EBSCOhost http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/de...

Record: 1
Title: Revisions to Bloom's Taxonomy.
Authors: Whitton, Diana
Source: Primary Educator; 2000, Vol. 6 Issue 1, p16, 6p, 4 charts
Document Type: Article
Subject Terms: *EDUCATION, Primary
Reviews & Products: BLOOM'S Taxonomy (Book)
Abstract: Explores the revisions in the book `Bloom's Taxonomy.' Use of the
revisions in designing tasks for gifted students; Contents of the book.
Full Text Word Count: 1480
ISSN: 13244825
Accession Number: 3401826
Database: Academic Search Elite
REVISIONS TO BLOOM'S TAXONOMY
The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Bloom, 1856) was devised to assist educatiors in
classifying the goals of the educational system and to plan and evaluate Learning
experiences within mainstream classrooms. Bloom's Taxonomy has been use in many
programs to chaLLenge students thinking skills. However over time the structure
developed has been modified and used in a hierarchical order and often the six major
classes are within a represented triangle.

Each process or behaviour required by the students makes use of, and builds upon the
behaviours found in the preceding classes in the taxonomy. Therefore the application of
Bloom's Taxonomy with gifted students has not attained the hierarchical nature of the
student behaviours but inverted the triangle to vary the amount of focus placed upon each
process. Thus: Figure 2 represents the current way in which Bloom's Taxonomy is used in
planning for gifted children. Numerous publications give guidelines on how to plan units of
work using this structure. Each behaviour is seen as a single entity even though orginally
planned with sub components.

The following is summarised from Bloom's original work and illustrates that any of the
variations published presently loses some of the original integrity of the work.

[ Taxonomy of Educational Objectives ]

KNOWLEDGE

-- KnowLedge of Specifics
-- KnowLedge of TerminoLogy
-- KnowLedge of Specific Facts
-- KnowLedge of ways and means of dealing with specifics
-- KnowLedge of conventions
-- KnowLedge of classifications and categories

1 of 9 10/18/09 4:20 PM
EBSCOhost http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/de...

-- KnowLedge of criteria
-- KnowLedge of methodology
-- KnowLedge of the universals and abstractions in a field.
-- KnowLedge of principles and generalisations
-- Knowledge of theories and structures

COMPREHENSION

-- Translation
-- Interpretation
-- Extrapolation

APPLICATION

--
--
--

ANALYSIS

-- Analysis of elements
-- Analysis of relationships
-- Analysis of organisational principles

SYNTHESIS

-- Production of a unique communication

-- Production of a plan or proposed set of operations
-- Derivation of a set of abstract relations

EVALUATION

-- Judgements in terms of internal evidence

-- Judgements in terms of external criteria

However, Samara and Curry have revitalised Bloom's taxonomy by developing the
taxonomy to also consider the content taught, the products to be developed, forms of
grouping as well as the evaluation of the products. Marker (1982) proposed that "to make
the subject matter more appropriate for gifted students, educators can teach content that
is more complex, more abstract, more varied and organised differently" (p. 19).
Supporting this notion, the matrix devised by Samara and Curry, (1990,1992) supports
four LeveLs of instruction, ensuring that simple and complex content is introduced.

Table 2 gives more details of the development of the thinking skills and content.

These four quadrants need to be related to Bloom's (1956) Cognitive Taxonomy as the
thinking processes. Table 3 shows the full matrix that is used planning units of work.

Bloom's (1956) definitions of terms will be accepted as detailed in Table 4, for all planning:

These six thinking processes are frequently translated into verbs relating to the processes
the students will be involved with. Table 5 gives some of the terms used in planning
classroom activities.

The second are considered by Samara and Curry is the products by the students. Teachers

2 of 9 10/18/09 4:20 PM
EBSCOhost http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/de...

must ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to communicate their ideas and
information through a variety of means. Thus products may be classified as:

Kinaesthetic
Oral
Visual
Written

and would relate to the student's learning styles and preferences, be the most suitable
form for presenting the productive thinking and also be matched to the content taught and
audience f or which the product is planned.

