A Taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing Digital Logic Design

Abstract

It is not uncommon for new faculty members to be overwhelmed by course development. Oddly enough, most of what is developed by new faculty members has been developed before, and frequently, at a higher quality. Both new and old faculty could benefit from a mechanism to exchange materials and ideas. Such a mechanism exists and is widely known - the popular Bloom's taxonomy. In 2001 an update to the original Bloom's taxonomy was published that added an extra dimension to the original taxonomy and emphasized the requirement for alignment of objectives with instructional methods and assessment techniques. Conforming to this latter specification, this paper summarizes this taxonomy and outlines how it might be utilized to develop a Taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing a single course, "digital logic design." The taxon is offered as a lesson-based mechanism for packaging learning objectives, instructional methods, and assessment techniques into a single, taxonomy-aligned element that can be exchanged among educators. These taxons provide a framework for the exchange of pedagogical techniques such as active learning within specific lesson contexts. It is the intention of this paper to offer the foundation for further development of a medium of interchange for these elements.