A Case Study on Blending Technology and Practical Pedagogy to Meet Generational Learning Needs

This study investigates the integration of audio-visual media into legal education, with a focus on addressing generational learning needs in South Africa. Utilising a multi-cohort case study of final year LL.B students, it examines the pedagogical impact of supplementing some of the Law of Evidence and Litigation Techniques concepts with the Netflix Docuseries Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star. Student feedback and researcher reflections revealed that multimedia learning enhanced comprehension, critical thinking, student interest, as well as engagement, particularly among the Generation Z students who identify as visual learners. However, the study also highlights challenges such as time constraints, recollection difficulties and limitations in access to the docuseries. Through engaging the literature on blended learning and generational pedagogy, the discussion of this study demonstrates that while technology cannot replace foundational legal reasoning, it can meaningfully supplement traditional methods of teaching when it is implemented with caution. The findings of this study suggest that a carefully balanced adoption of streaming content can enrich legal pedagogy and better align legal education with the realities of contemporary learners.