwater recharge, and seasonal runoff provide relatable points of connection. Glaciers serve as an essential and non-replicable source of hydrological stability [11]. To build awareness of topics associated with a cryosphere under strain, early environmental science classes taken by novice learners are essential to broadcasting this information [12]. Cryosphere topics are usually taught to advanced students and early researchers in Earth and environmental sciences (e.g., climate science, geophysics, and physical geography), which limits talent recruitment into cryosphere-focused fields [13]. These courses build a foundation in climate systems, hydrology, and thermodynamics; however, few students reach this level of scientific expertise and interest, creating a critical bottleneck for talent in the discipline [14]. Limited access to information and low familiarity with cryosphere topics create psychological and curricular gaps, preventing students, especially those outside traditional environmental science tracks, from engaging with this pressing global challenge. Introducing cryosphere studies earlier in environmental education can bridge this gap, supporting broader awareness, interdisciplinary relevance, and increased support for climate resilience initiatives.

To make cryosphere concepts more accessible, integrating storytelling can offer a compelling method to explore Earth’s climate regulation and freshwater systems. Story frameworks are useful in orienting knowledge and provide support in comprehending novel information [15]. Immersive education uses storytelling about earth changes to prime students for learning, a technique used in climate change litigation [16]. Storytelling, enabled with collaborations between scientists and artists, is a powerful method for sharing lived experiences of the cryosphere’s rapid transformation due to climate change and its far-reaching implications of global warming [16,17,18,19]. Both “creative thought and critical thinking” are needed for students to interpret environmental phenomena to cultivate scientific literacy at the outset of the learning experience [20,21]. Introductory environmental science courses can use narrative storytelling about the cryosphere and hydrosphere to connect climate change concepts to pressing global challenges, thereby reducing learning barriers related to topic complexity and urgency [22].

Two United Nations (UN)-aligned initiatives, the International Year of Glacier Preservation and the Decade of Action for the Cryospheric Sciences, both foreground the use of art and storytelling as strategies for strengthening public engagement with glacier loss and cryosphere science [18]. These initiatives invest considerable international effort in narrative-driven communication and outreach recognizing creative expression is a powerful tool to advance cryosphere awareness [17,18,19]. Each initiative emphasizes safeguarding glaciers as crucial for ecosystem health, planetary wellbeing, and economic stability as their loss jeopardizes drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower. Embedding strategic initiatives into course curricula for education outreach creates a cohesive narrative that helps instructional efforts raise awareness of cryosphere changes, including glacier preservation and ecosystem stability.

1.2. Animism with Anthropomorphic Imaginaries as a Pedagogical Lens

Animacy is a structured concept that attributes aliveness to animate and inanimate objects, with classification of the most alive being animals, then plants, and finally things like rocks or water [23]. In this framework, glacial ice and water serve as a particularly illustrative example. Educators can use animacy as a framework, grounded in cognitive and linguistic constructs, to help learners better understand and categorize the natural world [23]. Though plants, animals, and rocks tend to be easily categorized as animate or inanimate, water, because of its fluidity, perceived stillness, and yet undeniable dynamism, resists easy classification within this framework [24]. Unlike plants and animals, water lacks biological structures (face, appendages, or body) that suggest life. Yet, it moves, flows, responds to gravity and temperature, and shapes landscapes over time, highly suggestive of agency and mobility [25,26]. At the same time, animacy reflects three levels (biological reality, cognitive perception, and linguistic expression) [24]. Water, as an imaginary being, challenges each of these levels. First, though water is not considered alive, it is essential to life [27,28]. Second, although perceived as passive, water can exhibit dynamic traits such as rising, falling, crashing, or retreating [27]. Third, although often considered inanimate, many cultures and languages imbue water with spirit or intention—especially in myths, rituals, and oral traditions [29,30,31]. Therefore, we define ‘waterness’ as the essence of water—its fluidity, responsiveness, and capacity for transformation. Water’s movement and impact contain power, stress, and force, thus requiring shifts in perception to recognize its activity. By anthropomorphizing water, instructional designers can support learners’ view of it as an active co-actor in the environment that can assist students in comprehending both environmental patterns and processes [27]. This sense of animacy challenges anthropocentric hierarchy that places humans above all life, opening pathways to recognize the agency of non-living, yet active elements. It promotes a deeper environmental awareness and respect for the systems that sustain life, even when those systems defy traditional definitions of the inanimate [32].

1.3. The Purpose of This Study

This paper aims to explore strategies to support novice learners in STEM programs conceptualizing cryosphere dynamics. Our work focuses on an instructional intervention that uses mixed-media and elemental imaginary storytellers within an immersive virtual environment set in Jökulsárlón, Iceland (Figure 1). The Narrative and Imaginary Integrated Virtual Pedagogy (NIIVP) approach uses anthropomorphic characters to animate fundamental earth materials. Such educational innovations are used in medical communities to elevate public awareness around disease and support empathy-building [33]. As the anthropomorphic imaginaries move through the environment in a storybook format, they narrate processes such as deposition, transport, and erosion as students engage with the embedded immersive virtual reality (VR) settings in the instructional intervention. This instructional design approach addresses a notable gap in online environmental science education, where VR experiences for building scientific literacy remain rare [34,35]. Integrating imaginaries and immersive virtual environments into instructional interventions helps learners focus on key features and objects situated within the virtual space [36]. Emergent technologies that combine immersive visualizations, instructor-created e-books, and narrative storytelling have the potential to transform online learning [37]. Virtual fieldtrips to remote locations, such as Jökulsárlón proglacial lagoon, allow students to explore cryosphere features in remote places without physically traveling to the site [37]. Such approaches expand learning, reduce costs, and maintain student safety compared to traveling to inaccessible, hazard prone locations [37,38,39,40]. To determine whether creative use of pedagogical tools in instructional design enhance student learning about the environment and its connection to the hydrological cycle, we asked the following research question: How does using character-based imaginaries in immersive virtual environments help novice learners understand hydrosphere and feel more connected to Earth systems?

