Teaching Interests and Philosophy
The main focus of my teaching the past 10 years at ASU has been in introductory chemistry, general chemistry, and elementary organic chemistry. In addition to teaching, I have focused on specific aspects of chemical education, including new educational materials for general chemistry. Over the past three years, I have worked with Dr. Richard Bauer and Dr. James Birk in writing an introductory chemistry textbook titled Conceptual Introduction to Chemistry. This textbook was recently published by McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
One of my goals in chemical education is to find ways to improve the way college students learn to think about chemical concepts and other abstract ideas. Students need help making connections between the macroscopic world and the molecular level. To help students make these connections and to help them visualize molecular level phenomenon, my PowerPoint slides are filled with visuals, animations, and movies with this emphasis. I also incorporate interactive activities to allow students to make sense of new ideas in small groups. By providing students with conceptual problems to solve, discussion questions that begin with “why,” and conceptual exam questions, students come away with more of an in-depth of understanding chemical concepts that they can apply to their understanding of our world, and to future chemistry classes.
I feel that the purpose of the lecture hour is to help students get a sense of the "big picture," and to help students draw connections between what they know and what they are learning. However, success in chemistry requires that students spend a lot of time learning chemistry outside of class, such as reading, doing lots of problems, and working in small groups outside of class. The Chemistry Department at ASU provides students with a variety of resources to help them learn. The Chemistry Learning Resource Center provides graduate student tutors. Graduate teaching assistants are an important resource to students, as they also hold small-group discussions on a weekly basis before the lab sections they teach. I currently use Blackboard web sites to provide students with sample tests, study guides, lecture notes, optional worksheet activities, and weekly topics of quiz topics. I also encourage students to work together both in and out of class because talking about chemistry helps to strengthen understanding. I also have partnered with the University Learning Resource Center so that the Teaching Teams Program is available to our students. This program provides leadership opportunities and tutoring help for students in general chemistry. |
Representative Publications and Presentations
"A Conceptual Introduction to Chemistry," R. C. Bauer, J. P. Birk, P. S. Marks, McGraw-Hill , (Text Book) (2007).
"General Chemistry CD of CollegePro Science," J. P. Birk and P. S. Marks, Topics Entertainment , (a multimedia-based study guide) (2002).
"Test Bank for Conceptual Chemistry – Understanding Our World of Atoms and Molecules," P.S. Marks, Benjamin Cummings , (Electronic version and book version) (2001).
"An Electronic Companion to General Chemistry," J. P. Birk and P. S. Marks, Cogito Learning Media, Inc , (a multimedia-based study guide) (2000).
"Solutions, AP Chemistry," P. S. Marks, Educational Management Group , (a multimedia-based chemistry course on CD-ROM) (1997).
"Chemistry 104a Laboratory Manual," S. Brown, P. S. Marks, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company , (1990).
"Synthesis and Characterization of Molybdenum Dimers Bridged by the Dithiolene Ligand, S2C2(CF3)2," K. Roesselet, K. E. Doan, S. D. Johnson, P. S. Marks. N. Miessler and G. Miessler, Organometallics 6, 480 (1987).
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