Promoting active learning and student engagement through critical analysis of scientific illustrations

Figures and illustrations are central tools for communicating complex biological concepts, yet they necessarily simplify structures and processes, which can obscure important details or introduce misconceptions. This article describes a low-preparation, flexible instructional strategy that leverages these simplifications to promote active learning and student engagement through the critical analysis of scientific illustrations. Instructors prompt students to examine existing figures from textbooks, lectures, or primary literature and identify what is missing, oversimplified, or potentially misleading, as well as how an image could be improved to better represent biological complexity. By modeling this type of analysis and incorporating brief, low-stakes discussions during class, instructors encourage students to view figures as interpretive models rather than complete representations of reality. The approach can be implemented spontaneously, adapted across biological subdisciplines and course levels, and used in lectures or laboratory settings. This strategy shifts students from passive consumption of visuals to active engagement with content, provides opportunities to apply and reinforce conceptual understanding, and provides instructors with real-time insight into student thinking. Overall, using scientific illustrations as prompts for critique provides an accessible strategy to strengthen critical thinking, visual literacy, and understanding of how biological knowledge is communicated.