2. Materials and Methods

This section describes both the instructional design approach in the course redesign and the mixed-methods approach in understanding the impact of the instructional intervention. We describe the design of the 5-point Likert scale survey instrument used to assess the impact of the intervention. This survey highlighted qualitative analysis of student sentiments and environmental science themes. Finally, we describe the descriptive statistical methods used for data analysis and summarize the findings from the exploratory design.

2.1. Instructional Design Approach

We chose ENV100T: Principles of Environmental Science, a foundational course for novice science students, to transition the anthropomorphic characters into imaginary explorers of the immersive glacial environment. The course introduces Earth’s resources, major spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and cryosphere), and key processes such as disturbance, energy transfer, and biogeochemical cycles (water, nitrogen, and rock). During the study period, 9661 students completed the course, most of whom were enrolled in non-science majors, with business and management representing the largest group (55.99%). Of the STEM majors, technology and information systems (3.62%) and environmental science (1.42%) are a small fraction of the student total population (Figure 2).

The redesign adopted a storybook format that maintained the anthropomorphism of inanimate earth components. Using Microsoft’s M365 Copilot (Enterprise) (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot) (accessed on 23 November 2025), these characters were transformed into imaginaries of explorers who narrated their experiences, observations, and sense of place. This storybook approach combines anthropomorphic imaginaries with exploration to help students conceptualize complex environmental structures and functions. Exploration serves to develop the learning environment with attributes associated with “search, variation, risk-taking, experimentation, play, flexibility, discovery, innovation,” [42]. Each chapter follows a narrative arc, where the imaginaries Nico Nitrogen, Remi Rock, and Waverly Water serve as guides in the Instructor Created Content (ICC) delivered through a zyBook platform (https://www.zybooks.com) (

Table 1. Anthropomorphic characters from the ENV100T course, generated by artificial intelligence (AI) as imaginaries for course redesign.

Source Image	Attributes Used in AI Prompts	AI-Imaginary Image
	- Maintain original text - Anime style character - Clear double bond - Atmosphere background (blue sky + clouds) - No houses or plants
	- Maintain original text - Anime style character - Lithosphere background (Grand Canyon-inspired) - Consistent anime aesthetic
	- Maintain original text - Anime style character - Hydrosphere background (ocean + sky) - Bright, clean anime aesthetic
Group Image Unavailable	- Anime style for all three characters - Iceland-inspired background (waterfalls, mountains, greenery) - Option for title banner with names and spheres

). Through illustrative narratives, students journey through nutrients, rock, and water cycles. These stories conceptualize resources, spheres, and cycles within diverse biomes, including coniferous forest, desert, grassland, polar, rainforest, shrubland, temperate deciduous forest, and tundra. Each course run accommodates up to 100 students and is offered every five weeks.

2.2. Waverly Water and the Story of Jökulsárlón: Understanding Glacial Change

For the hydrosphere chapters of the instructional intervention, the anthropomorphized water drop, Waverly Water, guides students through course content. Wavery describes their fictional neighborhood, the Hydrosphere, which is located on Earthtopia. Students learn about streets found in their neighborhood in context with the hydrosphere: Ocean Avenue, Ground Water Way, Glacier Road, River Bend, and Lake Lane (

Table 2. Routes found in the Hydrosphere Neighborhood and their associated biomes.

Route	Hydrosphere Element	Biome Connection
Ocean Avenue	Oceans and coastal waters	Rainforest (humid coastal zones), temperate deciduous forest (near coasts)
Ground Water Way	Aquifers and subsurface water	Grassland (dependent on groundwater), (oases dependent upon aquifers), shrubland
Glacier Road	Icesheets, glaciers, permafrost, and sea ice	Tundra, polar desert, taiga, coniferous forest (boreal zones near glacier melt)
River Bend	Rivers and streams	Temperate deciduous forest, grassland, rainforest (river basins)
Lake Lane	Lakes and freshwater bodies	Temperate deciduous forest, shrubland, grassland

). Content found on each street includes the hydrosphere elements and is connected to the associated biomes.

After establishing the routes, we associated the identified biomes with specific course weeks. We embedded VR scenes into the ICC learning activities for those weeks. On the Glacier Water Way route, one stop showcases the cryosphere through the Jökulsárlón glacier proglacial lagoon scene. Jökulsárlón lies in Southeastern Iceland at the lower margin of Vatnajökull National Park (Figure 1) [41,43]. Several outlet glaciers from the Vatnajökull ice cap converge (8100 km² in area with 3300 km³ of ice) converge to feed the lagoon, which is influenced by tides through its connection to the Atlantic Ocean [44]. The Vatnajökull ice cap is Iceland’s largest and covers three subglacial volcanoes (Figure 1) [44]. Over the last century, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon underwent rapid transformation as the Breiðamerkurjökull outlet glacier retreated 5.6 km [45]. The cascade of geomorphological change includes sustained melting that accelerated the lagoon expansion (1930–2022s). During this time, the lagoon’s surface area increased fourfold, and satellite observations show a continuous rate of expansion of approximately 0.5 km² per year [46,47]. Surface area increase corresponds to the continuous mass loss at the glacier terminus. With the lagoon’s increased surface area, hydrological connections have changed, influencing tidal exchanges with the Atlantic Ocean. Erosional forces are altering lagoon depth and geometry to be more fjord-like in structure over time [46,47]. For the 360-degree imagery, we used the GeoEPIC application to embed a technical view frame of the photo sphere with VR headset capability. The content carries a Creative Commons 4.0 license (CC BY 4.0), allowing educators to share and adapt the material with proper attribution.

