Lab sessions move quickly. They demand simultaneous focus, coordination, skill, and decision making.
When students arrive without a clear mental picture of the procedure, attention is split between reading instructions and performing the task. This divided focus increases errors, slows progress, and adds unnecessary stress for instructors and students alike.
Visual methods help resolve this by preparing learners before they step into the lab, so working memory is used for execution rather than interpretation.
This challenge affects undergraduate teaching labs, but it becomes even more pronounced in postgraduate and research settings. Across all levels, effective lab readiness depends on how information is processed before hands-on work begins.