Research on the Application of Visualization Tools in Primary School Character Description Teaching

Zhang Yingxia   [China]

Abstract

This study aims to address the three major challenges commonly encountered in primary school students' character descriptions: vague characteristics, confused thinking, and vague descriptions. Visual tools are introduced as a thinking framework to explore their application strategies and effectiveness in primary school Chinese character description teaching. A visual tool support system for the entire process of "conception expression modification" has been developed. During the conception stage, tools such as "character feature radar map" and "story mountain shape map" are used to diverge thinking and clarify ideas; In the expression stage, use tools such as "detailed decomposition ladder diagram" and "dialogue prompt language resource disk" to concretize abstract methods; During the modification phase, tools such as the "Multidimensional Evaluation Coordinate System" and "Modification Flowchart" are used to provide evidence for evaluation and modification. Teaching experiments have shown that the application of visualization tools effectively reduces students' cognitive load, enhances the systematicity and profundity of thinking, and shifts character descriptions from "casual writing" to "orderly conception", from "no way to write" to "legal basis".  

Keywords: visualization tools; Character description; Cognitive scaffolding; Writing instruction; Primary School Chinese

1. Problem proposal: When character description encounters thinking difficulties

In primary school students' character description exercises, three typical problems reveal the thinking difficulties behind them:

Characteristics are vague and uniform: due to the superficialization and labeling of observation and thinking, lacking deep perception and multi angle analysis of the uniqueness of characters.  

Chaotic thinking and inadequate elaboration: Originating from the chaotic thinking in the ideation stage, there is a lack of clear planning for what to write, what to focus on, and in what order to write.  

The description is vague and difficult to be specific: due to the difficulty in transforming from "images in thinking" to "written expression", students "have it in their hearts", but do not know how to decompose and transform it into concrete and perceptible language.  

Traditional teaching often solves these problems through language explanation and imitation of model essays, but the effect is limited because language explanation itself is abstract, and students' internal thinking process is a "black box". Visual tools, such as graphics, charts, mind maps, etc., can present invisible thought processes, knowledge structures, and internal thoughts in intuitive graphic images, providing the possibility to solve the above-mentioned difficulties. It can provide a "scaffold" for students' writing thinking, making thinking "visible" and methods "tangible".  

2. Theoretical basis: Visualization tools as cognitive scaffolds

The application of visualization tools in teaching is mainly based on the dual coding theory, constructivist learning theory, and scaffolding teaching theory.  

Double encoding theory: It holds that information is represented in memory in both visual and linguistic forms. Visualization tools combine images, symbols, and text to activate the language and visual systems of the brain, promoting deep processing and long-term memory of information.  

Constructivist learning: Knowledge is actively constructed by learners. Visualization tools help students organize, connect, and structure scattered ideas and knowledge, which is the process of actively constructing knowledge networks.  

Scaffolding teaching: Teachers need to provide temporary support (scaffolding) for students to help them cross the "zone of proximal development". Visualization tools are an efficient mental framework that provides support in key stages such as ideation, expression, and modification. As students' abilities improve, they can gradually be removed.  

In character description teaching, the core value of visualization tools lies in transforming abstraction into concreteness, chaos into order, and implicit into explicit, becoming the "navigator" and "propeller" of students' writing thinking.  

3.Application System: Full process visualization support for "conception expression modification"

This study developed a visualization tool application system that covers the entire process of character description.  

3.1 Concept stage: Let thinking diverge and converge

Tool 1: Character Feature Radar Map

Function: Guide students to analyze character characteristics in a multidimensional and three-dimensional manner, avoiding singularity and flatness.  

Application: Set dimensions such as "appearance, language, actions, personality, hobbies, anecdotes, and evaluations from others" around the central character (which can be adjusted according to the goal). Students annotate keywords or score on each dimension axis. By using graphics, the strengths, weaknesses, and unique features of characters can be easily identified, helping students determine their writing focus.  

Case: Writing "My Mom", students may score high in the "Personality Gentle" dimension but low in the "Hobbies Unique" dimension. This suggests that they can focus on exploring examples that can demonstrate "gentleness" instead of reluctantly writing a non-existent "unique hobby".  

Tool 2: Story Mountain Chart/Plot Curve Chart

Function: Help students plan the development of events and determine details when describing characters in narrative.  

Application: Draw a "mountain shape" or curve of "beginning development climax ending", and briefly mark the event at the corresponding position. Key consideration: Which stage best showcases the characteristics of the character? Just mark the "climax" or "development" section with "focus on describing character details here".  

Case: Write "Cowardly Desk mate", with "Encountering strange noises while on duty alone at night" as the climax, and mark "Detailed description of their demeanor, actions, and psychology here" at the highest point of the mountain chart.  

3.2 Expression stage: Make the method visible and actionable

Tool 3: Detail Decomposition Ladder Diagram

Function: Solve the problem of vague descriptions and train the ability to "turn generalizations into specifics".  

Application: Taking "he is very sad" as an example. The bottom layer is a summary sentence that guides students to step up the ladder and replace the previous layer with more specific content. For example: Level 1 "He cried" → Level 2 "He lowered his head, his shoulders twitched slightly" → Level 3 "He bit his lip tightly, not letting himself cry out, but tears fell big on the textbook". Visually display the thinking path of "concretization" through graphics.  

Case: Teachers can provide prompt word cards for "upgrading steps", such as "adding actions?" "adding expressions?" "adding metaphors?" "adding inner monologues?", to assist students in climbing the steps.  