This section describes how a VR lesson was integrated into Week 2 zyBook’s learning activity. By linking the GeoEPIC fieldtrip, we used Microsoft’s M365 Copilot AI tool to connect the VR content to the curriculum and adapt Waverly Water as an explorer-themed imaginary. The narrative highlights water’s movement through the Earth’s spheres as part of the hydrological cycle. The design centers on the Jökulsárlón photo sphere featured in Week 2, emphasizing dynamic change in water and its movement. This activity aligns learning theory with the Course Student Learning Outcome and recognizes various Earth processes within the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere to support learning goals intended for the student.

Data collection for field notes and imagery took place in the Jökulsárlón glacier area during July of 2019. A GoPro Max 360 camera (https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/cameras/learn/max/CHDHZ-203-master.html) (accessed on 23 November 2025) was used to collect 360-degree spherical photography. Site-level information and imagery on geomorphology and steam hydrology was collected at this time to develop the GeoEPIC lesson (Figure 3a–h).

The images in Figure 3 are extracted from the associated GeoEPIC lesson and include scenes from the 360-degree photography used in the VR fieldtrip of the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and surrounding areas (Figure 3): (a) Landscape showing the Breiðamerkurjökull outlet glacier tongue interfacing with the proglacial lagoon; the waterline is evident with crevasses and ice cliffs situated just above it, and icebergs are present in the scene [41]. (b) Bridge spanning Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon with icebergs calved from Breiðamerkurjökull floating towards the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean [41]. (c) Terminal moraine, glacial till, and Breiðamerkurjökull glacial field merged with Vatnajökull glacier in the background; in the foreground, ice rafting of rock, sediments, and debris on icebergs is evident [41]. (d) Icebergs displaying glacial blue coloration caused by the Rayleigh effect [41]. (e) Diamond Beach located in the lower right of the scene with icebergs approaching (image source Niccole V. Cerveny, permission obtained). (f) Outwash plain with glacial streams creating complex array of braided channels [41]. (g) Meltwater stream rippling showing stream power, transport and deposition [41]. (h) Drained kettle lake with person at center for scale [41]. The team examined the landscape scenes and field notes, identified relevant details that support the CSLO, and used the information to guide the narrative design for the contextual application, ensuring conceptual alignment (

Table 3. Notes on Jökulsárlón proglacial lagoon and surrounding areas that serve as examples of hydrological feature patterns and process to develop anthropomorphic imaginary exploration [41].

Site Notes	Hydrological Features	Examples of Movement, Transport, Erosion, and Deposition
Jökulsárlón (Proglacial Lagoon)	Proglacial lagoon, receding outlet glaciers, connection to the Atlantic Ocean, tidewater glacier, ice cliffs with crevasses, and calving icebergs, subaqueous terminus, ice rafting, and the waterline, evidence of Rayleigh scattering.	Meltwater accumulation, outlet glaciers terminating seawater, tidal action, meltwater transport, sediment deposition in outwash fans and deltas.
Areas adjacent to Jökulsárlón (Proglacial Lagoon)	Meltwater channels, braided streams, valley train, meltwater channels, outwash plain, outwash fans and deltas, forests, bottomsets, and kettle features.	Subaqueous sediment deposits, transport of sediments via meltwater, formation of depositional landforms (fans, deltas), visual indicators of ice purity and structural changes, depressions formed by melting of buried ice blocks, visible as bowl-shaped hollows.
Diamond Beach (Coastal Zone)	Icebergs, coastal sediment derived from Iceland’s volcanic geology, stranded ice fragments, and tidal currents and wave action.	Icebergs transported from lagoon to beach by floating and drifting on tidal flow, wave-driven erosion of ice and redistribution of sediments, deposition of glacial fragments along shoreline.

) [41].

2.3. Humans-in-the-Loop (HITL): A Human-Centered AI Framework for Curriculum Redesign in Environmental Science: Curriculum Redesign and AI Facilitated Transformation (CRAFT)

The Environmental Science Program in the College of General Studies adopted a human-centered AI approach for curriculum redesign, involving Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), instructional designers, education theorists, and college leadership. Using a two-phase model called Curriculum Redesign and AI Facilitated Transformation (CRAFT) (Figure 4), the process begins with the Preparation Phase, where AI is calibrated with the TREE-PG philosophical framework. The education theorist trains the organization-approved AI tool, ChatGPT-4 Enterprise (https://chatgpt.com/business/) (accessed on 2 December 2025), on the Translating Research in Environmental Education-Physical Geography (TREE-PG) framework [40]. The team conducts a course walkthrough with SMEs, reviews CSLOs and program-mapped skills associated with the course, and observes AI calibration for resource guide development. Roles for human-in-the-loop (HITL) AI use are then assigned.

In the Development Phase, SMEs, instructional designers, and college leadership collaborate with AI to adjust course components, review resources, and finalize the redesign for approval. Learning theory remains foundational, guiding content creation for asynchronous online learners addressing knowledge-building and barriers to learning [48]. Multi-modal imagery and narrative rich environments further enhance student reflection and engagement [49,50]. The CRAFT model validates these strategies at every step in the redesign process, ensuring appropriate learning theories, VR fieldtrip lessons embedded in zyBooks, and narrative storytelling through anthropomorphic imaginaries effectively supports the student learning experience in the online asynchronous classroom (Figure 4).

