Faculty Profile EMPHASIS AREA: SCI/AG. Environmental Education; Citizen Science; Participatory Action Research; In-service and Preservice Teacher Learning; Science Education

Heidi Ballard

Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow

Portrait of Heidi Ballard

Heidi Ballard is the Founder and Faculty Director of the Center for Community and Citizen Science. You can find more information about her past and current projects, and sign up for occasional updates at the Center’s website.

 

I am interested in environmental education that links communities, science, environmental action and learners of all ages. Particularly I’m interested in what and how people learn through public participation in scientific research (PPSR) as a form of informal science education.  From citizen science-type projects for conservation to participatory action research for natural resources management and environmental justice, PPSR projects can create unique opportunities for learning by participants and scientists. Understanding the outcomes and processes of these projects can contribute to better practices in environmental and science education, and better conservation and natural resource management.

Research Interests

Environmental Education; Citizen science; Participatory Action Research; In-service and preservice teacher learning; Science Education; Secondary Education; Service-learning. For more information.

Education

  • Ph.D. (2004) Environmental Science, Policy and Management from University of California, Berkeley
  • M.A. (1999) Teaching Biological Sciences from Miami University, Ohio
  • California Single Subject Teaching Credential (1994) Science and English Literature, Stanford Teacher Education Program, Stanford University
  • M.A. (1993) Education, Science Curriculum and Teacher Education, Stanford University
  • B.A. (1993) Human Biology and English Literature, Stanford University

Recent Publications

Jadallah, C.C. and H.L. Ballard. 2021. Social learning in participatory approaches to conservation and natural resource management: Taking a sociocultural perspective. Ecology and Society.

Hardie Hale, E., C.C. Jadallah and H.L. Ballard. 2021. Collaborative research as boundary work: learning between rice growers and conservation professionals to support habitat conservation on private lands. Agriculture and Human Values, https:doi.org/10.1007/s10460-021-10283-1.

Aristeidou, M., Herodotou, C., Ballard, H. L., Higgins, L., Johnson, R. F., Miller, A. E., … & Robinson, L. D. 2021. How Do Young Community and Citizen Science Volunteers Support Scientific Research on Biodiversity? The Case of iNaturalist. Diversity, 13(7), 318.

Ballard, H.L., A. Calabrese Barton, and B. Upadhyay. 2021. Editorial, Call for Papers Special Issue, Community-Driven Science: Evidence of and implications for equity, justice, science learning, and participation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 58(5): 621-624.

Lorke, J., H.L. Ballard, A.E. Miller, S. Pratt-Taweh, J. Jennewein, A. Young, L. Higgins, R. Johnson, L. Robinson. 2021. Step by step towards citizen science – Deconstructing youth participation in BioBlitzes. Journal of Science Communication 20 (4). https://doi.org/10.22323/2.20040203

Harris, E.M. and H.L. Ballard. 2021. Examining student environmental science agency across school science contexts. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 58 (6): 906-934. DOI: 10.1002/tea.21685.

Aristeidou, M., C. Herodotou, H. L. Ballard, A.N. Young, A.E. Miller, L. Higgins, R. F. Johnson. 2021. Exploring the participation of young citizen scientists in scientific research: The case of iNaturalist. PLos ONE, 16 (1), e0245682.

Stephens, A. and H.L. Ballard. In Press. Chapter 5. Developing environmental action competence in an urban high school agriculture and environmental program. In Esters, L.T., Patchen, A., DeCoito, I., Knobloch, N. (Eds.), Research Approaches in Urban Agriculture and Community Contexts.

Ballard, H.L., A. Calabrese-Barton, and B. Upadhyay. In press. Editorial, Call for Papers Special Issue, Community-Driven Science: Evidence of and implications for equity, justice, science learning, and participation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 1-4.

Lorke, J., H.L. Ballard, A.E. Miller, S. Pratt-Taweh, J. Jennewein, A. Young, L. Higgins, R. Johnson, L. Robinson. In press.  Step by step towards citizen science – Deconstructing youth participation in BioBlitzes.  Journal of Science Communication.

