2022: Ewell, S., Cotner, S., Drake, A. G., Fagbodun, S., Google, A., Robinson, L., Soneral, P., & Ballen, C. J. Eight recommendations to promote effective study habits for biology students enrolled in online courses. (In press, Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education).
2022: Beatty, A.E., Esco, A., Curtiss, A., & Ballen, C.J. Students who prefer face-to-face tests outperform their online peers in organic chemistry. (In press, Chemistry Education Research & Practice)
2022: Ewell, S., Josefson, C., & Ballen, C. J. Why did students report lower test anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic? (In press, Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education).
2021: Salehi, S., Berk, S.A., Brunelli, R., Cotner, S., Creech, C., Drake, A.G., Fagbodun, S., Hall, C., Hebert, S., James, A.C., Shuster, M., St. Juliana, J.R., Stovall, D.B., Whittington, R., Zhong, M., & Ballen, C.J. Context matters: social psychological factors that underlie academic performance across seven institutions. (In press, CBE-Life Sciences Education). PDF
2021: Salehi, S., Ballen, C. J., Trujillo, G., & Wieman, C. Inclusive instructional practices: course design, implementation, and discourse. (In press, Frontiers in Education) PDF
2021: Beatty, A.E., Driessen, E.P., Gusler, T., Ewell, S., Grilliot, A., & Ballen, C. J. Teaching the tough topics: Fostering ideological awareness through the inclusion of societally impactful topics in introductory biology. (In press, CBE—Life Sciences Education) PDF
2021: Odom, S., Bosso, H., Bowling, S., Brownell, S., Cotner, S., Creech, C., Drake, A. G., Eddy, S., Fagbodun, S., Hebert, S., James, A. C., Just, J., Juliana, J. R., Shuster, M., Thompson, S. K., Whittington, R., Wills, B. D., Wilson, A. E., Zamudio, K. R., Zhong, M., & Ballen, C. J. Meta-analysis of gender performance gaps in undergraduate natural science courses. CBE-Life Sciences Education 20:ar40. PDF
2021: Ballen, C. J. & Salehi, S. Mediation analysis in discipline-based education research using structural equation modeling: beyond “what works” to understand how it works, and for whom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education 22(2): e00108-21. PDF
2021: Lombardi, D., Shipley, T. F., Astronomy Team (Bailey, J. M, Bretones, P. S., Prather, E. E.), Biology Team (Ballen, C. J., Knight, J. K., Smith, M. K.), Chemistry Team (Stowe, R. L., Cooper, M. M.), Engineering Team (Prince, M.), Geography Team (Atit, K., Uttal, D. H.), Geoscience Team (LaDue, N. D., McNeal, P. M., Ryker, K., St. John, K., van der Hoeven Kraft, K. J.), & Physics Team (Docktor, J. L.). The curious construct of active learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest 22.1: 8-43.
2021: Beatty, A. E., Ballen, C. J., Driessen, E. P., Schwartz, T. S., & Graze, R. M. Addressing the unique qualities of upper-level biology CUREs through the integration of skill-building. Integrative and Comparative Biology, icab006. PDF
2021: Simpson, D.Y.*, Beatty, A.E.*, & Ballen, C.J. Teaching between the lines: Representation in science textbooks. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 36(1), 4-8. PDF
2020: Ballen, C. J. How a classroom failure improved my teaching. The American Biology Teacher 82 (9), 577. PDF
2020: Salehi, S., Cotner, S., & Ballen, C.J. Variation in incoming academic preparation: consequences for minority and first-generation students. Frontiers in Education 5, 552364. PDF
2020: Driessen, E.P., Beatty, A.E., Stokes, A., Wood. S., & Ballen, C.J. Learning principles of evolution during a crisis: an exploratory analysis of student barriers one week and one month into the COVID-19 pandemic. Ecology and Evolution 10(22), 12431-12436. PDF
2020: Driessen, E.P., Knight, J., Smith, M., & Ballen, C.J. Demystifying the Meaning of Active Learning in Post-Secondary Biology Education. CBE-Life Sciences Education 19(4), ar52. PDF
2020: Thompson, S., Hebert, S., Berk, S., Brunelli, R., Creech, C., Drake, A. G., Fagbodun, S., Garcia Ojeda, M., Hall, C., Harshman, J., Lamb, T., Robnett, R., Shuster, M., Cotner, S., & Ballen, C.J. 2020. A call for data-driven networks to address equity in the context of undergraduate biology. CBE-Life Sciences Education 19(4), mr2. PDF
2020: Wood, S., Henning, J. A., Chen, L., McKibben, T., Smith, M. L., Weber, M., Zemenick, A., & Ballen, C. J.