For the development of the instructional intervention regarding the anthropomorphic imaginaries, narrative storytelling, and a virtual reality fieldtrip to the cryosphere with the glacier lagoon stop, considerations of how learning theories apply to each part of the intervention that incorporated the VR fieldtrip required us to use the virtual reality User Interface (VRUI) model (

Table 4. Virtual reality user interface (VRUI) aligned to learning theories in the design of anthropomorphic imaginary storytelling adapted from Kelly et al. [40] (p. 62).

VRUI Order	Guiding Questions	Relevant TREE-PG Constructs	Narrative Connections
Core Learning Objectives	What should students learn? What is learning?	Social constructivism; conceptual change; systemic functional linguistics; spatial thinking	Waverly narrates Earth processes (hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere) in context, helping students construct meaning and reframe misconceptions about water movement and glacial dynamics.
First Order VRUI: Photo Sphere Visual	“What is the student experience? How do students see themselves? What builds belonging and connection?” [40]	Sense of place, situated cognition, spatial thinking, Ludic Pedagogy	Immersive VR scenes of Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach paired with Waverly’s playful tone foster sense of place, belonging, and engagement through play.
Second Order VRUI: Instructional Interventions	“How do students learn? What role does prior knowledge play? What are barriers to learning? How is learning assessed?” [40]	Social constructivism, conceptual change, experiential learning, situated cognition, systemic functional linguistics, spatial thinking, Ludic Pedagogy	Waverly’s dialogue uses accessible language and metaphors (e.g., “rollercoaster,” “rock family reunion”) to scaffold conceptual change, while VR immersion supports experiential learning and spatial reasoning.
Third Order VRUI: Contextual Application	“How does learning transfer beyond the VR environment? How do students apply concepts to real-world systems and sustainability?” [40]	Experiential learning; sense of place; spatial thinking	Waverly Water’s Icelandic Adventure, Part 2: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon illustrates hydrological processes (braided streams, sediment transport, calving, Rayleigh scattering) and connects them to global change (glacier retreat, glacier lake outburst flood). Students explore how these dynamics relate to sustainability and Earth systems beyond VR fieldtrip with further connections to the overarching hydrological cycle.

) [40] (p. 62). The VRUI model uses orders to align learning theory to educational content development for Virtual Learning Experience (VLE) architecture. As we embed an immersive VR scene for the Waverly Water field trip, we use the VRUI orders to describe how learning theory is aligned with, and used across, the different course components to develop the zyBook for the class.

For the Core Learning Objectives, we started with the CSLO: Recognize various Earth processes within the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere, and identified the learning theories and narrative connections needed to develop the storytelling (Table 4). For the Core Learning Objectives, we chose the learning theories of social constructivism [51], conceptual change [52,53,54,55,56], systemic functional linguistics [57,58,59,60,61,62], and spatial thinking [63,64,65]. For social constructivism, Waverly Water engages students in learning about the spheres through a shared experience and by relaying their observations through story. The anthropomorphic imaginary processes the information on the cryosphere and hydrological cycle, working with the student in the co-construction of knowledge. For conceptual change, storytelling contextualizes scientific concepts within the environment, providing opportunities for students to reflect on what they know and to revise any misunderstandings they may have about topics, such as glacier retreat and sediment transport. In systemic functional linguistics, Waverly Water’s dialogue becomes part of the learning process, and students share the same discipline vocabulary, aligned with everyday metaphors, to scaffold their understanding of scientific terminology.

The first-order VRUI (Photosphere) design uses sense of place [66,67,68], situated cognition [69,70], spatial thinking [63,64,65], and Ludic Pedagogy [71] (Table 4). A sense of place helps students experience the immersive cryosphere, no matter their current location. A sense-of-place approach, combined with immersive physical environments, makes abstract topics related to glaciers and meltwater systems more tangible for students. For situated cognition, learning occurs when learning takes place in a realistic context, such as exploring glacial landscapes and water systems through VR, making knowledge practical and meaningful. Regarding spatial thinking, students use multiple perspectives to view the vastness of an ice cap, its outlet glaciers, and margins. These perspectives illustrate scale, distance, patterns, and processes associated with the cryosphere and hydrologic processes. In Ludic Pedagogy, the student, as a fellow explorer with Waverly Water, discovers the glacier environment together through a playful, exciting experience.

For the second-order VRUI (Instructional Intervention), the narrative storytelling and engagement with Waverly Water were grounded in the following learning theories: academic self-concept [72,73,74], social constructivism [51], experiential learning [75,76,77,78,79], situated cognition [69,70], systemic functional linguistics [53,54,55,56,57,58], spatial thinking [63,64,65], and Ludic Pedagogy [71] (Table 4). Considering academic self-concept, students develop confidence through their interactions with Waverly Water, understanding science through Waverly’s approachable narrative and interactive VR tasks. Positive reinforcement occurs through the completion of the participation activities, which invites students to see themselves as explorers and participants in scientific inquiry. For social constructivism, the anthropomorphic imaginary tells its story as a dialogue to create a shared interpretation of the hydrological process as it moves through the cryosphere with the student. For conceptual change, Waverly Water’s use of familiar metaphors aligned with the science challenge misconceptions about water movement, sediment transport, and deposition. For experiential learning, students take their newly acquired knowledge from exploring the VR immersive environment of the Jökulsárlón proglacial lagoon and use the narrative dialogue to participate in learning activities that support students’ connection of virtual observations to the science associated with outlet and tidewater glaciers, braided streams, and outwash plains. Regarding situated cognition, by exploring problems and interpreting processes within authentic environments, students connect abstract concepts to real-world applications. In systemic functional linguistics, the story and the anthropomorphic imaginary dialogue use clear language to introduce scientific terms in accessible language [80]. For spatial thinking, observations from the immersive VR environment support learners in analyzing hydrological patterns and processes. Ludic Pedagogy uses fun, imaginative storytelling to make science more engaging. Adding humor and creativity makes the topics easier to understand and gives students an inviting way to learn about the cryosphere.

