3.10 Using Diagrams to Support Learning

Diagrams and visual explainers help students understand difficult concepts by showing relationships, processes, and structures visually. As AI for schools continues to evolve, visual learning tools become increasingly sophisticated and accessible. This section shows you when to create diagrams, how students access them, and how to build a curated library that grows more valuable over time.

When Diagrams Help Learning Most

Not every concept needs a diagram, but certain situations benefit enormously from visual representation:

Abstract Concepts Becoming Concrete:

When students struggle to grasp an abstract idea, a diagram can make it tangible.

Example: Fractions are abstract until students see visual fraction bars or pie charts. The diagram transforms "three-quarters" from words into a visual representation students can understand.

Complex Relationships:

When multiple ideas connect in ways that are difficult to explain verbally, diagrams show the connections clearly.

Example: Food webs in Science, cause-and-effect in History, or character relationships in English Literature all benefit from visual mapping.

Sequential Processes:

When something happens in steps, a process diagram clarifies the order and flow.

Example: The water cycle, photosynthesis, problem-solving strategies, or the writing process.

Repeated Confusion:

When multiple students ask about the same concept in different ways, that's a signal: create a diagram and approve it so everyone can access it.

Revision and Reference:

Complex topics students need to remember benefit from summary diagrams they can refer back to.

Example: Key concepts before exams, topic overviews at the start of units, summary diagrams for parent revision support.

The Teacher-Student Diagram Workflow

Here's how diagrams flow from teacher creation to student access:

Step 1: You Identify the Need

During teaching, you notice:

• Multiple students struggling with the same concept
• A topic that's hard to explain verbally
• Students asking "Can you show me?" or "Is there a picture of this?"

Step 2: You Generate the Diagram

Open Chat or Studio mode and request a diagram:

• "Create a concept map showing the relationships between different types of triangles for Year 7"
• "Generate a process diagram of the scientific method for Year 8"
• "Make a visual explainer showing how to expand brackets in algebra for Year 9"

The diagram will take some time to generate. You can continue with other tasks while it processes.

Step 3: You Choose Your Use

You have two options:

Option A: Download for Teaching Download and use in your lesson—display on screen, print for handouts, include in presentations. Students see it through your teaching, but it doesn't go into the library.

Option B: Approve for Student Library Click "Approve for Students." The diagram joins your approved library where students can access it directly when they need it.

Step 4: Students Access Automatically or On Request

Automatic Access: When a student asks about the topic you've created a diagram for, CurricuLLM may offer it automatically: "I can show you a diagram that explains photosynthesis. Would that help?"

On Request: Students can explicitly ask: "Can you show me a diagram of the water cycle?" "Is there a visual explainer for comparing fractions?"

If you've approved a relevant diagram, it appears immediately.

Building Your Approved Diagram Library

Think of your diagram library as a growing collection of visual teaching tools that compounds in value each year.

Start with Your Trickiest Topics:

What concepts do students consistently struggle with? Create diagrams for those first:

• The 3-5 concepts that always cause confusion
• Topics where students frequently ask for visual explanations
• Abstract ideas that benefit from concrete representation

Add as You Teach:

You don't need to create everything in advance. When you're teaching and notice confusion:

• Generate a diagram during the lesson (takes one minute)
• Review it quickly
• Approve it if it's helpful
• Now it's in your library for this student and all future students

Grow Term by Term:

By the end of Term 1, you might have 10 diagrams. By the end of Term 2, you might have 20. By the end of the year, you have 40+ diagrams covering common difficulties. Next year, they're all still there—your library is ready before you even start teaching.

Organise by Topic and Level:

When approving diagrams, add:

• Keywords: Terms that trigger the diagram ("photosynthesis," "water cycle," "fractions")
• Year levels: Which students should see it (Year 7, Year 8, etc.)
• Topics: Curriculum areas covered

This helps CurricuLLM show students the right diagrams at the right time.

Review and Refresh:

At the end of each year:

• Which diagrams did students use most? Keep those prominent.
• Which were rarely accessed? Consider removing or updating.
• What topics caused confusion this year? Create diagrams for next year.
• Have curriculum or syllabus changes made any diagrams outdated? Update or remove.

Practical Classroom Scenarios

Scenario 1: Mid-Lesson Confusion

Situation: You're teaching fractions. Five students clearly don't understand comparing fractions with different denominators.

What you do:

• During independent work, quickly open CurricuLLM on your device
• Request: "Create a visual explainer showing how to compare 2/3 and 3/4 using common denominators and visual fraction bars, for Year 6"
• Wait while it generates (you can help other students during this time)
• Review when ready—is it clear and accurate?
• Download to use immediately in your teaching, or approve it for students to access independently
• If approved, approach the struggling students: "I've just created a diagram that might help. Ask CurricuLLM to show you a diagram for comparing fractions."
• Students request it and immediately access your approved diagram

Result: Students get targeted visual support soon after you notice the confusion. The diagram remains in your library for future students with the same difficulty.

