Keyword: learning experience

ABSTRACT: Despite growing interest in digital learning tools, limited research has examined how educational memes function as meaning-making resources rather than as general engagement devices. Existing studies often treat memes as informal or motivational content, leaving unclear how students themselves interpret their role in learning and where their educational value begins and ends. This study addresses this gap by examining how undergraduate students perceive and experience educational memes within academic settings. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with a purposively selected group of five (5) students enrolled in higher education courses where memes were used as part of instruction. The transcripts were analyzed using a structured thematic analysis to identify patterns in how students described engagement, understanding, emotional support, and perceived limitations. The findings show that students do not view memes as instructional substitutes but as context-dependent supports that aid comprehension, ease academic pressure, and foster connection when clearly aligned with lesson goals. At the same time, students express clear boundaries regarding overuse, misalignment, and loss of academic focus. These results contribute a student-centered account of how memes operate within formal learning, offering guidance for educators and curriculum designers on when and how culturally familiar digital forms can support learning without weakening instructional depth.