Digital Tactility and Embodied Learning: Rethinking Educational Interfaces in the Post-Digital Classroom
Generoso Romano, Francesca Latino
Abstract
This article investigates the pedagogical strategies and design principles essential for creating effective embodied learning environments. Embodied learning, which emphasizes the integration of bodily engagement with cognitive processes, offers transformative potential for educational practice. The study examines how learner agency, scaffolding, collaboration, multimodality, and authenticity contribute to meaningful embodied experiences. Ethical and inclusive design considerations are also explored, alongside the emerging role of artificial intelligence in enhancing personalized learning. Interdisciplinary collaboration and continuous evaluation are highlighted as critical components for advancing the field. The article concludes that thoughtfully designed embodied learning environments can foster deeper engagement, promote equity, and support the development of adaptable, reflective learners capable of thriving in diverse contexts.
Keywords
Learner Engagement
Multimodal Interaction
Cognitive Scaffolding
Inclusivity
Artificial Intelligence
Reflective Practice.
References
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Australia.
Educational
Philosophy
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39(3),
250–264.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-5812.2007.00316.x
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52(2), 163–174.
Stahl, G. (2017). Group Cognition: Computer Support for Building Collaborative Knowledge.
MIT Press.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cognitive
Science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4
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Harvard University Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.
Harvard University Press.
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625-636. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196322
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Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning.
Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32–42. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X018001032
Bruner, J. S. (1961). The Act of Discovery. Harvard Educational Review.
Cooper, M. (2006). The Universal Design Toolkit: A Guide for Inclusive Design. CAST
Publishing.
Cramer, F. (2014). What is 'Post-Digital'? Post-Digital Cultures of the Far Right: Online
Media, Fake News, and Digital Fascism. Amsterdam University Press.
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. Kappa Delta Pi.
Dillenbourg, P. (1999). What Do You Mean by Collaborative Learning? In P. Dillenbourg (Ed.),
Collaborative Learning: Cognitive and Computational Approaches (pp. 1–19).
Elsevier.
Dillenbourg, P., & Järvelä, S. (2009). Designing for Collaboration and Negotiation. In N.
Balacheff, S. Ludvigsen, T. de Jong, A. Lazonder, & S. Barnes (Eds.), Technology-
Enhanced Learning: Principles and Products (pp. 45–59). Springer.
Dourish, P. (2004). Where the Action Is: The Foundations of Embodied Interaction. MIT Press.
Dourish, P. (2004). Where the Action Is: The Foundations of Embodied Interaction. MIT Press.
Druin, A. (2002). The Role of Children in the Design of New Technology. Behaviour and
Information Technology, 21(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290110108659
DĂĽnser, A., Grasset, R., & Billinghurst, M. (2012). A Survey of Evaluation Techniques Used
in Augmented Reality Studies. ACM SIGGRAPH ASIA 2012 Courses, 1–29.
https://doi.org/10.1145/2407746.2407753
Fischer, G. (2019). Beyond “Couch Potatoes”: Lessons Learned from Designing Hybrid
Learning Environments. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative
Learning, 14(2), 199–217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-019-09309-x
Fisher, E., & Margolis, J. (2019). Touch and Learning: A New Frontier in Educational Design.
Journal of Learning Technologies, 14(3), 65–83.
Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and Cognitive Monitoring: A New Area of Cognitive-
Developmental
Inquiry.
American
Psychologist,
34(10),
906–911.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.34.10.906
Gallace, A., & Spence, C. (2014). In Touch with the Future: The Sense of Touch from Cognitive
Neuroscience to Virtual Reality. Oxford University Press.
Hassett, D., & Curwood, J. S. (2020). Reimagining Equity in the Age of Digital Learning.
Journal of Digital Pedagogy, 3(1), 15–28.
Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2000). An Instructional Design Framework for Authentic Learning
Environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23–48.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02319856
Israr, A., & Poupyrev, I. (2011). Control Space of Emulated Haptic Textures. IEEE
Transactions on Haptics, 4(3), 229–239. https://doi.org/10.1109/TOH.2011.11
Jandri?, P., Knox, J., & Sinclair, C. (2019). Postdigital Science and Education. Postdigital
Science and Education, 1(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-018-0021-8
Jewitt, C. (2008). Multimodality and Literacy in School Classrooms. Review of Research in
Education, 32(1), 241–267.
Johnson, M. (2017). Embodied Mind, Meaning, and Reason: How Our Bodies Give Rise to
Understanding. University of Chicago Press.
Johnson-Glenberg, M. C. (2018). Immersive VR and Education: Embodied Design Principles
That Include Gesture and Hand Controls. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 5, 81.
https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2018.00081
Keengwe, J., & Onchwari, G. (2016). Teacher Professional Development in Technology
Integration: Models and Strategies. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education,
24(4), 457–475.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and
Development. Prentice Hall.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and
Development. Prentice Hall.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1999). Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind and Its
Challenge to Western Thought. Basic Books.
Luckin, R., Holmes, W., Griffiths, M., & Forcier, L. B. (2016). Intelligence Unleashed: An
Argument for AI in Education. Pearson Education.
Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2014). Evaluation of Evidence-
Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning
Studies. U.S. Department of Education.
Merchant, Z., Goetz, E. T., Cifuentes, L., Keeney-Kennicutt, W., & Davis, T. J. (2014).
Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-Based Instruction on Students’ Learning Outcomes in
K-12 and Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis. Computers & Education, 70, 29-40.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.07.033
Minsky, M. (1980). Telepresence. Omni, 2(9), 45–51.
Nasir, N. S., & Hand, V. (2008). From the Court to the Classroom: Opportunities for
Engagement, Learning, and Identity in Basketball and Classroom Mathematics. Journal
of the Learning Sciences, 17(2), 143–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508400801964278
Papert, S. (1980). Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas. Basic Books.
Quinn, C. N., Nixon, T., & Wolske, M. (2018). Scaffolding Physical and Cognitive Interactions
for Embodied Learning. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 47(3), 382–401.
Roschelle, J., & Teasley, S. D. (1995). The Construction of Shared Knowledge in Collaborative
Problem Solving. In C. E. O’Malley (Ed.), Computer Supported Collaborative
Learning (pp. 69–97). Springer.
Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design
for Learning. ASCD.
Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design
for Learning. ASCD.
Shams, L., & Seitz, A. R. (2008). Benefits of Multisensory Learning. Trends in Cognitive
Sciences, 12(11), 411–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2008.07.006
Slater, M., & Sanchez-Vives, M. V. (2016). Enhancing Our Lives with Immersive Virtual
Reality. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 3, 74. https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2016.00074
Somerville, M. (2007). Pedagogy and the Politics of Embodiment: A View from Indigenous
Australia.
Educational
Philosophy
and
Theory,
39(3),
250–264.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-5812.2007.00316.x
Spinuzzi, C. (2005). The Methodology of Participatory Design. Technical Communication,
52(2), 163–174.
Stahl, G. (2017). Group Cognition: Computer Support for Building Collaborative Knowledge.
MIT Press.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cognitive
Science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.
Harvard University Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.
Harvard University Press.
Wilson, M. (2002). Six Views of Embodied Cognition. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 9(4),
625-636. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196322