Scenario 2: Preparing for a Difficult Topic

Situation: Next week you're teaching the water cycle. From experience, you know students struggle with understanding the continuous nature of the cycle and often forget the technical terms.

What you do:

• Before the unit starts, generate a process diagram: "Create a water cycle diagram for Year 7 Science showing evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection with clear arrows showing continuous flow and labels for each process"
• Once generated, review and approve for students
• During your lesson, display the diagram while teaching
• Tell students: "This diagram is available anytime you need it. Just ask CurricuLLM for a water cycle diagram."
• Throughout the unit, students reference it independently when completing work or revising

Result: Students have a reliable reference tool available exactly when they need it, reducing repetitive questions and supporting independent work.

Quality Considerations for Approval

Before approving a diagram for student access, check these quality markers:

Accuracy:

• Is all information curriculum-correct?
• Do you trust this diagram to teach the concept properly?
• Would you be happy for students to study from this?

Clarity for Independent Use:

• Can students understand it without you explaining it?
• Are labels clear and unambiguous?
• Is text large enough to read on various devices?
• Is the visual layout logical?

Appropriate Level:

• Is language suitable for the year level?
• Is complexity right—not too simple, not too advanced?
• Does it match your students' current understanding?

Completeness:

• Does it show what students need to know?
• Are there gaps that would confuse students?
• Does it include examples or applications?

If a diagram doesn't meet these standards, either request changes before approving, or just download it for your teaching without approving it for students.

Student Access Patterns: Automatic vs On Request

Understanding how students access diagrams helps you create the right ones:

Automatic Suggestions:

CurricuLLM suggests diagrams when:

• A student's question matches diagram keywords
• The concept is one your approved diagrams cover
• A visual explanation would likely help based on the question type

Example: Student asks: "I don't understand how fractions turn into decimals" CurricuLLM responds: "I can show you a diagram that explains converting fractions to decimals step-by-step. Would you like to see it?"

On-Request Access:

Students explicitly ask:

• "Show me a diagram about photosynthesis"
• "Can I see a visual explainer for algebra?"
• "Is there a diagram of the water cycle?"

Example: Student types: "Show me a water cycle diagram" CurricuLLM immediately displays your approved diagram.

Why This Matters:

Create diagrams with clear, natural keywords that match how students would ask about topics. If students call it "the triangle thing," make sure "triangle" is a keyword even if the technical term is "trigonometric relationships."

Coordinating with Colleagues

If your school uses CurricuLLM across multiple classes:

Share Effective Diagrams:

When you create a particularly good diagram, tell colleagues. They can create similar ones or use yours if your school has shared library access.

Divide Topic Coverage:

In a department meeting, split common topics:

• "I'll create diagrams for fractions and decimals"
• "I'll do geometry diagrams"
• "I'll cover algebra visuals"

Everyone benefits from the collective library.

Maintain Consistency:

For core concepts, coordinate so students see consistent visual representations across classes and year levels.

Review Together:

Occasionally review approved diagrams as a department:

• Are they curriculum-accurate?
• Do students find them helpful?
• Do any need updating?
• What gaps exist in the library?

Managing Your Library Over Time

Monitor Usage:

Pay attention to which diagrams students access most:

• High-usage diagrams prove their value—keep them updated
• Low-usage diagrams might not be needed, or keywords need adjustment
• Patterns show you which concepts need visual support most

Update as Curriculum Changes:

When syllabuses update or curriculum changes:

• Review diagrams for outdated content
• Update or remove as needed
• Create new diagrams for new curriculum content

Gather Student Feedback:

Occasionally ask students:

• "Which diagrams have been most helpful?"
• "Are there topics you wish had visual explainers?"
• "Were any diagrams confusing?"

Use feedback to improve your library.

Creating Diagrams in Studio Mode

Studio mode offers a more grounded approach to diagram creation, where diagrams are generated from your specific teaching materials.

Why Use Studio for Diagrams:

Studio mode is particularly powerful when:

• You have textbook pages, worksheets, or teaching materials you want visualised
• You need diagrams that reference specific curriculum outcomes
• You want diagrams grounded in your school's teaching resources
• You're creating comprehensive unit resources with multiple connected diagrams

The Studio Workflow:

• Open Studio Mode and start a new session
• Upload your teaching materials:
  • Textbook pages or chapters
  • Lesson plans or unit outlines
  • Syllabus documents
  • Student worksheets
• Add curriculum context (optional):
  • Select relevant curriculum outcomes
  • Add content descriptions
  • Include achievement standards
• Request diagram creation:
  • "Create a diagram explaining the concept on page 23 of this textbook"
  • "Generate a visual explainer for the water cycle based on this lesson plan, suitable for Year 7"
  • "Make a concept map showing the relationships between the key ideas in this chapter"
• The diagram generates grounded in your specific materials
• Review and refine as needed
• Download or approve for student access

Benefits of Studio Mode Diagrams:

• Contextualised: Diagrams reference your actual teaching materials
• Curriculum-aligned: Can link directly to outcomes you've selected
• Comprehensive: Can create multiple connected diagrams from a single resource
• Consistent terminology: Uses the same language as your teaching materials
• Resource-efficient: Transform existing materials into visual supports

Example Scenario:

You're teaching photosynthesis using a specific textbook chapter. Upload the chapter to Studio, then request: "Create three diagrams from this chapter: one showing the overall process, one showing the chemical equation visually, and one showing where photosynthesis happens in the leaf structure. Make them suitable for Year 8 students."

