ABSTRACT
An institution’s paradigm is its theory in use, a set of assumptions about learning that can inferred by examining the institution’s routine patterns of teaching and learning activity. The Instruction Paradigm provided a consistent rationale for institutional decisions about facilities and pedagogy in the 1960s. This kind of calculation continues to guide the pursuit of 3fold gains at more than a few institutions. Student evaluations revealed that, in courses taught by fixed-mind-set faculty, all students were more likely to lose interest in the content and report negative experiences than in courses taught by growth mind-set faculty. Barr and Tagg asserted that their learning paradigm treats time as variable and learning as fixed—after each student masters something, they can move on to the next thing. The Individualized and Integrative Learning Paradigms begin with the same assumption, that the mission of colleges and universities is to help students improve selected capabilities and personal attributes.