These pedagogical insights informed the development of the following narrative intervention, “Waverly Water’s adventure in Iceland Visiting Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon,” which served as a bridge between conceptual understanding and immersive practice.

“After soaring through clouds and splashing into rivers, Waverly Water felt ready for the next challenge. “I’ve danced in the sky and skipped across mossy beaches,” Waverly said, “but now it’s time to dive deeper!”

Waverly’s droplets shimmered as they flowed toward the Southeastern Coast of Iceland, where the mighty Vatnajökull Icecap loomed in the distance. “Whoa,” Waverly whispered. “That’s the biggest icecap in Iceland. It’s like a frozen crown for the Earth!”

Nestled at the edge of this icy giant was Jökulsárlón, a magical proglacial lagoon where outlet glaciers feed icy waters into the Atlantic Ocean. Waverly joined a stream of meltwater trickling from the glacier’s edge, slipping past braided channels that twisted and turned like a maze. “This is the valley train!” Waverly exclaimed. “It’s like a watery rollercoaster!”

As Waverly flowed through the outwash plain, the stream’s power shifted. At first, it carried gravel and large clasts—rocky bits shaped by the glacier’s grinding journey. “Some of these rocks are smooth and round,” Waverly noticed. “Others are jagged and sharp. It’s like a rock family reunion!”

Further downstream, the water slowed, and sand and silt began to settle. Waverly watched as tiny particles danced beneath the surface, forming ripples and deltas. “We’re painting the Earth with every step,” Waverly said proudly.

Suddenly, a loud crack! echoed through the air. A massive chunk of ice calved from the glacier’s subaqueous terminus, splashing into the lagoon. “That’s an iceberg!” Waverly gasped. “It’s like a frozen mountain taking a swim!”

The lagoon sparkled with glacial blue ice, glowing with a magical hue thanks to something called the Rayleigh Scattering, a trick of light that made Waverly and the other molecules shimmer in shades of blue. “We’re glowing!” Waverly giggled. “It’s like we’re made of starlight!”

But the journey wasn’t all fun and games. Waverly learned that the glacier was retreating, melting faster each year. Sometimes, the melting was so sudden it caused glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), sending torrents of water and ice crashing through the lagoon. “We have to be careful,” Waverly said. “Even water can be wild!”

As Waverly floated past kettle lakes—bowl-shaped depressions left behind by melting ice blocks—Waverly felt a sense of awe. “Every puddle, every stream, every cloud…we’re all part of the same story,” Waverly said. “And I’m just one chapter in the great book of Earthtopia.”

With the sun setting over the icy lagoon, Waverly prepared to meet Nico Nitrogen and Remi Rock. “I’ve learned to move, to transform, and to shape the land,” Waverly whispered. “Now, it’s time to learn how energy flows through all living things” [81].

Finally, for the third-order VRUI (Contextual Application), we use experiential learning [71,72,73,74,75], sense of place [66,67,68], and spatial thinking [63,64,65] (Table 4) when designing the summative assessment. For experiential learning, the summative assessment includes scenario-based questions that ask students to apply what they learned in the VR experience and story to explain the science behind Waverly Water’s journey. To create a sense of place, the summative assessment questions reference authentic physical features in the virtual location (Figure 5), allowing students to demonstrate their understanding of the environment. For spatial thinking, students analyze interconnected processes in the cryosphere and can synthesize these relationships (for example, how a melting glacier affects hydrology or creates natural hazards). Students use their interpretation of the immersive visual environment and its associated story to reason through the dynamic feature patterns and the associated processes of cryosphere dynamics [82]. The resulting narrative was embedded into the zyBook alongside the technical frame with VR headset capability. The narrative is featured below [81].

2.4. Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

This section describes the Institutional Review Board (IRB)-exempt, exploratory mixed-methods approach we used to analyze the effectiveness of using anthropomorphic place-based imaginaries of nutrients, rock, and water in supporting students’ exploration of the hydrosphere. Data collection for the survey instrument reflections took place between May through October 2025, coinciding with the initial ENV100T course runs. Out of the 9661 students who took the course during this period, 329 students participated in the voluntary survey. The survey instrument included a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Students rated their enjoyment of the three anthropomorphized characters, the extent to which the characters supported place-based connection, and the degree to which the narrative elements helped them understand scale, pattern, process, and structure. The survey also included one open-ended item asking students to share their thoughts about the use of Waverly Water, Nico Nitrogen, and Remi Rock in the course.

The survey sample demographics highlight a student population that faces challenges in pursuing their higher education. This sample population represents a diverse group of adult learners. Many members of this population balance their commitments between family, work, and school; they have an average age of 38 years, and 78.1% are employed. The majority of students are women, at 71.1%. Additionally, 60.6% self-identified as part of an ethnic minority population, 60.4% were the first in their families to attend college, and 63.5% noted that they are caring for dependents [83]. Their participation responses were not disaggregated by their demographic characteristics.

3. Results

Analysis of the survey responses’ descriptive statistics shows strong positive direction for the use of the anthropomorphic imaginaries in course redesign (

Table 5. Descriptive statistics of the three statements featured on the survey instrument.

