Abhilash Nair
Pedagogical Methods Used
Peer Instruction / Think-Pair-Share, Collaborative problem-solving, Context-rich problems, Ranking tasks, SCALE-UP / studio / workshop physics, Modeling Instruction, Tutorials
Life Sciences Focus
Mostly macro- and microscopic biology as contexts for studying how physics plays a role.
Education Research and Pedagogy Expertise
Deep qualitative studies into students' experiences in introductory physics utilizing longitudinal case studies.
Describe the courses that you teach for life sciences students
(Briggs Life Science Studio) BLiSS Physics I & II
What is your approach to teaching physics for life science students?
I believe that students will see through flimsy layers of context. To truly engage students and to impact their beliefs about the relevance of physics, instruction must be authentically motivated and connected to students' lives.
CONTRIBUTIONS
A sequence of activities to build a simulation of diffusion from principles of elastic collisions.
Cellular Dynamics, Cellular Interactions
Conservation of Energy, Conservation of Linear Momentum, Collisions in One Dimension, Collisions in Two Dimensions, Diffusion, Brownian Motion
Abhilash Nair
Vashti Sawtelle
+ 2 more
Two lab sequence exploring electric potential from the microscopic to macroscopic
Cellular Interactions
Charge, Electric Field, Electrostatic Potential and Potential Energy
Vashti Sawtelle
Abhilash Nair
+ 2 more
Living Physics Portal
Resources and community for teaching physics for life sciences
©2025 American Association of Physics Teachers
Funded by the National Science Foundation
