Using visual methods to foster Chinese students’ core competencies and learning outcomes: a qualitative study based on public affairs management major

Many Chinese University students’ core competencies failed to elevate after four-year schooling, while the pedagogical and curriculum innovations narrowly focused on the usage of technology-laden and quantitative methods. This article discusses how visual-based methods were successfully employed in the NGO Management course at Zhejiang University of Technology to foster Public Affairs Management students’ learning outcomes and core competencies. Through a qualitative analysis of student-produced visual materials, along with text and audio content generated during and after the elicitation seminars, we found that this innovation brought about positive pedagogical effects in four ways. First, visual materials stimulated students’ everyday creativity and gave the leeway for their critical expression. Second, visual-led inquiry-based learning allowed the students to gain more situated learning experiences, which helped them identify governance issues associated with the NGOs in China. Third, in situ and multi-sensory learning experiences improved students’ interpersonal skills and extended their scope of seeing. Fourth, this pedagogical innovation facilitated students to obtain enhanced cultural understanding and ethics education. This research proposes further applications of visual methods in future curriculum innovations across different majors in China and beyond.