Descriptives	I Enjoyed the Use of the Three Characters in This Course.	The Use of the Characters Helped Me Feel More Connected to the Places on Earth.	The Use of the Characters Helped Me Better Understand the Concepts of Scale, Pattern, Process, and Structure.
n	326	325	327
Missing Values	2	3	1
Mean	4.33	4.22	4.21
Median	5	5	5
Standard Deviation	1.02	1.10	1.11

). For the survey item “I enjoyed the use of the three characters in this course,” respondents reported a mean score of 4.33 (SD = 1.02) with a median of 5, indicating that the majority expressed high levels of agreement. The statement “The use of the characters helped me feel more connected to the places on Earth” has a mean of 4.22 (SD = 1.10) and a median of 5, which suggests that participants perceived the imaginaries as effective in creating a sense of connection to places that feature examples of the environmental concepts presented in the course. The third survey item, “The use of the characters helped me better understand the concepts of scale, pattern, process, and structure,” produced a mean of 4.21 (SD = 1.11) and a median of 5, which shows comparable levels of agreement regarding spatial thinking and conceptual understanding. Across all three items, the low incidence of missing data (1–3 cases) and relatively modest standard deviations indicate a consistent pattern of favorable responses among the sample.

Survey responses across the three items indicate strong endorsement of the character-based intervention. For “I enjoyed the use of the three characters in this course,” nearly nine out of ten respondents expressed agreement, with over half selecting Strongly Agree (57.1%) and an additional 30.1% selecting Agree. Similar patterns emerged for “The use of the characters helped me feel more connected to the places on Earth” and “The use of the characters helped me better understand the concepts of scale, pattern, process, and structure,” where positive responses exceeded 82% for both items. Neutral ratings were uncommon (6.7–9.5%), and fewer than 9% of respondents indicated disagreement or strong disagreement across all statements. These findings suggest that the imaginaries were perceived as an effective tool for supporting engagement, spatial connection, and conceptual understanding (

Table 6. Frequencies of “I enjoyed the use of the three characters in this course.”.

Likert Rating	Q1: “I Enjoyed the Use of the Three Characters in This Course.” (n = 326)	Q2: “The Use of the Characters Helped Me Feel More Connected to the Places on Earth.” (n = 325)	Q3: “The Use of the Characters Helped Me Better Understand the Concepts of Scale, Pattern, Process, and Structure.” (n = 327)
Strongly Agree	186 (57.1%)	174 (53.5%)	175 (53.55)
Agree	98 (30.1%)	94 (28.9%)	93 (28.4%)
Neutral	22 (6.7%)	29 (8.9%)	31 (9.5%)
Disagree	3 (0.9%)	9 (2.8%)	9 (2.8%)
Strongly Disagree	17 (5.2%)	19 (5.8%)	19 (5.8%)

Note on scale: Responses used a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree). The differing n values reflect item-level nonresponse.

).

Analysis of the open comments in the context of the anthropomorphic imaginaries showed themes generally reported that the three characters made the course more engaging and enjoyable. Many described the characters as fun and helpful for maintaining their interest in the zyBook learning activities. There were expressions in the feedback that reflected a deeper learning experience, involving analysis and synthesis beyond the form of “just reading facts,” with a more playful experience. These insights show a more transformative learning experience for students. Several respondents highlighted their improved memory and retention and offered insight into how the characters supported their visualization of patterns and processes, allowing them to recall concepts more easily. However, a minority of respondents expressed mixed reactions, with negative sentiment that referred to the instructional intervention as juvenile or unnecessary for college-level learning (

Table 7. Analysis of open-ended student comments regarding the use of anthropomorphic imaginaries in course activities.

Theme	Description	Example Quotes
Engagement and Enjoyment	Students found characters fun and engaging, making lessons interesting and enjoyable.	- Loved them! Kept me engaged in learning. - I really enjoyed the use of characters in this class. - This helped me connect more and stay engaged with the lessons because it offered a more playful and interesting approach to learning. - The characters made the readings and assignments a lot of fun. Not just reading facts.
Memorability and Retention	Characters helped students remember concepts better and visualize processes.	- The characters made it more memorable. - Using characters ‘humanized’ the thought of what we were learning and it became little pictures in my head. - It helped me remember and understand better without the use of a monotone lecture style.
Mixed Reactions	Some students felt the approach was juvenile or unnecessary for college-level learning.	- It was fine—a little childish—but I wasn’t bothered by it. - Honestly, it felt too juvenile for college study. - I would have rather just been given the reading material without the three characters.

).

We examined the participant comments in the context of connection to places on Earth. Most survey respondents felt that the characters strengthened their sense of connection to Earth’s systems and places. They appreciated how the narratives tied environmental processes to real-world contexts, making the lessons more relatable. Overall, sentiment was positive toward storytelling and visualization, themes that emerged as key benefits in the embedded VR lesson and instructional intervention. Students said that following Waverly Water as it led them through the water cycle helped them picture interactions, and they preferred these visualizations over reading facts alone. A few students, however, reported neutral or limited impact, stating that the characters neither enhanced nor detracted from their learning experience (

Table 8. Analysis of open-ended student comments on how the use of anthropomorphic imaginaries influenced their sense of connection to places on Earth.

Theme	Description	Example Quotes
Connection to Earth Systems	Students felt the characters made environmental processes relatable and tied to real-world places.	- The use of characters helped me feel more connected to the various areas and processes of the spheres and their respective responsibilities on the planet. - They are all connected to the biosphere, which is the part of Earth where life exists. - I really enjoyed the characters—they helped me feel more connected to the lessons we were learning about.
Storytelling and Visualization	Characters provided a narrative that helped students visualize concepts and interactions.	- Characters like Remi the Rock, Waverly Water, and Nico Nitrogen made learning stick for me. Instead of just memorizing facts, I saw each concept as part of their story. - Following Waverly Water’s journey through the water cycle helped me visualize the process better than just reading about it. - Using fictional character names made the lesson more interesting, which had me more engaged.
Neutral or Limited Impact	Some students felt characters did not significantly enhance their sense of connection.	- Overall, I feel pretty neutral about how much the characters helped me feel connected to the material. - While I thought the use of these characters was cute, I do not think they added nor subtracted from my experience with this course.

