Seeing the green cucumber: Reflections on variation theory and teaching plant identification

Societal Impact Statement Overcoming 'plant blindness' is a critical goal for society and especially for education. In this article, we suggest variation theory can be a useful approach to plant identification training and evaluation in higher education contexts. We discuss an example from Swedish higher education in which we reflect on our teaching. We propose that the conscious use of variation theory may be useful in developing pedagogical tools and processes in the teaching of plant identification. Ett viktigt mal for samhallet, sarskilt for utbildningssystemen, ar att vi manniskor blir battre pa att fa syn pa vaxter och pa deras betydelse i ekosystemen. Vi behover overvinna vad som benamns 'vaxttblindhet'. I denna artikel foreslar vi att variationsteori ar en bra utgangspunkt i utbildning och utvardering av vaxtidentifiering inom hogre utbildning. Vi redovisar exempel fran svensk universitetsutbildning dar vi reflekterar over var egen undervisning pa ett systematiskt satt. Vi foreslar att en avsiktlig utgangspunkt i variationsteorin for larande ar anvandbar for att vidareutveckla pedagogiska verktyg och processer i undervisning om vaxtidentifiering. Given the importance of the ecological functions of plants and current extinction rates, overcoming 'plant blindness', the inability to notice plants in our environment, is a critical goal for society as a whole, and for education in particular. In response to this social challenge, we suggest that a theoretical approach to learning can be a useful lens through which plant identification training and evaluation in higher education contexts can be understood on a deeper level, informed by theoretical tools from the learning sciences. In this article, we discuss an example from Swedish higher education in which we reflect upon our teaching using the principles of the variation theory of learning, which emphasises the ability to discern different features or aspects of what is being learned. We also propose that a deliberate use of learning theories, especially variation theory, may be useful in developing pedagogical tools and processes in botanical education.