Harris, E.M. and H.L. Ballard. In press. Examining student environmental science agency across school science contexts. Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

Aristeidou, M., C. Herodotou, H. L. Ballard, A.N. Young, A.E. Miller, L. Higgins, R. F. Johnson. 2021. Exploring the participation of young citizen scientists in scientific research: The case of iNaturalist. PLos ONE, 16 (1), e0245682.

Bruckermann, T. Lorke, J., Rafolt, S., Scheuch, M., Aristeidou, M., Ballard, H., Bardy-Durchhalter, M., Carli, E., Herondotou, C., Kelemen-Finan, J., Robinson, L., Swanson, R., Winter, S., & Kapelari, S. 2020. Learning opportunities and outcomes in citizen science: A huristic model for design and evaluation.  In O. Levrini & G. Tasquier (Eds.) Electronic Proceedings of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) 2019 Conference.  (pp. 889-898). University of Bologna.

Bird, E.B., P. Harte and H.L. Ballard. 2020. Birds near and far: Students investigate local environmental phenomena on campus and at a local pond. Science and Children, Sept./Oct. 2020, p. 48-54.

Ballard, H.L. and E.M. Harris. 2020. Training. In C. Lepczyk, T. Vargo and O. Wilson (Eds), Handbook of Citizen Science in Ecology and Conservation. Berkeley, CA, USA: University of California Press.

Herodotou, C., M. Aristeidou, G. Miller, H.Ballard and L. Robinson. 2020. What do we know about young volunteers?: An exploratory study of participation in Zooniverse. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice, 5 (1): 2, pp. 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.248.

Harris, E.M., C.G.H. Dixon, E.B. Bird and H.L. Ballard. 2019. For science and self: Youth interactions with data in community and citizen science. Journal of the Learning Sciences. DOI: 10.1080/10508406.2019.1693379.

Phillips, T.B., H.L. Ballard, B.V. Lewenstein and R. Bonney. 2019. Engagement in science through citizen science: Moving beyond data collection. Science Education, 103:665–690. DOI: 10.1002/sce.21501

Harris, E.M. and H.L. Ballard. 2018. Science in the palm of your hand: A framework for designing and facilitating citizen science in the classroom. Science and Children April 2018.

Ballard, H.L., T.B. Phillips and L. Robinson. 2018. Conservation outcomes for citizen science. In A. Bonn, M. Haklay, S. Hecker, A. Bowser, Z. Makuch & J. Vogel (Eds), Citizen Science: Innovations for Science and Society. London, UK: University College London Press.

Professional Experience

K-12 Teaching Experience

  • 1995-1998 Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Also, California.  9-12th Grade Biology, Global Science, Physics, Applied Biology
  • 1993-1995 John F. Kennedy Middle School, Redwood City, California. 7th Grade Life Sciences

Curriculum and Teacher Professional Development

  • 1992-1993 Curriculum Developer, Stanford Project for International and Cross-Cultural Education
  • 1993-1996 Curriculum Developer, Human Biology Middle Grades Life Sciences Curriculum Project, designed and wrote activities, and conducted teacher professional development for Evolution, Ecology, Human Sexuality and Reproduction curriculum units.
  • 2000-2001 Science Consultant, Prentice Hall – Pearson Education, Conducted science textbook presentations and inservice workshops for middle and high school teachers throughout California.

Awards and Honors

  • 2014-2019 Chancellor’s Fellow
  • 2010-2011 UC Davis Hellman Fellow
  • 2004 University of California, Berkeley, University Fellowship.
  • 2002-2003 Environmental Science, Policy and Management Departmental Fellowship.
  • 2002-2003 Ford Foundation Community Forestry Research Dissertation Fellowship.

Current Activities and Service

Courses Taught at UC Davis

  • EDU 142 – Introduction to Environmental Education 
  • EDU 292 – Participatory Action Research
  • EDU 264 – Scientific Literacy and Science Education Reform
  • EDU 292 – Graduate Seminar in Environmental Education
  • EDU 294 – Science, Agric. and Math Education Graduate Seminar
  • EDU 206 B/C/D – Inquiry into Classroom Learning (Teacher Action Research

Graduate Student Researchers

Chris Jadallah
Amanda Lindell
Connor Rosenblatt
Emily Harris
Colin Dixon
Karen Bush
Jennifer Metes
Sinead Brien