A scientist like me: demographic analysis of biology textbooks reveals both progress and long-term lags. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287(1929), 20200877. PDF
2020: Aguillon, S. M.*, Siegmund, G.-F.*, Petipas, R., Drake, A. G., Cotner, S., & Ballen, C. J. Gender differences in student participation in an active learning classroom. CBE-Life Sciences Education 19(2), ar12. PDF
2020: Ballen, C.J. Enhancing Diversity in College Science with Active Learning. In J.J. Mintzes and E.M.Walter, Eds. Active learning in college science: The case for evidence based practice. Berlin: Springer Nature.
2019: Salehi, S., Cotner, S., Azarin, S. M., Carlson, E. E., Driessen, M., Ferry, V. E., Harcombe, W., McGaugh, S., Wassenberg, D., Yonas, A., & Ballen, C. J. Gender performance gaps across different assessment methods and the underlying mechanisms: the case of incoming preparation and test anxiety. Frontiers in Education 4(107). PDF
2019: Ballen, C.J., Aguillon, S.M., Awwad, A., Bjune, A.E., Challou, D., Drake, A.G., Driessen, M., Ellozy, A., Ferry, V.A., Goldberg, E.E., Harcombe, W., Jensen, S., Jørgensen, C., Koth, Z., McGaugh, S.E., Mitry, C., Mosher, B., Mostafa, H., Petipas, R.H., Soneral, P.A.G., Watters, S., Wassenberg, D., Weiss, S., Yonas, A., Zamudio, K.R., & Cotner, S. Smaller classes promote equitable student participation in STEM. Bioscience 69(8), 669-680. PDF
2019: Neill, C., Cotner, S., Driessen, M., & Ballen, C.J. Structured learning environments are required to promote equitable participation. Chemistry Education Research and Practice 20(1), 197-203. PDF
2019: Ballen, C.J. & Holmegaard, H.T. With big data comes big responsibilities for science equity research. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education 20(1): 1-4. PDF
2019: Henning, J.A., Ballen, C.J., Molina, S., & Cotner, S. Hidden identities shape student perceptions of active learning environments. Frontiers in Education. 4(129). PDF.
2018: Ballen, C.J., Aguillon, S.M., Brunelli, R., Drake, A.G., Wassenburg, D., Weiss, S.L., Zamudio, K.R., & Cotner, S. Do small classes reduce performance gaps in STEM? Bioscience 68(8):593–600. PDF
2018: Ballen, C.J. & Zamudio, K.R. Active learning reduces course content misconceptions and promotes self-efficacy in large classrooms. In Golding, J., K. Kern, and C. Rawn (Eds.), Strategies for Teaching Large Classes Effectively in Higher Education. Cognella Publishing.
2018: Mason, N.A., Brunner, R., Ballen, C.J., & Lovett, I.J. Cognitive and social benefits among underrepresented first-year biology students in a field course: a qualitative case study of experiential learning in the Galápagos. Frontiers: International Journal of Study Abroad. PDF
2018: Sullivan, L.L.*, Ballen, C.J.*, & Cotner, S. Small group gender ratios in active learning courses impact performance and peer evaluations. PLoS ONE 13(4):e0195129. PDF
*Authors contributed equally to this work
2018: Ballen, C.J., Lee, D., Rakner, L., & Cotner, S. Politics a ‘chilly’ environment for undergraduate women in Norway. PS: Political Science & Politics 51(3):653-658. PDF
2018: Ballen, C.J., Thompson, S.T., Blum, J.E., Newstrom, N.P., & Cotner, S. Discovery and broad relevance may be insignificant components of course-based undergraduate research experiences for non-biology majors. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education 19(2):1-9. PDF
2017: Ballen, C.J. & Greene, H.W. Walking and talking the tree of life: Why and how to teach about biodiversity. PLoS Biology 15(3):e2001630. PDF
2017: Ballen, C.J. & Mason, N.A. Longitudinal analysis of a diversity support program in biology: a national call for further assessment. Bioscience 67(4):367-373. PDF
2017: Cotner, S. & Ballen, C.J. Can Mixed Assessment Methods Make Biology Classes More Equitable? PLoS ONE 12(12):e0189610. PDF
2017: Ballen, C.J., Wieman, C., Salehi, S., Searle, J. & Zamudio, K.R. Enhancing diversity in undergraduate science: Self-efficacy drives performance gains with active learning. CBE-Life Sciences Education 16(4):ar56. PDF
2017: Ballen, C.J.*, Salehi, S.*, & Cotner, S. Exams disadvantage women in introductory biology. PLoS ONE 12(10):e0186419. PDF
*Authors contributed equally to this work
2017: Ballen, C.J., Blum, J., Brownell, S., Hebert, S., Hewlett, J., Klein, J., McDonald, E., Monti, D., Nold, S., Slemmons, K., Soneral, P., & Cotner, S. A call to develop course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) for nonmajor courses. CBE-Life Sciences Education 16(2): mr2. PDF
2017: Ballen, C.J., Danielsen, M., Jørgensen, C., Grytnes, J. A., & Cotner, S. Norway’s gender gap: classroom participation in introductory science. Nordic Journal of STEM Education 1(1):262-270. PDF
2017: Cotner, S., Ballen, C.J., & Jeno, L.M. Strategies to document active learning in biology. Nordic Journal of STEM Education. 1(1):36-42.