Tool 4: Dialogue Prompt Language Resource Disk

Function: Enrich the form of dialogue description and avoid the monotony of "XX speaking".  

Application: Draw a "resource disk" and partition it to place different types of prompts. The center is' say ', the inner circle is synonyms such as' dao', 'shout', 'ask', 'answer', the middle circle is modal words such as' grumble ',' roar ',' mutter ', and' interject ', and the outer circle is descriptions of accompanying actions or states such as' he changes the tone, she adds, and her voice becomes smaller and smaller'. When writing, students can act like a spinning wheel, selecting more precise words to make the conversation more vivid.  

Tool 5: Side Description of "Ripple Diagram"

Function: Understand and learn to use side descriptions.  

Application: The central circle is the "protagonist", and the concentric outer circles are "the reactions of others", "the setting of the environment", and "the contrast of things" in sequence. When describing the protagonist encountering difficulties, you can write "classmates holding their breath" in the "reactions of others" circle and "the sound of needles falling to the ground" in the "setting of the environment" circle. This picture helps students understand how to express people through their surroundings instead of directly writing about them.  

3.3 Revision stage: Provide an anchor point for evaluation and reflection

Tool 6: Multidimensional Evaluation Coordinate System for Character Description

Function: Objectify and visualize subjective evaluations, guiding students to make precise modifications.  

Application: Establish a two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinate system. For example, with "Characteristic Brightness" as the X-axis and "Detail vividness" as the Y-axis. Students will mark the points of self-evaluation or peer evaluation in the coordinate system, and visually see the position of their own work on the "vivid" and "lively" aspects. If the point falls in the "high vivid, low vivid" area, the modification goal is to improve the vividness of details.  

Case: A more complex one can use a 3D bubble chart, where the X/Y/Z axes represent the three evaluation dimensions, and bubble size represents space control. Visualize the overall performance.  

Tool 7: Modify the flowchart

Function: Provide clear modification steps, cultivate metacognition and modification habits.  

Application: Design a simple flowchart: "Read through the entire text → Compare and evaluate the scale to identify the weakest item → Lock in the problematic paragraph → Use appropriate tools (such as a detailed ladder diagram) for rewriting → Read again, do you want to improve? → Yes, complete; No, seek help or change perspectives for modification." Let students follow the diagram and make orderly modifications.  

4.Teaching Practice Cases

Topic: Fourth Grade Volume 2 "My Self Portrait" Writing Teaching Objective: To be able to use multiple examples and details to write about one's own characteristics from different aspects. Application process of visualization tools:

Pre class: Concept - "My Feature Radar Map"

Students draw a radar chart and analyze themselves from aspects such as "appearance signs", "personality tags", "exclusive abilities", "minor flaws", "interests and hobbies", and rate or write keywords for each item. Classroom sharing, identify 2-3 dimensions that you most want to write about.  

In class: Expression - "Example Detail Bubble Chart"

Draw a bubble chart for each selected characteristic. Write the characteristics of the central bubble (such as "carelessness"), extend several bubbles around it to write related examples (such as "forgetting homework", "wearing the wrong socks"), and then extend smaller bubbles from each example bubble to write details that can prove the case (such as "wearing the wrong socks", write "one blue and one gray", "only discovered when walking to school"). This diagram visualizes the logical relationship between "characteristics examples details" to ensure that details can support examples and examples can represent characteristics.  

Drafting and Revision: Evaluation and Revision - "Partner Evaluation Coordinate Axis"

Students exchange initial drafts and position their peers' assignments on the coordinate axis based on two dimensions: "whether the characteristics are clear" (X-axis) and "whether the details of the examples are interesting" (Y-axis), and write simple reasons for positioning. The author clarifies the direction of modification based on coordinate feedback. If it falls into the "clear characteristics but uninteresting details" area, then focus on using the "detail decomposition ladder diagram" to upgrade the details.  

Effect: With the support of visualization tools, the problems of "vague characteristics" and "vague descriptions" in students' compositions have been significantly reduced. The vast majority of students are able to provide clear introductions around 2-3 characteristics, using specific examples and details, which significantly enhances the structure and readability of the article.  

5.Reflection and Suggestions

Application effectiveness:

Reducing cognitive load: Breaking down and externalizing complex writing thinking processes reduces the burden of working memory, allowing students to focus more on content creation.  

Improving thinking quality: Tools guide students to conduct multidimensional analysis, structured thinking, and logical expression, promoting the organization and depth of thinking.  

Stimulating learning interest: The graphical learning method is novel and interesting, adding a sense of gaming and achievement to the writing process.  

Practical suggestions:

Tools need to be adapted: Different tools should be selected or designed for different stages and teaching objectives. Lower grades should be simple and intuitive (such as choosing mood symbols), while higher grades can be more complex (such as multi-dimensional coordinate systems).  

Process guidance: The tool itself does not automatically produce effects, and teachers need to provide sufficient demonstration, guidance, and practice to help students understand the thinking methods behind the tool and avoid "drawing for the sake of drawing".  

The bracket needs to be removed: After students internalize a certain thinking method, they should be encouraged to gradually break away from the "tangible bracket" of the tool, achieve the "internalization" and "transfer" of their abilities, and ultimately reach the state of "having a plan in their heart and flowers in their pen" of free creation.  

Conclusion

The application of visualization tools in primary school character description teaching is a beneficial attempt to make the writing thinking process "explicit", "structured", and "instrumentalized". It is like building a "scaffold" and "navigation system" for students' thinking, making the originally difficult task of character description clear and legal, and is an effective teaching technique for implementing the new curriculum standards and improving students' core writing literacy.  

References

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