Embodied Reality of Learning: Student’ Experiences with Multimodal Artifacts in Abstract Concepts

Abstract

The phenomenological study thus explored the lived experiences of students at one private Higher Education Institution in Rwanda regarding the integration of multimodal and material artifacts during the acquisition of complex, abstract concepts. Grounded in the theoretical groundwork of embodied cognition, which posits that the mind is not merely housed in the brain but rather distributed through the body and its environment, this research aimed to understand how students subjectively make sense of learning in a resource-conscious, post-conflict developmental context. Specifically, the phenomenon under investigation was the intentional utilization of physical objects, gestures, and digital tools (multimodal artifacts) as mediators of abstract thought. To this end, using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected students across STEM disciplines. Accordingly, the findings reveal three essential themes: (a) The Scaffolding Power of the Hands: Converting Abstract Anxiety into Tangible Structure; (b) The Dual Burden of English as a Medium of Instruction and Abstract Comprehension; and (c) The Invisible Pedagogy: Self-Initiated Multimodal Strategies Compensating for Teacher-Centered Practices. Importantly, the results highlighted that in in Higher Education Institution, where resources and infrastructure can be variable; students often develop sophisticated, personal, embodied learning strategies to bridge pedagogical gaps. Overall these findings challenge the traditional cognitive separation of mind and body in African higher education discourse and, therefore, offer recommendations for faculty development programs that align with the national commitment to student-centered, competence-based curricula