Decoding the Cultural DNA of Chinese Characters: Ideological and Political Education Reform under New Liberal Arts

Abstract

With the rapid development of the New Liberal Arts disciplines and the systematic integration of ideological and political education into modern academic curricula, determining how to effectively incorporate the core elements of traditional Chinese culture into specialized coursework has emerged as a critical issue in contemporary higher education reform. Achieving a harmonious blend of foundational knowledge transmission and profound value guidance remains a significant pedagogical challenge. In response to this imperative, this paper proposes an innovative cultural gene decoding framework specifically designed for the Chinese Character Culture course. This comprehensive framework systematically organizes and analyzes four major gene maps embedded within the linguistic structure: civilizational heritage, ethical values, intellectual wisdom, and foundational social norms carried by historical characters. Furthermore, the study constructs a robust three-stage integrated education model comprising artificial intelligence-assisted decoding, the deep internalization of value exploration, and the tangible outputs of applied teaching practice. Extensive research demonstrates that utilizing the etymology and structure of characters as a pedagogical starting point can significantly help educators identify essential elements relevant to ideological and political education. Concurrently, this approach seamlessly incorporates AI-driven innovative teaching methodologies, thereby effectively enhancing students' overarching cultural identity and comprehensive literacy within the new liberal arts paradigm. Ultimately, this research provides a highly viable, scalable path for reforming the integration of ideological and political education into university curricula and offers practical, evidence-based guidance for ongoing pedagogical reforms in the broader field of international language education.