Table 6 does not differentiate the products into the four categories, as many combine
more than one form; rather it indicates the vast number of alternatives available.

Samara and Curry indicate that whilst there are so many product options often many of
them are unfamiliar to students and if product descriptions are developed giving details of
the parts and attributes of the product, students will be able to plan and develop their
skills. Table 7 shows a sample product descriptor.

These product descriptors need to be developed by a group of teachers in a particular

curriculum discipline so that students have a clear knowledge of requirements.

The third area considered in planning units of work is the grouping of students. Once
again a variety of forms of groups is essential and they must be selected in relation to the
content being studied, the product being created and the typed of class being taught.
Thus relate to the goals of the instruction Curry's (1991) pictorial representation dearly
(see Figure 3) identifies the option for teachers and students.

With careful attention to the processes, products, and content combined to develop units
that challenge gifted students, teachers will find they are meeting the needs of individual
learner while all students are addressing the same content. The four quadrants are seen
as the total unit of work which the gifted will participate in, whilst other students may be
challenged by the content and thinking process required of them on quadrants one, two
and three. The process of developing units of work may be used with curriculum content
that is mandated, inspired by student interest or by a particular local/state event and will
ensure that a variety of thinking process, grouping strategies and products will be utilised.

Table 1: The four quadrants of the matrix

UNIT BASIC THINKING ABSTRACT THINKING

Simple Content 1. Simple Content 2. Simple Content

Basic thinking Abstract
processes thinking
process

Complex Content 3. Complex Content 4. Complex Content

Basic thinking Abstract
process thinking
process

3 of 9 10/18/09 4:20 PM
EBSCOhost http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/de...

Table 4: Definitions of Bloom's terms

TERM DEFINITION

Knowledge Involves the recall of specifics and

universals, the recall of methods,
and processes, or the recall of a
pattern, structure or setting (p20).

Comprehension is a type of understanding when the

individual knows what is being
communicated and can make use of
the materials or idea being
communicated without necessarily
relating it to other material or
seeing its fullest implications
(p204).

Application Is the use of abstractions in

particular and concrete situations
and may include general ideas, rules
of procedures, generalised methods,
technical principles, ideas,
theories which must be remembered
and applied (p205).

Analysis Emphasises the breakdown of the

material into its constituent parts
and the detection of the
relationships of the parts and of
the way they are organised (p144).

Synthesis Is the putting together of elements

and parts so as to form a whole
(p162).

Evaluation Is the making of judgements about

the value, for some purpose, of
ideas, works, solutions, methods
and materials. It involves the use
of criteria as well as standards of
appraising the extent to which
particulars are accurate, effective,
economical, or satisfying (p185)

Table 5: Verbs related to Bloom's Cognitive Taxonomy

KNOWLEDGE

Brainstorm
Categorise
Collect
Describe
Define
Gather
Generate
Identify
Label
List

4 of 9 10/18/09 4:20 PM
EBSCOhost http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/de...

Locate
Match
Memorise
Name
Observe
Recall
Recognise
Reproduce
Select
Show
State
Tabulate
Tell
Underline
Verbalise
Writer

COMPREHENSION

Catalogue
Compile
Conclude
Distinguish
Estimate
Explain
Generalise
Give examples
Infer
Paraphrase
Rank
Regroup
Restate
Rewrite
Summarise

APPLICATION

Advise
Anticipate
Arrange
Campaign
Change
Collect
Compare
examples
Conjugate
Contrast
Convert
Decipher
Decode
Demonstrate
Discover
Manipulate
Measure
Modify
Operate
Order
Organise
Persuad
Predict

5 of 9 10/18/09 4:20 PM
EBSCOhost http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/de...

Rearrange
Relate
Use

ANALYSIS

Analyse
Breakdown
Categorise
Classify
Deduce
Diagram
Differentiate
Discriminate
Distinguish
Illustrate
Interpret
Key
Outline
Point out
Relate
Role play
Schedule
Reconstruct
Solve
Specify
Speculate
Subdivide

SYTHESIS

Agree
Assemble
Build
Choose
Combine
Compose
Conclude
Create
Criticise
Debate
Decide
Devise
Hypothesise
Modify
Organise
Plan
Predict
Reconstruct
Relate
Reorganise
Revise
Substitute
Translate
Vary

EVALUATION

Appraise
Assess

6 of 9 10/18/09 4:20 PM
EBSCOhost http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/de...