Funded Research

  • “Pathways Grant – Citizen Science in the California Naturalist program: Building the nexus between learning and action” – PI, National Science Foundation Informal Science Education program, 2011-2013.
  • “Public Participation in Scientific Research for Environmental Education: Research on Engaging Diverse Communities for Environmental Science Learning and Stewardship” – PI, Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, 2012-2013.
  • “Educating Families by Educating Youth about Wildfire” – PI, USDA Forest Service, 2009-2012.
  • “A partnership model for recruiting non-traditional and underrepresented high school students into agricultural sustainability degree programs” – Co-PI, USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant, 2011-2013.
  • “Environmental learning, mitigation strategies, and lion conservation in Tanzania” – PI, UC Davis Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research Grant, 2010-2012.
  • Past Projects:
  • “Social Learning in Contested Fields: Collaborative research and action among rice growers and migratory bird conservationists” – UC Davis Hellman Fellowship, 2010-2011.
  • “Making ‘hands-on’ science ‘minds-on’ science: Creating connections between classrooms, farms and habitats” – Cooperative Research and Extension Service for Schools Collaborative Research Grant
  • “Sustainable Harvest Project” – Laura Jane Musser Foundation
  • “Ecological Monitoring in Community Forestry in the U.S.” - Ford Foundation
 
 
 
 
Blog entry Heidi Ballard

Dispatch from Heidi Ballard

Where in the world is Heidi Ballard, you might wonder? I’ve been extra privileged to be spending my several months of sabbatical this spring learning and sharing about how community and citizen science is institutionalized, designed, implemented, and evaluated all over Europe…especially in the United Kingdom, Austria, and Denmark where I’ve been based for a few weeks or months each.

Blog entry Heidi Ballard Shulong Yan

Project Update: Elementary Students Connected to Forest Managers through Data

After 4+ years of collaboration and intensive project work, the Our Forests Project is entering a phase of analysis, product development, and sharing with a wide range of audiences. Our Forests is an NSF DRK-12-funded Youth-focused Community and Citizen Science (YCCS) collaborative project between our center and our community partner – Sierra Streams Institute.

Blog entry Heidi Ballard

Project Update: Visiting NatureBridge in Olympic National Park

A new research partnership

In early September, Alexandra and Heidi traveled to Washington State to visit NatureBridge, an environmental education campus in Olympic National Park. Supported by the Resource Legacy Fund, the visit aimed to explore the potential of a new research partnership between the Center for Community and Citizen Science (CCCS), NatureBridge, and scientists at NOAA around a youth community and citizen science (YCCS) project related to long-term monitoring of the removal the Elwha Dam. 

Blog entry Heidi Ballard Peggy Harte

From California to Tanzania and Back Again

Creating an educational and culturally-relevant environmental monitoring program for youth in northeast Tanzania

Could Community and Citizen Science not only support Science AND English teachers to teach in hands-on ways, but also help to feed students in Tanzania schools? Based on our recent collaboration, the answer is Yes!  

Blog entry Heidi Ballard Sol Henson

Designing for Science Learning in Schools by Leveraging Participation and the Power of Place through Community and Citizen Science

This post was originally featured as a part of the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education’s project spotlights. This Spotlight features DRK-12 collaborative projects, provides insight into the affordances and challenges of partnering with multiple organizations, and offers advice for those considering a collaborative proposal. Click here to visit the project Spotlight.

Overview Heidi Ballard
YCCS Educator Resources from the Center for Community and Citizen Science

YCCS Educator Resources from the Center for Community and Citizen Science

With Youth-focused Citizen and Community Science (YCCS), youth contribute to authentic science. They can do this through data collection, but also interpreting or sharing findings. But what does this mean for science learning? To answer this question, we have been researching implementation of YCCS projects to explore when and how YCCS works best.

Overview Heidi Ballard

Resources for Educators

With Youth-focused Citizen and Community Science (YCCS), youth contribute to authentic science. They can do this through data collection, but also interpreting or sharing findings. But what does this mean for science learning? To answer this question, we began conducting case studies with YCCS projects in Northern California and bringing together key stakeholders to explore when and how YCCS works best.

