U N I V E R S I T Y  O F  P I T T S B U R G H

 A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh 

Chemistry’s ‘magic’ captures students’ attention

Bellet Award winner Peter Siska, Chemistry, realizes that many of his students disliked high school chemistry, but nevertheless have “unsuspected knowledge.” By giving them a coherent, logical framework and connecting new information with it, he can tap this foundation; then he challenges them to “go beyond where they are.” Consequently, the students in his honors course must work extremely hard, but most don’t mind. As one student commented, “It’s unbelievably difficult, but it’s incredibly fun.”

The Human Element
Siska explains his approach: “Once I’ve made them enthused about coming to class, they’re mine—I can teach them!” He dispels the notion that chemistry is nothing but endless tables, memorization, and lab drudgery: “I bring the human element to the subject. Students like to learn how important discoveries were made accidentally or to hear about the personalities of those who made them.” Siska’s personal enjoyment of history adds to his enthusiasm for sharing this aspect of chemistry. For example, he enjoys telling the story of Henry Cavendish, who discovered (quite by accident) that water is a compound rather than an element. Cavendish, it seems, was a reclusive 18th century scientist who sometimes didn’t document his experiments and, in fact, often hid what he was doing. During one experiment on inflammable air (now known as hydrogen), he noticed a liquid byproduct in the bottom of a vial. Tasting it, he realized it was water, which, until then, had been considered an element, not a compound. Siska explains to his students that “although it wasn’t what Cavendish was aiming at, his experiment revolutionized chemistry!”

Thrill of Discovery
Inspired by vivid memories of two of his high school teachers who “would actually jump up and down with excitement,” Siska tries to impart to his own students the thrill of discovery. Accordingly, his “live demonstrations” of groundbreaking experiments have the quality of a magician’s performance. Replicating — with adaptations — the procedures of the original discovery always generates interest “because chemical reactions are naturally dramatic. Students compete for first-row seats because they know there’s going to be interesting stuff going on down front. When it’s time for a demo, they become noticeably focused. This brings them closer to me; I can talk to them rather than lecturing.”
In fact, Siska believes this “person-to-person communication is, at heart, the essence of teaching. By nature we are oral learners, conveying knowledge by word of mouth.”

herefore, he encourages students to form study groups: “If they discuss concepts among themselves, their learning won’t be half baked.” Accordingly, he claims that the prevalent slide-driven lectures deter improvisation and stifle enthusiasm, pointing out, “PowerPoint slides can’t jump up and down!”

Focused Learning
Objectives
Although advocating flexibility, Siska nevertheless believes in conducting each class with a main idea, a focal point to master and connect with students’ existing framework of knowledge. “If they come away with that new understanding, I’ve succeeded.” To achieve this, he tries to avoid excessive detail and memorization, instead encouraging students to understand broad concepts that later will enable them to master necessary details. In keeping with these learning objectives developed over years of teaching, Siska has written his own honors-level chemistry textbook and accompanying laboratory manual.

Rather than having students repeat facts and figures from memory, Siska’s exams require them to draw upon their experience from doing exercises; they must determine what tools are needed to solve a problem. “It’s more important to approach a problem from the point of view of ‘what do I need to solve this?’ rather than plugging numbers into a formula. I teach them the techniques of attacking a scientific problem; they then can use these techniques to make their own discoveries. Making discoveries aside, there are many problems facing us and our small planet that are fundamentally chemical problems, and attempting to solve them can have chemical consequences. An understanding of basic chemistry is a modern-day essential, and being able to use chemistry as a tool may enable these young people to make real contributions as well.”

A newsletter devoted to the support of teaching and learning at the University of Pittsburgh

Center for Instructional Development & Distance Education
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Editor: Carol DeArment, Production: Joyce Walsh
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