Here's a sample of the work being done. Although the Laboratory remains modest in size, it has has already involved 45 talented doctoral students in visual scientific representation research and/or biology education-related research. Associates of the Laboratory (and its precursors) have gone on to attain important science education positions nationwide at leading research and teaching universities, as well as at museums, public aquaria, botanic gardens, and science centers. Competition for some of these jobs involved comparison with hundreds of other qualified applicants.

Associates of the Laboratory (and its precursors) have regularly given science education research presentations with the Laboratory Director at major professional meetings at the state and national level, winning state and national awards for their research. They have also written numerous publications appearing in peer-reviewed journals and books--both in science education and in the biological sciences.

Dr. Jim Wandersee, an elected fellow of AAAS in the Biological Sciences section, an elected member of the New York Academy of Science, an appointed member of the National Academy of Sciences High School Biology Panel that reported to the US Congress in 2002, has completed two years of service as Secretary-Treasurer of the National Association of Biology Teachers, one year as Program Chair of the Science Education section of the American Educational Research Association, five years as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 18 years as founding editor of LSU Science Talk, more than a decade of service on the Editorial Board of The American Biology Teacher, and 27 years as biology book reviewer for AAAS Science Books & Films. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of Science and Education and the Science Education Review, and as an outside reviewer for the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Journal of Geoscience Education, American Educational Research Journal, Science Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, BioScience, and Instructional Science. Dr. Wandersee served as the 1998-2001 North American Editor (with K.M. Fisher) of the International Journal of Science Education--which offers unparalled international coverage and is published in Great Britain by Taylor & Francis. In March 2003, one of Dr. Wandersee and Dr. John Trowbridge's research articles that was published in the 'Journal of Research in Science Teaching' was named as one of the 12 most influential research studies (out of the thousands published) in the JRST' s first 40 years, and it was republished in the special 40th anniversary issue of JRST. Some of Dr. Wandersee's views on science education research are found in the following 2004 book: "Defining an Identity: The Evolution of Science Education as a Field of Research" by Peter J. Fensham (2004).

Representaive books produced during funded projects carried out by the Laboratory and its precursors include Gulf Literacy (by Associate Dr. John Trowbridge) and A Marine and Coastal Graphics Base (by Associate Mary Gail Yeates). Representative books in progress or recently completed by the Laboratory Director and/or Laboratory Associates include Bioinstrumentation (NABT) Teaching Science for Understanding (Academic Press), Biology Knowledge: Its Acquisition, Organization, and Use (book chapter--NATO series--Springer Verlag) and the Handbook of Academic Learning (book chapter--Academic Press). Two 2000 books, published by Kluwer Academic Publishing of the Netherlands and by Academic Press, are Mapping Biology Knowledge and Assessing Science Understanding. The former was written by Dr. Kathleen M. Fisher (KMF), Dr. Jim Wandersee, and Dr. David Moody; the latter was edited by Dr. Joel J. Mintzes, Dr. Jim Wandersee, and Dr. Joseph D. Novak. A 2001 book chapter written by Dr. Wandersee on new directions in high school biology teaching appears in an edited book on research advances in instruction, edited by Michigan State University's Dr. Jere Brophy (Elsevier Publishing). A new invited book chapter on teaching chemistry via its historical roots was authored by Dr. Wandersee and Dr. Phyllis Griffard, and appeared in the 2003 book Chemical Education: Towards Research-Based Practice, edited by Dr. John K. Gilbert of the University of Reading, UK and others (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands). A new invited book chapter by Dr. Wandersee analyzing some of the innovations in science education introduced by Australia's first professor of science education--Dr. Peter Fensham, appeared in the book A VISION FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION, edited by Dr. Roger Cross of the University of Melbourne in 2003 (Routledge-Falmer Press, London). A new research-based book written for biology teachers, entitled THE POWER OF ANALOGY, was authored by Dr. Marcella Hackney and Dr. Wandersee and was published in 2002 by the National Association of Biology Teachers Press. Dr. Jewel Reuter and Dr. Jim Wandersee recently completed a study of 267,000 AP Biology students' understanding of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Quite possibly the largest study ever conducted in biology education, this study's manuscript is currently in journal review. EarthScholars.com lists all his publications and presentations with his own research partner, Prof. Renee M. Clary, of Mississippi State University.

The video probe microscope and its images were first introduced to the biology teaching profession by Dr. Jim Wandersee, along with grant team members during an NSF LaSER funded project called: Exploring Microstructures. The use of this originally intended computer repair instrument as a hand-held biology teaching tool has since expanded throughout the state and nation. Dr. Catherine L. Cummins of LSU has dubbed this fiber-optically cabled, student-friendly, flashlight-sized video camera to be a "Scope-on-a-Rope." Some of the Laboratory's associates are currently investigating aspects of learning science via historic geology graphics, chemical drawing software, image-based assessment, electromagnetic spectrum graphics, CD-ROM-based inquiry, whole-plant botany, time-lapse photography, microbial biofilm images, children's botanical literature, and many more. A children's science picture book entitled "Lost Plant!" was written, illustrated, and published by two friends of the Lab in November, 1999. A Spanish version of the same book, translated by Lab Associate Sandra M. Guzman, will be published soon. In 2006, Doctors Wandersee and Clary presented an invited paper on the Lab's advances in plant blindness research at the 6^th International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens at Oxford University. They also had three research articles published in The American Biology Teacher in 2006-2007. In November 2007, Professors Wandersee and Clary presented eight research studies at the 11th World Congress on Scientific Inquiry and Human Development held in Beijing, China.