Cognitive theory and the design of education to work connection

The current and future health of 21st Century economy depends on how broadly and deeply work and education are interconnected. Education to work connection should enable cognitive development of individuals and teams so that the outcome of education can be directly translated to work environment. Cognitive developmental theories attempt to explain cognitive activities that contribute to students' intellectual development, their long life learning, and solving problems. These are the attributes that one needs to acquire before entering work environments. The author will first briefly present Piaget's cognitive theory and derive a problem solving pedagogy model from it that will support learning that will translate to education to work connection. Second, an example developed by the author and his graduate students will be presented that uses the Web as an appropriate instructional delivery medium to apply Piaget's cognitive theory to create environments that promote the education to work connection.