BloomsTaxonomy

In1956,BenjaminBloomheadedagroupofeducational
psychologistswhodevelopedaclassificationoflevelsof
intellectualbehaviorimportantinlearning.Bloomfoundthatover
95%ofthetestquestionsstudentsencounterrequirethemto
thinkonlyatthelowestpossiblelevel...therecallofinformation.
Bloomidentifiedsixlevelswithinthecognitivedomain,fromthe
simplerecallorrecognitionoffacts,asthelowestlevel,throughincreasinglymorecomplexandabstract
mentallevels,tothehighestorderwhichisclassifiedasevaluation.
Knowledge.
Knowledgeisdefinedastherememberingofpreviouslylearnedmaterial.Thismayinvolvetherecallofa
widerangeofmaterial,fromspecificfactstocompletetheories,butallthatisrequiredisthebringingto
mindoftheappropriateinformation.Knowledgerepresentsthelowestleveloflearningoutcomesinthe
cognitivedomain.
Comprehension.
Comprehensionisdefinedastheabilitytograspthemeaningofmaterial.Thismaybeshownby
translatingmaterialfromoneformtoanother(wordstonumbers),byinterpretingmaterial(explainingor
summarizing),andbyestimatingfuturetrends(predictingconsequencesoreffects).Theselearning
outcomesgoonestepbeyondthesimplerememberingofmaterial,andrepresentthelowestlevelof
understanding.
Application.
Applicationreferstotheabilitytouselearnedmaterialinnewandconcretesituations.Thismayinclude
theapplicationofsuchthingsasrules,methods,concepts,principles,laws,andtheories.Learning
outcomesinthisarearequireahigherlevelofunderstandingthanthoseundercomprehension.
Analysis.
Analysisreferstotheabilitytobreakdownmaterialintoitscomponentpartssothatitsorganizational
structuremaybeunderstood.Thismayincludetheidentificationofparts,analysisoftherelationship
betweenparts,andrecognitionoftheorganizationalprinciplesinvolved.Learningoutcomeshere
representahigherintellectuallevelthancomprehensionandapplicationbecausetheyrequirean
understandingofboththecontentandthestructuralformofthematerial.
Synthesis.
Synthesisreferstotheabilitytoputpartstogethertoformanewwhole.Thismayinvolvetheproduction
ofauniquecommunication(themeorspeech),aplanofoperations(researchproposal),orasetof
abstractrelations(schemeforclassifyinginformation).Learningoutcomesinthisareastresscreative
behaviors,withmajoremphasisontheformulationofnewpatternsorstructure.

Evaluation.
Evaluationisconcernedwiththeabilitytojudgethevalueofmaterial(statement,novel,poem,research
report)foragivenpurpose.Thejudgmentsaretobebasedondefinitecriteria.Thesemaybeinternal
criteria(organization)orexternalcriteria(relevancetothepurpose)andthestudentmaydeterminethe
criteriaorbegiventhem.Learningoutcomesinthisareaarehighestinthecognitivehierarchybecause
theycontainelementsofalltheothercategories,plusconsciousvaluejudgmentsbasedonclearlydefined
criteria.

RigorandRelevanceFramework
In2005,WillardR.Daggett,Ed.D.oftheInternationalCenterforLeadershipinEducationextended
BloomsTaxonomytoaddseconddimensionrelatedtotherelevanceofthematerial.Studieshave
shownthatstudentsunderstandandretainknowledgebestwhentheyhaveapplieditinapractical,
relevantsetting.Ateacherwhoreliesonlecturingdoesnotprovidestudentswithoptimallearning
opportunities.Instead,studentsgotoschooltowatchtheteacherwork.

