Enhancing conceptual understanding in pathology: using multimedia to anchor foundational grasp in South African higher education

Studying in the Health Sciences is often characterised by rote learning because of traditional, theory-heavy concepts. This poses challenges with memorisation without understanding, which prevents progression to higher order thinking. This study investigated Health Sciences students’ experiences of learning pathological concepts through two instructional formats, static flow diagrams and multimedia animations, using a descriptive, qualitative approach and Bloom’s taxonomy as the evaluative framework. Results showed that although students learning with static flow diagrams achieved slightly higher average assessment scores, learning with multimedia was particularly valued for introducing new concepts, enhancing comprehension, and reinforcing lecture material, whereas flow diagrams were favoured in terms of summarising content and supporting exam preparation. In addition, participants reported that flow diagrams could be difficult to interpret without sufficient prior knowledge, while animation offered multisensory engagement that was especially beneficial for second-language learners. This study contributes student perspectives to the underexplored field of multimedia-based learning in South African higher education, suggesting sequential integration: animation for conceptual grounding, followed by student-generated diagrams for consolidation, to strengthen learning beyond rote memorisation.