2017: Mcdiarmid, C.S., Friesen, C., Ballen, C.J., & Olsson, M. Sexual coloration and sperm performance in the Australian painted dragon lizard, Ctenophorus pictus. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 30:1303-1312. PDF
2016: Ballen, C.J., Andrews, R., Shine, R., & Olsson, M. Multifactorial sex-determination in chameleons. Journal of Herpetology 50(4):548-551. PDF
2015: Tobler, M., Ballen, C.J., Healey, M., Wilson, M., & Olsson, M. Oxidant trade-offs in immunity: an experimental test in a lizard. PLoS One 10(5):e0126155. PDF
2015: Ballen, C.J., Shine, R., & Olsson, M. Developmental plasticity in an unusual animal: the effects of incubation temperature on behavior in chameleons. Behaviour 152 (10):1307-1324. PDF
2014: Ballen, C.J., Shine, R., & Olsson, M. Effects of early social isolation on the behaviour and performance of juvenile lizards, Chamaeleo calyptratus. Animal Behaviour 88:1-6. PDF
2013: Olsson, M. M., Stuart-Fox, D., & Ballen, C.J. Genetics and evolution of colour patterns in reptiles. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 24:529-41. PDF
2012: Ballen, C.J., Healey, M., Wilson, M., Tobler, M., & Olsson, M. Predictors of telomere content in dragon lizards. Naturwissenschaften 99(8):661-664. PDF
2012: Ballen, C.J., Healey, M., Wilson, M., Tobler, M., Wapstra, E. and Olsson, M. Net superoxide levels: steeper increase with activity in cooler female and hotter male lizards. Journal of Experimental Biology 215(5):731-735. PDF
2011: Cotner, S., Ballen, C.J., Brooks, C. D., & Moore, R. Instructor gender and student confidence in the sciences: a need for more role models? Journal of College Science Teaching 40(5):96-101. PDF
Teaching publications
2019: Ballen, C.J., Drake, A.G., and Zamudio, K.R. Forensic phylogenetics: implementing tree-thinking in a court of law. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2019.16. PDF
2017: Ballen, C.J. and Newstrom, N. ‘Testing hypotheses about sexual violence among adolescents’, in Cotner, S. and Nelson, P. Evolution and Biology of Sex: Laboratory Investigations, 4E. Bluedoor: Minnesota.
2016: Ballen, C.J. ‘Reconstruction and using phylogenetic trees: Active learning module’, in Sadava, D.E, Hillis, D.M., Heller, H.C., Hacker, S. D., eds., Life: The science of biology. London, UK: Macmillan Learning.
2016: Ballen, C.J. ‘Introduction to population genetics: Active learning module’, in Sadava, D.E, Hillis, D.M., Heller, H.C., Hacker, S. D., eds., Life: The science of biology. London, UK: Macmillan Learning.
2016: Ballen, C.J. ‘Animal origins and diversity: Apply What You’ve Learned’, in Hillis, D.M., Sadava, D.E, Heller, H.C., Price, M.V., eds., Principles of Life, 2e. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.
2016: Ballen, C.J. ‘Protostome Diversity: Apply What You’ve Learned’, in Hillis, D.M., Sadava, D.E, Heller, H.C., Price, M.V., eds., Principles of Life, 2e. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.
2016: Ballen, C.J. ‘Deuterostome Diversity: Apply What You’ve Learned’, in Hillis, D.M., Sadava, D.E, Heller, H.C., Price, M.V., eds., Principles of Life, 2e. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.