Studio generates all three diagrams grounded in the textbook's content and terminology. Review them, approve the ones that work, and your students now have visual supports that match exactly what they're learning from the textbook.

When CurricuLLM Suggests Diagrams to You

Sometimes CurricuLLM will proactively suggest creating a diagram to support your teaching.

How Proactive Suggestions Work:

During conversations about lesson planning, difficult concepts, or student struggles, CurricuLLM may suggest:

• "A diagram might help explain this concept to students. Would you like me to create one?"
• "This topic often benefits from visual representation. Shall I generate a diagram?"
• "Students might find a visual explainer helpful for this. Would you like one?"

Why This Helps:

• You might not always think to request a diagram
• CurricuLLM recognises concepts that typically benefit from visual representation
• Proactive suggestions save you the mental work of deciding what needs visualising
• You can accept or decline based on your current needs

When to Accept Suggestions:

Accept when:

• The concept is genuinely difficult to explain verbally
• You're planning ahead and have time to review
• Multiple students typically struggle with this topic
• You want to build your library proactively

Decline when:

• You're in a rush and don't have time to review
• The concept is simple enough without visuals
• You already have a good diagram for this topic
• You prefer explaining this particular concept yourself

Example Conversation:

You: "I need to teach comparing fractions with different denominators to Year 6 tomorrow. Many students find this confusing."

CurricuLLM: "This is a topic that often benefits from visual representation. Would you like me to create a diagram showing how to compare fractions using common denominators and visual fraction bars? It could help students see the concept more clearly."

You: "Yes, that would be helpful."

CurricuLLM then generates the diagram, you review and approve it, and it's ready for tomorrow's lesson.

Downloading Diagrams for Teaching

Not every diagram needs to go into the student library. Sometimes you just want a diagram for your own teaching.

Download Workflow:

• Generate a diagram in Chat or Studio mode
• Review it for accuracy and clarity
• Instead of approving for students, click Download
• The diagram saves to your device
• Use it in your lesson presentation, print for handouts, or display on screen
• Students see it through your teaching, but it's not in their library

When to Download Instead of Approve:

One-time use:

• Specific to a particular lesson or activity
• Unlikely to be needed again
• Too contextualised for general student access

Still developing:

• You want to test the diagram in teaching first
• Might need refinement based on student reactions
• Planning to create an improved version later

Teacher reference only:

• Shows teaching sequence or pedagogy
• Contains teacher notes or scaffolding approaches
• Too detailed for students but helpful for your planning

External sharing:

• Creating resources for department meetings
• Sharing with colleagues outside CurricuLLM
• Adding to school-wide teaching resource repositories

Hybrid Approach:

You can download a diagram to use immediately in your teaching, see how students respond, and then approve it for the library later if it proves valuable. This lets you test diagrams before committing them to the student library.

Why This Helps

• Immediate support: Students get visual help the moment they need it
• Reduces repetition: Fewer students asking the same question multiple times
• Supports independence: Students can access resources without waiting for teacher help
• Builds over time: Your library grows more valuable each year
• Evidence-based creation: You create diagrams in response to real student need, not guessing
• Consistent quality: All visual resources are teacher-reviewed and curriculum-accurate
• Accessible learning: Visual supports help students who struggle with text-only explanations
• Efficient teaching: Visual tools do some teaching work, freeing you to support other students

Teacher Tips

• Create diagrams during lessons when you notice confusion—don't wait
• Approve generously if diagrams are accurate; more resources help more students
• Use specific, natural keywords that match how students talk about topics
• Start with your 3-5 trickiest topics, then grow the library gradually
• Tell students the library exists and encourage them to ask for diagrams
• Keep a running list of "diagrams to create" as you notice needs throughout the year
• Review your most-used diagrams annually—make sure they're still accurate and clear
• Consider creating "welcome diagrams" at the start of units to orient students to new topics
• If a diagram doesn't work, don't approve it—download for your teaching only
• Combine diagrams with other resources (quizzes, documents) for comprehensive support

Everyday Example

Using diagrams in your teaching is like having a visual reference library that never leaves the classroom. When a student says "I don't get it," instead of explaining the same concept for the fifth time that lesson, you say "Ask CurricuLLM for the diagram about that." The student gets a clear, accurate visual explanation immediately. You continue helping other students. The diagram is there whenever anyone needs it—today, tomorrow, next term, next year. Your library grows, your explanations become more efficient, and students get support exactly when they need it, in a format that makes complex ideas clear.