The graphic on the Home Page illustrates the visual cognition principle that was just explained, from which the Lab takes its name. Thus we hope the name illustrates that the Laboratory applies sound principles of visual perception, visual cognition, science learning theory, and knowledge representation to the design of science graphics. Lab associates then study the effects of those graphics on science learning.

The Laboratory has a special interest in improving students' understanding of plants, their multifaceted importance to humankind, and their role in the biosphere's biogeochemical cycles. One biological topic area that the Laboratory has investigated in some depth is photosynthesis, paying particular attention to students' difficulties in understanding how plants make and use food. This work led to the Lab's involvement in the research for and shooting of the Private Universe Project televison series recently produced at Harvard University, and the MindWorks television series recently produced at KCET-TV in Los Angeles by the Southwest Regional Laboratory (WestEd). It has also led to invited lectures given by Dr. Wandersee at the Royal Botanic Gardens--Kew (2001), Chelsea Physic Garden (given at the Linnean Society of London, 2003), the 2001 Center for Plant Conservation Annual Meeting (given at New England Wildflower Garden, Boston), Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis 2004, and the International Botanical Congress--Vienna, Austria 2005. Dr. Wandersee and Dr. Marshall Sundberg, Emporia State University, co-taught a 4-hour "Botanical Society of America Teaching Innovations Short Course" for plant biologists worldwide at the 2007 Joint Congress on Plant Biology and Botany in Chicago, IL. received the 2007 Charles Edwin Bessey Award for lifetime contributions At that meeting, Dr. Wandersee received the 2007 Charles Edwin Bessey Award for lifetime contributions to botany education and botany education research from the Botanical Society of America.

The Laboratory has undertaken a leading and original role in documenting and trumpeting the need for greater emphasis on plant biology in building EVERY biology student's foundational knowledge of biology. It continues to demonstrate and promote the importance of plants in human affairs. In addition, it has coined the term plant blindness to characterize the current lack of awareness and underemphasis of plants in life science instruction--both formal and informal. Spearheading this cause celebre are Dr. Jim Wandersee and plant ecologist Sandra M. Guzman. The Lab's campaign to improve public awareness and understanding of plants has been endorsed by the Botanical Society of America. Along with Dr. Marsh Sundberg of Emporia State University Dr. Wandersee was the co-organizer/co-presenter of the BSA's first-ever symposium on botanical education research, that was held at the 2003 BSA Annual Meeting in Mobile, AL. Drs. Sundberg, Wandersee, and M. Weigand (Germany) organized a world symposium on "Building Botanical Literacy" for the 2005 International Botanical Congress in Vienna. Dr. Jim Wandersee and Dr. Renee Clary of the EarthScholars Research Group served as the science signage consultants for the newly opened $5 million Doris I. Schnuck Children's Garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. They also were featured invited speakers at the 2006 International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens at Oxford University, UK and the 2007 World Congress on Scientific Inquiry and Human Development in Beijing, China.