Experiences in course design using neo-piagetian theory

Course design is a fundamental yet challenging activity in any curriculum development exercise. A course needs to have clearly identified learning outcomes associated with the development of core concepts, and must include appropriate and varied topics, learning materials, and assessment activities that support those learning outcomes. For the identified core concepts, the learning and assessment activities must allow the learner the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of the concept and how it is applied. In this paper, we propose a methodology for course design that relies on a Neo-Piagetian taxonomy of cognitive development, which develops mastery through a series of explicit stages of cognitive development. In the design of the learning and assessment activities, we focus on ensuring that learning activities allow the students to explore the taught concepts at increasing Neo-Piagetian cognitive levels, supporting graduated exposure to concept development and the alignment of assessment with the cognitive level required from the learning outcomes. We demonstrate our approach for the design of an intermediate programming course and discuss our experiences and lessons learned.