Post Heidi Ballard Ryan Meyer

Youth-focused Community and Citizen Science

 

This blog post, authored by Ryan Meyer, Heidi Ballard, and Lila Higgins, originally appeared on the Blue Sky Funders Forum blog.

When do experiences with science lead young people to create change in their lives, landscapes, and communities? Consider this reflection from Rachel Anne Arias, a 12-year-old living in La Crescenta in Southern California:

Post Heidi Ballard

Citizen Science and Conservation

A recent paper quantifies and qualifies recent citizen science projects, sets best practices for conservation efforts in citizen science, and sees the gaps needed to fill for future citizen science efforts.

This post, written by Molly Michelson, originally appeared on the website of the California Academy of Science.

OctopusWe’re going to need a lot of people to save planet Earth—scientists, for example! Their research can help policy-makers and governmental agencies make conservation decisions about the regions, animals, and plants to save. But there simply aren’t enough of these academics to go around.

News Heidi Ballard
Photo of Heidi Ballard

Heidi Ballard Named a Chancellor’s Fellow

Heidi Ballard, associate professor of education, has been selected as a 2014-15 Chancellor’s Fellow. The Chancellor’s Fellows Program recognizes “the rising stars who shine as teachers and campus citizens, and whose scholarly work already puts them at the top of their fields — garnering attention far and wide.” It is one of the highest and most prestigious honors on this campus.

Overview Heidi Ballard Ryan Meyer

Center for Community and Citizen Science

Through its research and programming, the Center for Community and Citizen Science helps scientists, communities, and other members of the public collaborate on science to address environmental problems as a part of civic life. The center researches ways to broaden and improve participation in science by diverse communities, use citizen science to effectively improve scientific learning, and develop resources and tools for building successful citizen science programs.

New at the Center

Research Heidi Ballard

Heidi Ballard Receives Two Grants to Study Citizen Science

February 2014

Associate Professor Heidi Ballard, an expert in environmental science education, is embarking on two newly funded research projects to study the efficacy of employing citizen science as a learning tool and a sustainable model for rigorous research. One project will focus on adults and the other on children.

Research Heidi Ballard

Building Community Capacity for Environmental Decision-Making

Heidi Ballard in Tanzania - Fall 2012

Associate Professor Heidi Ballard, an expert in environmental education and citizen science, is used to working with educators, environmentalists, students and nonprofits to engage non-scientists in learning about environmental science and acting on their learning to influence their communities.

In Summer 2012 she traveled to Mpimbwe, Tanzania, to lend her expertise to a larger project led by two UC Davis researchers that engages local people in the conservation of one of the largest wildlife parks in that country, Katavi National Park.

General information Heidi Ballard

Report: Learning from Public Participation in Scientific Research programs in Northern California

Preliminary Findings from the Northern California PPSR Inventory Study

Introduction

This project arose from the realization that projects involving public participation in science vary widely, and often work in isolation from each other. These range from ‘citizen science’ projects for which people submit data about birds or plants online, to environmental justice-oriented community-based participatory research, and everything in between. These projects all revolve around members of the public collaborating in some form with scientists to answer environmental science questions.

Research Heidi Ballard

Building Community Capacity for Environmental Decision-Making

November 2012

Associate Professor Heidi Ballard, an expert in environmental education and citizen science, is used to working with educators, environmentalists, students and nonprofits to engage non-scientists in learning about environmental science and acting on their learning to influence their communities.

In 2012, she traveled to Mpimbwe, Tanzania, to lend her expertise to a larger project led by two UC Davis researchers that engages local people in the conservation of one of the largest wildlife parks in that country, Katavi National Park.

News Heidi Ballard

Heidi Ballard selected UC Davis Hellman Fellow

Award recognizes promising assistant professors

Heidi Ballard, an assistant professor in the School of Education, has been selected to be a 2010-2011 UC Davis Hellman Fellow and will receive an award of $20,409 to be used in support of her research activities.

Spotlight Heidi Ballard
Portrait of Heidi Ballard

Heidi Ballard

Leading at the Intersection of Science, Education and Social Justice

Coming from a long line of teachers, Heidi Ballard was sure of one thing when she entered college: she was not going to become a teacher. Five years later, she found herself teaching high school biology.

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