====== The view from the other side of the mountains: exploring the middle division. ======

Abstract:  In 1997/98, Oregon State University undertook to re-envision its entire curriculum for physics majors, paying particular attention to helping students make the transition from lower- to upper-level courses—the middle-division.   We changed so many aspects of our curriculum that we are now in an entirely different ecosystem from where we started.  It has been a long and fascinating journey, over a large potential-energy barrier.   Our new environment is one where students and faculty can grow and thrive.  Now, ten years later, I hope to entice you to explore with us.

On the links below, you can see each of my powerpoint slides.  Scroll down below the slide for a brief description of what I intended to say and links to relevant sections/activities in the portfolioswiki.  Since I ad lib a lot, there's no real way to tell what I actually said. :-)

  * [[slide5|Title Slide]]
  * [[slide2|Financial Acknowledgements]]
  * [[slide3|Special Thanks]]
  * [[slide1|Holding Simultaneous Contradictory Views--Good Teaching]]
  * [[slide4|Holding Simultaneous Contradictory Views--Picking Up Someone Else's Baby]]
  * [[slide6|Walking over the Mountains]]
  * [[slide7|Characteristics of the Middle-division]]
  * [[slide8|List of Middle-division Courses]]
  * [[slide9|Technology from the One-Room Schoolhouse]]
  * [[slide10|Socratic Questioning vs. Active Engagement]]
  * [[slide11|Kinesthetic Activities: Curvilinear Basis Vectors 1]]
  * [[slide12|Kinesthetic Activities: Curvilinear Basis Vectors 2]]
  * [[slide13|Kinesthetic Activities: Steady Current]]
  * [[slide14|Content Connections: Effective Potentials]]
  * [[slide15|Kinesthetic Activities: Effective Potentials]]
  * [[slide16|Visualization: Flux]]
  * [[slide17|Quantum Activities: Eigenstates on the Quantum Ring]]
  * [[slide18|Visualization: the Quantum Ring]]
  * [[slide19|Visualization: Using Color for Spherical Harmonics]]
  * [[slide20|Visualization: Using Color for the Hydrogen Atom]]
  * [[slide21|Characteristics of Effective Maple Activities]]
  * [[slide22|Characteristics of Effective Small Group Activities]]
  * [[slide23|Eigenvectors Activity]]
  * [[slide24|Eigenvectors Activity]]
  * [[slide25|Lectures vs. Activities]]
  * [[slide26|Wrap-up from Small Group Activities]]
  * [[slide27|Changing the Frame: In a Restaurant 1]]
  * [[slide28|Changing the Frame: In a Restaurant 2]]
  * [[slide29|Changing the Frame: In the Paradigms]]
  * [[slide30|Changing the Frame: Student Quote 1]]
  * [[slide31|Changing the Frame: Student Quote 2]]
  * [[slide33|Changing the Frame: Student quote 3]]
  * [[slide32|Conclusion: Plum Muffins]]