Christina Othon

Associate Professor

Ripon College

Physics

Pedagogical Methods Used

Peer Instruction / Think-Pair-Share, Collaborative problem-solving, Conceptually-oriented activities, Context-rich problems, Guided inquiry, SCALE-UP / studio / workshop physics, Mathematically-focused activities, Experimentally-focused activities, Tutorials

Life Sciences Focus

I am weaving my soft condensed matter expertise into the introductory curriculum to better motivate students to study physical sciences and to promote interdisciplinary discourse at the college.

Education Research and Pedagogy Expertise

I regularly integrate PER into my courses, including assessment tools. While I am interested in moving more deeply into PER, I have yet to make this transition.

Describe the courses that you teach for life sciences students

I teach a 100 level general education course in biophysics and biomaterials targeted towards pre-med students and elementary/secondary education students.

What is your approach to teaching physics for life science students?

I believe in a hands on inquiry based approach towards teaching physics. I build my content around active learning modules, with the emphasis on student centered learning.