Embodied Cognition and Scientific Game Design: An Innovative Approach to the Conservation of Critically Endangered Waterbirds

College of arts and design, Jimei University, 361021 Xiamen, China

^a heshuqi1125@163.com

Abstract

Science popularization education is integrating into everyday life, with a growing emphasis on subjectivity and proactiveness. The emphasis on audience experience in science popularization game design aligns perfectly with the concept of ‘embodied cognition’, highlighting the crucial role of bodily perception in the cognitive process. This convergence provides a fresh perspective for science popularization. Critically endangered waterbirds represent a significant conservation group, yet their population continues to decline, lacking relevant popular science promotion and design. This study focuses on China’s critically endangered waterbirds, integrating and extracting information on their appearance, habits, living environment and survival threats. These elements form the foundational content of a popular science game, where game narratives are designed and integrated with sensory interaction. The aim is to develop and promote a prototype of a popular science game focusing on critically endangered waterbirds, introducing an embodied cognition perspective into popular science game design, thereby providing a broad and engaging exploration for animal conservation and science communication.