Research in the Ballen lab addresses the role of higher education in creating just and equitable communities – we do this through investigations that reveal causes and consequences of gaps in science literacy, and how educators can design their courses to minimize barriers to success.
We conduct discipline-based education research focused on biology education and STEM equity through investigations of the organizational mechanisms that lead to education disparities, and how educators can design their courses to minimize barriers to success.
We conduct discipline-based education research with a focus on undergraduate biology education and STEM equity. While our interests are broad, current research in the lab fits within the following framework:
- Evidence-based Teaching
- Ideological Awareness in introductory biology
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in STEM
- The impacts of high stakes assessments
- The impacts of role models in biology instruction
I am an associate professor of biology education and discipline-based education researcher. My interests in this field largely center on identifying scalable strategies in higher education that improve learning for all, and reducing attrition of historically excluded groups in STEM fields.