).

When examining respondents’ comments for themes of scale, pattern, process, and structure, most respondents felt that anthropomorphic imaginaries simplified complex topics. The theme of systems thinking emerged strongly. Participants reported feeling a more profound connection to Earth’s systems and places. Additionally, students self-reported a strengthened understanding of the complex interconnections among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere and how these systems interact. They appreciated how the narratives tied to environmental processes within the glacial context, making the lessons more relatable. Overall, sentiment was positive toward storytelling and visualization, themes that emerged as key benefits in the embedded VR lesson and instructional intervention. Students said that following Waverly Water as it led them through the water cycle helped them picture interactions, and they preferred these visualizations over reading facts alone. A few students, however, reported neutral or limited impact, stating that the characters neither enhanced nor detracted from their learning experience (

Table 9. Student perceptions of how anthropomorphic characters supported understanding of scale, pattern, process, and structure in environmental science concepts.

Theme	Description	Example Quotes
Simplification of Complex Concepts	Characters broke down difficult ideas into understandable parts and made science approachable.	- The characters made complex environmental concepts easier to understand and added a fun, engaging element to the learning experience. - Giving them personalities made the science topics easier to understand and more fun to follow. - It helped me differentiate and understand the material better.
Systems Thinking	Characters helped students see interconnections between Earth systems and processes.	- They showed how connected everything really is. I liked how their story made it clear that even one small change can cause a big impact. - The characters helped me understand how important their roles were in maintaining Earth’s balance and supporting life. - Together, these three are like a little team, each bringing a different piece of the puzzle to understanding our environment.
Criticism of Anthropomorphism	Some students worried that personification could blur scientific accuracy or feel childish.	- Anthropomorphism can blur mechanism (e.g., ‘Nico can’t move’ vs. ‘N2 is chemically inert without fixation’). - Aside from giving them just names, it felt a little odd, like in a children’s book. - Honestly, it felt too juvenile for college study.

).

4. Discussion

4.1. Anthropomorphized Imaginaries to Engage Students in Interconnected Earth Processes

For novice learners in the environmental sciences, animism can serve as a cognitive tool by endowing inanimate objects with lively attributes, creating anthropomorphic imaginaries. Survey results show students found Waverly Waterdrop a helpful cognitive companion to support their learning (87.1% in agreement) (Table 6). Personifying water helps students visualize abstract concepts of hydrosphere processes, familiarizes students with the cryosphere (82.5% in agreement), and supports spatial and systems thinking (82.0% in agreement), reducing barriers to learning about these topics. Studies show that the use of anthropomorphized characters in educational content affects students’ emotions, increasing positive emotions and reducing boredom and anxiety [84]. In reference to multimedia education content, the increase in students’ positive emotions supported stronger learning outcomes when educators embedded anthropomorphized animated characters [85]. The decline in perceived boredom is associated with an increase in curiosity, an emotion that prompts learning [86]. This effect is amplified when characters have facial features, as with Waverly Water, which can boost student persistence and motivation to engage with educational content [87]. Research shows that animated, cartoon-like digital teachers are more effective for conveying clear, straightforward facts, while realistic avatars better support learning complex skills or concepts [88]. Given prior research, our course results indicate strong agreement that anthropomorphized imaginaries help novice science students explore the cryosphere.

The student feedback suggests that anthropomorphized characters made complex environmental concepts easier to grasp while adding an engaging, enjoyable element to the learning experience (Table 9) [85,88]. Many students commented that the characters’ personalities helped them differentiate scientific ideas [89], which can support clarity on how interconnected Earth systems are (Table 9). Students’ emphasis on small changes having significant impacts is appropriate when studying the cryosphere [90], where a slight increase in temperature or a minor shift in precipitation can trigger accelerated glacier melt, sea-level rise, and altered freshwater availability (Table 8). Students also commented on the narrative, highlighting Waverly Water’s role in maintaining planetary balance and supporting life. This framing illustrates environmental processes as water moves through the spheres and ecosystems, demonstrating the interconnectedness that students observed in their learning experience. However, some students expressed reservations regarding the nitrogen cycle, noting that anthropomorphism can obscure scientific mechanisms (e.g., “Nico can’t move” versus “N₂ is chemically inert without fixation”) (Table 8 and Table 9). The approach occasionally felt juvenile for college-level study [91], with a small subset of college students reporting negative sentiment regarding the use of the (6.1% disagree) (Table 7). Overall, the responses indicate that while the strategy enhanced understanding and engagement for most learners, it also raised concerns about scientific precision and perceived academic rigor.

4.2. Anthropomorphic Imaginaries and Immersive Virtual Environments to Create a Cognitive Scaffold Through Storytelling

The instructional intervention integrated several pedagogical strategies, grounded in learning theories, to scaffold learning through visual and textual storytelling structures. Paillusson & Booth [92] argue that “scientific narratives,” which explain scientific phenomena and terminology, help students replace misconceptions and facilitate the acquisition of scientific knowledge (pp. 1955–1956). The narrative presents a chronological account of the waterdrop’s movement through mechanisms and processes (a story), while proposing an interpretation for the intended audience (a narrative) [93]. Anthropomorphic imaginaries, when paired with an immersive virtual environments, effectively model mechanisms of earth processes and forms, scaffolding student learning [94]. Modeling these mechanisms through environmental text and imagery is important to “promote learners’ transition to a more scientific and technological worldview” [94] (p. 1324). Learning theory supports this assumption. For example, based on social constructivism and Ludic Pedagogy, learners co-construct meaning by engaging with Waverly Water’s storyline and VR landscapes through imaginary-driven exploration, which may reduce affective barriers to promote engagement and boost motivation [84,88]. As students review Waverly’s observations, they confront misconceptions about cryospheric processes and adjust their thinking based on new information, an application of conceptual change theory. Waverly Water’s use of more colloquial language makes scientific terminology more accessible, aligning with systemic functional linguistics that make scientific discourse approachable to novice learners in scientific fields. Geographic approaches that incorporate spatial thinking can help learners take the immersive visual landscape and analyze the integrated physical features of braided streams and outwash plains. Learning theory guides the instructional design team on how students learn as they navigate narrative structures to support students making sense of what happens to Waverly Water and then putting the ideas together to create their own understanding [93,95].