Conclude
Criticise
Decide
Defend
Disagree
Discuss
Dispute
Evaluate
Execute
Infer
Interpret
Imagine
Judge
Justify
Produce
Reason
Solve
Support
Verify

Table 6: Alphabet of products

A Advertisements, agendas, annotated bibliography,
announcements, arguments, articles, associations,
author study, autobiographies

B Bibliography, biographies, board game, book

jackets, book review, brochure

C Captions, cartoons, character sketches, charts,

codes, collage, collection, competition.
Compositions, computations, conference
presentation, conversations, court trials,
critique, cross section, cross word

D Data sheets, debates, definitions,

demonstrations, descriptions, diagrams, diary,
diorama, discussions, display, documentary,
dramatisations, drawings, drill and practice

E Editorials, evaluations, experiments,

explanations

F Filmstrip, film, flow chart

G Game, glossary, graph, guide

H Headlines

I Interview, invitation

J Journal article, journal entry, judgement

K Kit

L Lecture, letters, letter to the editor, list,

log entry

M Machine, map memorandum, menu, mime, minutes,

mobile, model, mural, myth

7 of 9 10/18/09 4:20 PM
EBSCOhost http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/de...

N Newspaper, notice board

O Observation, odes, opinions, outlines, overheads

P Painting, panel, pantomime, paraphrasing,

peer evaluation, peer presentation, peer
teaching, photographs, plans, play writing,
poems, poster, product development, program,
project, puppet, puns, puzzle

Q Questionnaires, questions, quilt, quiz

R Rebus story, recipes, recitations,

recommendation, reports research project, rhymes,
riddle, rules

S Scrap book, sculpture, serial, silk screen,

sketch, skits, slides, slogans. Songs, speech,
story writing, summaries, survey

T Tales, tapes, telegrams, test, testimonials,

time line, tongue twisters, travel log

V Video recording, Venn diagram, vocabulary list

W Weather reports, web, word search, work sheets

Y Year book

Table 7: Sample Product Descriptor

TIMELINE -- Visual

Parts Attributes

Title Prominent, concise, summarises

Line Ruled, may represent topic,

arrowed

Time increments Uniform in size, clearly

visible, equal intervals

Labels Printed legibly, uniform size

represent key events

Illustrations Limited, clear, highlight key

events

Background Non-obtrusive

Credits Discrete, alphabetised, clear

8 of 9 10/18/09 4:20 PM
EBSCOhost http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.csustan.edu:2048/ehost/de...

CHART: Figure 1: Bloom's Cognitive Taxonomy

CHART: Figure 2: Inverted Bloom's Taxonomy

CHART: Figure 3: Grouping Strategies

CHART: Table 2: Details of the four quadrants of the matrix

CHART: Table 3: The complete planning matrix

REFERENCES

Bloom, B.S. (Ed). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives handbook 1: cognitive

domain. New York: Longman, Green & Co.

Maker, C.J. (19982). Curriculum development for the gifted. Rockville, MD: Aspen
Publication.

Samara, J., and Curry, J. (1982). Middle school curriculum institute. Austin, TX: The
Curriculum Project.

Samara, J., Pedraza, C., & Curry, J. (Eds). (1992). Designing effective middle school units.
Glenview, IL: Illinios Association for Gifted Children.

Samara, J., & Curry, J. (Eds). (1990). Writing Units that challenge: A guidebook for an by
educators. Portland, ME; Main Educators of the Gifted and Talented.

~~~~~~~~

By Diana Whitton

Diana Whitton explores some recent revisions of Bloom's Taxonomy, and how they can be
used in designing tasks for gifted students.

Copyright of Primary Educator is the property of Australian Curriculum Studies Association

and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv
without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print,
download, or email articles for individual use.

9 of 9 10/18/09 4:20 PM