Classification of Instructional Objectives

In education, the concept “Domains of Learning” refers to a large group of learning

opportunities that are planned to achieve a single set of closely related educational goals. These domains
are useful categories of major goals and related learning objectives. They embody those aspects of
human development for which universal goals, and eventually objectives, can be formulated. They are not
objective statements per se but can they can become the basis for formulating these statements. They
are useful as a classification or taxonomic system that can be utilized for curriculum planning.
The most notable of these domain classifications or taxonomies are those developed by
Benjamin Bloom and associates. Bloom et al. arbitrarily identified three of such domains – the cognitive,
the affective, the psychomotor. The section below briefly describes these domains and the levels for each
domain.

The Cognitive Domain

The cognitive domain encompasses objectives that deal with recall or recognition of knowledge
and the development of intellectual abilities and skills. The domain starts with acquiring simple knowledge
and proceeds through increasingly more difficult levels: comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis,
and evaluation. The categories are inclusive in that higher levels results incorporate the lower levels.
Understanding the hierarchical nature of this and other domains will increase your awareness of higher
levels of objectives and, consequently, higher levels of student achievement.
In writing cognitive objectives, it is not necessary to spell out in detail every cognitive objective that
may seem necessary to learn about the topic. Instead, use Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives
as a guide and prepare one objective for each level. For example, in a science lesson about severe
storms, you might have “Student should be able to describe several differences between typhoons and
cyclones” in the knowledge level. In the evaluation level, you might have “Students should be able to
assess the probable damage to beachside residences as a result of a close passage of a moderate storm
on the on the Eastern coast of Luzon”.
The following section tabulates the levels under the cognitive domain.

DOMAIN: COGNITIVE (intellection and thought processes)

LEVEL DESCRIPTION TYPES OF OUTCOMES BEHAVIOR STEMS
Knowledge The lowest level of the Knows and recalls facts, define, tell, name,
(Rememberi cognitive domain. Simple terms, and other symbols, label, recite, match
ng) recalling of facts and classifications, events,
information trends, principles, ways of
working and theories.
Comprehen Going beyond mere recall Interprets charts and Restate/rewrite, give
sion and they show that they graphs, estimates future an example of,
(Understand understand. consequences implied in recognize examples,
ing) data, understands facts and summarize, describe,
principles paraphrase, conclude
Application Using in new situations that Constructs charts and Construct,
(Applying) which one has already graphs, applies concepts demonstrate, illustrate,
learned previously. and principles in new operate, predict, solve
situations, demonstrates
correct usage of a method
or procedure
Analysis Breaking up wholes into Analyzes the organizational Categorize, compare,
(Analyzing) their component parts, structure of a work, contrast, diagram,
noting the nature of the distinguishes between facts distinguish, outline,
parts and their relationship and inferences, evaluates subdivide
to one another. the relevance of data.
Synthesis Putting discrete or isolated Creates a plan for an Combine, compose,
(Creating) elements together and experiment, designs a new design, develop,
creating something new by system for organizing devise, produce,
 combining these elements. information, writes a clearly reorganize
organized research paper.
Evaluation Judging the worth of Selects the most Explain, interpret,
(Evaluating) something, or somebody appropriate example, rates justify, predict, rate,
based on certain criteria. how well a written product select, support.
meets established criteria,
judges the adequacy of a
rationale.

SAQ3.7. The alternative levels (in parenthesis) are revisions made by Lorin Anderson et al. As you can
see, the taxonomies used are similar except that the gerund forms are used. Explain the usefulness of
such revision.
SAQ 3.8. Another revision in Anderson’s model is that evaluating comes before creating, making creating
the highest level of the cognitive domain. Do you agree with such arrangement? Explain.

Revised Edition of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives for the Cognitive Domain

A revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives by Anderson and Krathwohl (2001)

provides a framework for identifying and preparing instructional objectives, instructional activities, and
assessment methods. The revised taxonomy is two- dimensional. One dimension includes six cognitive
process categories and four knowledge categories. The cognitive process categories are arranged in
increasing complexities while the knowledge categories move from concrete to abstract. He taxonomy
framework can thus be placed in a two-fold table, as shown in the table below.

Two-Dimensional Table Representing the Revised Edition of Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy of Educational
Objectives
The Knowledge The Cognitive Process Dimension
Dimension
1 2 3 4 5 6
Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create
A. Factual
Knowledge
B. Conceptual
knowledge
C. Procedural
knowledge
D. Metaphysical
knowledge
Adopted from Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001, modified from Gronlund and Waugh, 2009

The cells where the two dimensions intersect classify the category of learning involved. Cell 3B for
example involves applying conceptual knowledge, and cell 2D refers t understanding metaphysical
knowledge. Although in our examples we saw that cognitive process is more closely related to a particular
type of knowledge, the use of all cells for each cognitive process must be considered. To illustrate, we
know that remembering concepts and procedures is as important an objective as understanding facts and
principles. The two dimensions (cognitive process and knowledge) are defined and illustrated, with sub
categories and examples in the sections below. Your understanding and mastery of the subcategories
and examples will hopefully aid you in preparing not only for objectives, but also for instructional activities
and assessments.