QuadrantAAcquisition
Studentsgatherandstorebitsofknowledgeandinformation.Studentsareprimarilyexpectedto
rememberorunderstandthisknowledge.
QuadrantBApplication
Studentsuseacquiredknowledgetosolveproblems,designsolutions,andcompletework.The
highestlevelofapplicationistoapplyknowledgetonewandunpredictablesituations.
QuadrantCAssimilation
Studentsextendandrefinetheiracquiredknowledgetobeabletousethatknowledge
automaticallyandroutinelytoanalyzeandsolveproblemsandcreatesolutions.
QuadrantDAdaptation

Studentshavethecompetencetothinkincomplexwaysandtoapplytheirknowledgeandskills.
Evenwhenconfrontedwithperplexingunknowns,studentsareabletouseextensiveknowledge
andskilltocreatesolutionsandtakeactionthatfurtherdevelopstheirskillsandknowledge.

Levelof
Intellectual
Behavior

Knowledge

Comprehensio
n

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Skills

Verbs

ExampleQuestions

remembering;
memorizing;
recognizing;
recallingidentificationand
recallofinformation
interpreting;
translatingfromonemedium
toanother;
describinginone'sown
words;
organizationandselectionof
factsandideas
problemsolving;
applyinginformationto
producesomeresult;
useoffacts,rules,principles

arrange,define,duplicate,
label,list,memorize,name,
order,recognize,relate,
recall,repeat,reproducestate

apply,choose,demonstrate,
employ,illustrate,interpret,
operate,practice,schedule,
sketch,solve,use,write

Howis...anexampleof...?
Howis...relatedto...?
Whyis...significant?

subdividingsomethingto
showhowitisputtogether;
findingtheunderlying;
identifyingmotives;
separationofawholeinto
componentparts
creatingaunique,original
productthatmaybein
verbalformormaybea
physicalobject;
combinationofideastoform
anewwhole

analyze,appraise,calculate,
categorize,compare,
contrast,criticize,
differentiate,discriminate,
distinguish,examine,
experiment,question,test
arrange,assemble,collect,
compose,construct,create,
design,develop,formulate,
manage,organize,plan,
prepare,propose,setup,
write

Whatarethepartsor
featuresof...?
Classify...accordingto...
Outline/diagram...
Howdoes...comparewith...?
Whatistheevidencefor...?
Whatwouldyoupredict/
inferfrom...?
Whatideascanyouadd...?
Howwouldyoucreate/
designanew...?
Whatmighthappenif..?
Suggestasolutionfor...?

Who,what,when,where,
how...?
Describe

classify,describe,discuss,
Retell...
explain,express,identify,
indicate,locate,recognize,
report,restate,review,select,
translate

Exampleobjectivestatements
knowcommonterms,
knowspecificfacts,
knowmethodsandprocedures,
knowbasicconcepts,
knowprinciples
understandfactsandprinciples,
interpretverbalmaterial,
interpretchartsandgraphs,
translateverbalmaterialtomathematicaleqn.,
estimatethefutureconsequencesimpliedin
data,
justifymethodsandprocedures
applyconcepts/principlestonewsituations,
applylawsandtheoriestopracticalsituations,
solvemathematicalproblems,
constructgraphsandcharts,
demonstrateamethodorprocedure
recognizeunstatedassumptions,
recognizelogicalfallaciesinreasoning,
distinguishbetweenfactsandinferences,
evaluatetherelevancyofdata,
analyzetheorganizationalstructureofa
writeawellorganizedtheme,
giveawellorganizedspeech
proposeaplanforanexperiment,
integratelearningfromdifferentareasintoa
planforsolvingaproblem,
formulatesanewschemeforclassifying
objects(orideas).

Evaluation

makingvaluedecisionsabout
issues;
resolvingcontroversiesor
differencesofopinion;
developmentofopinions,
judgmentsordecisions

appraise,argue,assess,
attach,choosecompare,
defendestimate,judge,
predict,rate,core,select,
support,value,evaluate

http://gauss.ececs.uc.edu/Courses/C228/Extra/Blooms.pdf
December 21, 2013; at 17: 23p.m.

Doyouagree...?
Whatismostimportant...?
Placethefollowinginorder
ofpriority...
Howwouldyoudecide...?
Whatcriteriawouldyouuse
toassess...?

judgethe
logicalconsistencyofwrittenmaterial,
adequacywithwhichconclusionsare
supportedbydata,
valueofabytheuseofinternalcriteria,
valueofaworkbyuseofexternalstandards
ofexcellence.