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When one or two people set out to reform a single course, they often make valuable changes, but the changes tend not to move very far from the status quo. Furthermore, when these “heroes” move on to another course, the changes tend to be lost, instead of institutionalized. Over the years, departments have thoroughly explored a local minimum in the energy diagram for curricular change. In the Paradigms Program, we changed everything: how we have chopped up the content, pace & timing, and pedagogical strategies–the metaphorical equivalent of putting on our backpacks and hiking over the mountains. We do not believe that we are yet at another local minimum, but the weather is fine and the scenery is beautiful. We encourage others to go exploring as well.

In particular, we have paid special attention to the needs of students as they transition from their introductory courses to the upper-division courses for majors. This is a stage in our students' learning that we have dubbed the middle division.