An application of Bloom's taxonomy to the teaching of business ethics

Benjamin S. Bloom and a large committee of educators did extensive research to develop a taxonomy of global educational goals and of ways to measure their achievement in the classroom. The result was a taxonomy of three domains: Cognitive, Affective, and Motor Skills. This paper examines the cognitive and affective domains and applies them to teaching business ethics. Each of the six levels of the cognitive domain is explained. A six-step case method model is used to illustrate how the six cognitive levels might be used and tested in the classroom. The five levels of the affective domain are also described. They are illustrated behaviorally in terms of a student's increasing interest, motivation and commitment to business ethics. M. Francis Reeves is professor of philosophy at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. He is author of an introductory textbook in philosophy entitled Problems of Philosophy and Society: A Conversation with Plato, published by the University Press of America (1988). He is currently a gadfly at Bentley in the departments of Law, Accountancy, and Computer Information Systems assisting them in integrating business ethics into their functional courses. His current research interests are in business ethics and case method teaching.