Student reflections indicate that multimodal content with the playful narratives from anthropomorphic imaginaries reduces barriers to learning in asynchronous online environments, supporting novice students (Table 8 and Table 9) [96]. Our course redesign process, with multidisciplinary human-centered AI collaboration, leverages emerging technologies to create curriculum structured around immersive visualizations that are anchored by an anthropomorphic water imaginary, resulting in intentional learning-objective focused content [93].

4.3. Limitations

Although HITL AI design and anthropomorphic storytelling create engaging, scalable learning experiences, several limitations persist. One notable limitation of this study is the low student response rate compared to the total population [97]. Fewer than 329 students participated out of the total population of9661, resulting in a response rate of about 3.4%. Because participation was voluntary and minimally advertised, the students who engaged were most likely those who already had positive perceptions of the intervention. The potential for self-selection bias may influence the findings and overrepresent favorable attitudes toward the strategy. We should interpret the results with caution because they may not reflect the experiences of the broader student population.

Another limitation is the course redesign approach, complex and dynamic interaction which depends on continuous oversight by experts in learning theory, the relevant science (depending on the specific discipline), and instructional designers to monitor AI outputs and maintain accuracy [98]. Our approach is a hybrid of the traditional HITL, but is more reliant on AI as in the AI-in-the-Loop paradigm [98]. This approach works well to re-center pedagogy in the course redesign process [99]. In our course redesign approach, decision-making becomes more of a co-active process with both human and AI-drivers of the educational content. The CRAFT model requires consistency in checking and validating output and learning theory alignment for each course component (Figure 4). Without a team that brings diverse expertise, the risk of introducing flawed or misleading content increases. Plus, scaling these strategies is difficult requiring institutional commitment to resources and training.

At present, there is a lack of cryosphere-specific course assessments. We rely on general course metrics rather than on domain-specific knowledge, which makes it hard to know if higher engagement leads to deeper conceptual understanding in Earth system dynamics [68]. Future work involving this course will explore how well we are serving the students who are not science majors. Examining their perceptions of the discipline, of this global challenge, and of the role they have in engaging with the cryosphere through their future disciplines would be interesting. When the approach works well in helping students gain discipline-specific knowledge beyond general science knowledge, the combined anthropomorphic imaginaries, narratives, and immersive visuals provide a potential strategy for developing courses in other complex scientific areas with scientific constructs that students have difficulty comprehending.

The assessment limitations reinforce the need to look beyond content and focus on how introductory learners engage with cryosphere topics, who that engagement serves, and why foundational cryosphere education matters beyond disciplinary boundaries. First, this journal emphasizes the need for integrated, interdisciplinary approaches that link cryosphere science with communication, public understanding, and human decision-making [100,101]. Our study responds to this need by examining how novice learners engage with cryosphere concepts using theory-informed, research-grounded instructional design. Not all individuals who engage with cryosphere-related decisions will be scientists. However, they must still be able to interpret environmental change and apply that understanding to ecological and societal challenges. Second, this work evaluates how introductory learners engage with ice-related processes in an online course, with an emphasis on learning processes, accessibility, and pedagogical strategies that support meaningful engagement. Third, although the glacier content may appear simple to experts, this design choice is intentional and appropriate for the novice learner. Accessible entry points allow students new to the discipline to build a foundational understanding of cryosphere processes, which is essential for the field’s growth, diversity, and long-term scientific literacy. Finally, the transparent documentation of our course redesign and the limited use of AI-supported tools, such as narrative development through an imagined water droplet, demonstrate how foundational cryosphere education can support meaningful engagement for diverse, non-specialist learners.

5. Conclusions

The cryosphere covers a substantial area of Earth’s surface. It holds most of our freshwater, which is critical for how global and regional environmental systems function. Changes in the cryosphere influences sea level rise, water supplies, and ice-dependent ecosystems and communities. Most existing cryosphere instructional resources target advanced learners, which makes these topics particularly difficult for introductory-level students, leaving few accessible entry points to engage with these large-scale Earth processes. To meet workforce needs, higher education can prepare the next generation of undergraduate majors with avenues of support to build knowledge about the cryosphere. Introducing cryosphere concepts early can inspire students to pursue careers that advance climate initiatives that address challenges linked to ice-dependent systems (business leaders, engineers, geoscientists, etc.) through scalable, sustainable instructional strategies.

Our approach grounds learning in seminal, theory-rich frameworks such as the TREE-PG and VRUI orders, while leveraging HITL AI design to maintain rigor and adaptability. By incorporating narrative and anthropomorphism, supported by models like CRAFT, we create engaging, accessible experiences that reduce cognitive barriers to learning about earth science topics focused on glacial environments and hydrology. This combination of playful design and structured pedagogy not only enhances scientific literacy: it also positions students across disciplines to contribute meaningfully to solutions for Earth’s rapidly changing systems.