The effects of visual and verbal coding mnemonics on learning Chinese characters in computer-based instruction

Impact of static graphics, animated graphics and mental imagery on a complex learning task

“…Research on the use of self-generated mental images in similar paired associate learning situations has been successful (e.g., Kuo & Hooper, 2004). Explanations include the benefits of increased amounts of cognitive processing required to recall and associate the stored image, as well as the personal familiarity with the recalled image.…”

“…As explained by Kuo and Hooper (2004), Many of the earliest Chinese characters were pictographs… The ancient Chinese created written language by drawing pictures of objects according to their shape and form, rather than their sound. Pictographs referred to concrete objects, such as animals, plants, humans and their attributes, and phenomena in nature.…”

“…Utilising both channels allows more information to be processed, as well as generating a greater number of potential integration links to information already within long term memory. In addition, if a memory trace in one channel is lost, it may still be available via the memory trace provided by the other channel (Kuo & Hooper, 2004). Instructional graphics enable the visual channel within working memory to be utilised.…”

“…For example, Kuo and Hooper (2004) found that when they gave their native English speaking, college age participants the task of associating unfamiliar Chinese characters with the appropriate English translations, learning increased when the participants were encouraged to create their own memory aids associating the characters to their meanings. For example, when presented with the character for winter, a vast majority of successful participants generated visual memory aids that included things such as "snow falling" or "footprints in the snow."…”

Pedagogic Perspectives on Chinese Characters Teaching for Latin American Students

“…In the case of teaching characters to adults who are accustomed to using an orthographic rather than logographic system, there is a constant debate on how the characters should be taught, including the optimal time for character teaching (Ye, 2013), the efficiency of the use of visual and phonological mnemonics (Kuo & Hooper, 2004), radical analysis (Taft & Chung, 1999;Shen, 2007), effectiveness of stroke-order learning (Hsiaung, Chang, Chen, & Sung, 2017) and the use of electronic resources in character learning (Lam et al, 2001). Although comparisons of different teaching approaches have been made, results of these researches are only applicable to a few aspects in character teaching.…”