The Knowledge Dimension of the Two-Dimensional Table

Major Types and Subtypes Examples
A. Factual Knowledge – The basic elements students must know to be acquainted with a
discipline or solve problem in it.
A1. Knowledge of terminology Technical vocabulary, musical symbols
A2. Knowledge of specific detail and Major natural resources, reliable sources of
elements information
B. Conceptual Knowledge – The interrelationships among the basic elements within a larger
structure that enable them to function together.
B1. Knowledge of classifications and Periods of geological time, forms of business
categories ownership
B2. Knowledge of principles and Phytagorean theorem, law of supply and demand
generalizations
B3. Knowledge of theories, models, and Theory of evolution, structure of Congress
structures
C. Procedural Knowledge – How to do something, methods of inquiry, and criteria for using
skills, algorithms, techniques, and methods
C1. Knowledge of subject - specific skills Skills used in painting with watercolors, whole-
and algorithms number division algorithm
C2. Knowledge of subject-specific Interviewing techniques, scientific method
techniques and methods
C3. Knowledge of criteria for determining Criteria used to determine when to apply a
when to use appropriate procedures procedure involving Newton’s second law, criteria
used to judge the feasibility of using a particular
method to estimate business costs
D. Metacognitive Knowledge – Knowledge of cognition in general as well as awareness and
knowledge of one’s own cognition.
D1. Strategic Knowledge Knowledge of outlining as a means of capturing the
structure of a unit of subject matter in a textbook,
knowledge of the use of heuristics
D2. Knowledge about cognitive tasks, Knowledge of the type of tests particular teachers
including appropriate contextual and administer, knowledge of the cognitive demands of
conditional knowledge different tasks.
D3. Self-knowledge Knowledge that critiquing essays is a personal
strength, whereas writing essays is a personal
weakness; awareness of one’s own knowledge
level.

The knowledge dimensions will help you complete your objectives. By including the more complex
learning outcomes in your lists of objectives, you are not contributing to the transfer of learning but you are
also reinforcing the remembering of facts, concepts, procedures, and strategies.
The metacognitive knowledge category may not be as easily related to a specific cognitive
process, but it is an important dimension of knowledge that is frequently overlooked. Having students
reflect on what they are learning and what strategies work best for them provides an important area of
intended learning outcomes.
The cognitive process dimension of the revised taxonomy is presented next.

The Cognitive Process Dimension of the Two-Dimensional Table

Categories and Alternative Names Definitions and Examples
Cognitive
Processes
1. Remember – Retrieve relevant knowledge from long-term memory
1.1. Recognizing Identifying Locating knowledge in long-term memory that is consistent with
presented material. (e.g. Identify the dates of important events
in Philippine history.)
1.2. Recalling Retrieving Retrieving relevant knowledge form long-term memory.
(e.g. Recall the dates of important events in Philippine history.)
2. Understand – Construct meaning from instructional messages, including oral, written and graphic
communication.
2.1. Interpreting Clarifying Changing from one form of representation (e.g., numerical) to
 Paraphrasing another (e.g., verbal)
Representing (e.g. Paraphrase important speeches and documents.)
Translating
2.2. Exemplifying Illustrating Finding a specific example or illustration of a concept or
Instantiating principle (e.g., Give examples of artistic painting styles.)
2.3. Classifying Categorizing Determining that something belongs to a category (e.g.,
Subsuming concept or principle)
(e.g., Classify observed or described cases of mental
disorders.)
2.4. Summarizing Abstracting Abstracting a general theme or major point(s). (e.g., Write a
Generalizing short summary of the events portrayed on a videotape.)
2.5. Inferring Concluding Drawing a conclusion from presented information (e.g., In
Extrapolating learning a foreign language, infer grammatical principles from
Interpolating examples.)
Predicting
2.6. Comparing Contrasting Detecting correspondences between two objects, ideas, and
Mapping the like. (Compare historical events to contemporary
Matching situations.)
2.7. Explaining Constructing Constructing a cause-and-effect model of a system. (e.g.,
models Explain the causes of important 18th century events in France.)
3. Apply – Carry out or use procedure in a given situation.
3.1 Executing Carrying out Apply a procedure to a familiar task. (e.g., Divide a whole
number with another whole number, both with multiple digits.)
3.2.Implementing Using Applying the procedure to an unfamiliar task (e.g., Newton’s law
in situations in which it is unfamiliar.)
4. Analyze – Break material into its constituent parts and determine how the parts relate to one another
and overall structure or purpose
4.1. Differentiating Discriminating Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant parts or important from
Distinguishing unimportant parts of presented material. (e.g., Distinguish
Focusing between relevant and irrelevant numbers in a mathematical
Selecting word problem.)
4.2. Organizing Finding Determining how elements fir or function within a structure
Coherence (e.g., Structure evidence in a historical description into
Integrating evidence in a historical description into evidence for and
Outlining against a particular historical explanation.)
Parsing
Structuring
4.3. Attributing Deconstructing Determine a point of view, bias, values, or internal underlying
presented material (e.g., Determine the point of view of the
author of an essay in terms of his or her political perspective
5. Evaluate – make judgments based on criteria and standards
5.1. Checking Coordinating Detecting consistencies or fallacies within a process or product;
Detecting determining whether a process or product has internal
Monitoring consistency; detecting the effectiveness of a procedure as it is
Testing being implemented. (e.g., Determine if a scientist’s conclusions
follow from observed data.)
5.2. Critiquing Judging Detecting inconsistencies between a product and external
criteria, determining whether a product has external
consistency; detecting the appropriateness of a procedure for a
given problem (e.g., Judge which of the two methods is the best
way to solve a given problem.)
6. Create – Put elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganize elements into a
new pattern or structure.
6.1. Generating Hypothesizing Coming up with alternative hypotheses based on criteria (e.g.,
Generate hypotheses to account for an observed
phenomenon.)
6.2. Planning Designing Devising a procedure for accomplishing some task (e.g., Plan a
research paper on a given historical topic.)
6.3. Producing Constructing Inventing a product (e.g., Build habitats for a specific purpose.)
 The above revised taxonomy table can help broaden your lists of objectives for a unit or course of
instruction. The table will help you move from the lowest cognitive process to the more meaningful
learning covered by the higher cognitive processes. The taxonomy can also help you select instructional
activities that can best achieve your objectives. It helps you shift from your focus from the activities to the
intended learning outcomes of the activities. Finally, the taxonomy is also useful in the preparation of
assessment procedures and instruments that are in alignment with your objectives and instructional
activities.

DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY: Traditional versus Modern Way of Depicting the Levels of Cognitive Domain

1. How do textbooks depict the relationship of the six levels under the cognitive domain of objective –
taxonomy as a triangle, as a ladder, or as a staircase?
2. What do these models imply?
3. How do you see these models? Do they show the actual relationships among the levels?
4. Can you come up with your own model to improve these traditional views? Diagram your model.

The Affective Domain

The affective domain is the area that concerns attitudes, beliefs, and the entire spectrum of values
and value systems. Teachers and curriculum planners are becoming increasingly concerned with this
area in our schools today. Neglect

Writing Affective Objectives

In writing objectives in the affective domain, we should use of action verbs that describe
behavioral changes in such things as interest development, changes in attitude, appreciations, and
development of values. These objectives are legitimate and important in understanding the essence of
the lesson to the society.
Compared to objectives in the cognitive and psychomotor domains, it is more difficult to construct
objectives in the affective domain. It is therefore important to design affective objectives that are carefully
though of and stated with precision. In the course of instruction, a teacher can observe many affective
changes in behavior. These are called overt behaviors. Other behaviors may be more subtle and less
observable. These behaviors can be called covert.
The affective objectives below differentiate overt and covert behaviors:

Overt: “Students should be able to give evidence of behavioral change in the development of interest in
the study of African literature by voluntarily selecting three or more books from the library and reading
them for their own understanding of the topic”.

What word in the above objective indicates that such is in the affective domain? If the behavioral
change is in response to a teacher assignment, extra credit, or some other structured request, will the
objective truly represents a behavioral change?
The word voluntary is included in the above objective. This is important because evidence of
behavioral change in interest development can only be credible if the student shows a voluntary response.

Covert: “Students will give evidence of behavioral change in development of a set of values in classroom
demeanor by voluntarily self-reporting that they plan to assist other students to improve their sharing
skills.”

In a covert objective there can be no outward sign of the behavioral change, although such change
may have taken place in the student. The teacher must therefore rely on the student’s own statement of
intent. In our covert objective example, the word self-reporting is included as a statement of intent. While
this may not ensure complete validity, it is an improvement over complete lack of observable evidence.

DOMAIN: Affective (Sensing, feeling, and believing, interest development, changes in

attitudes, appreciations, development of values) Classification by Krathwol, Bloom, &
Masia, (1964)
LEVELS TYPES OF OUTCOMES BEHAVIOR EXAMPLE
STEMS
Receiving Being aware of certain stimuli Ask, attend, To ask questions
(Awareness of topics and choose, follow, about impulse and
issues, willingness to receive identify, listen, momentum.
information, selective attention locate, look, select,
to topics. tell
Responding Reacting to stimuli when asked Answers, assists, To complete a report
(Learners do what is assigned complete, discuss, about juvenile
or asked, willingness to do do help, perform, delinquency.
beyond the required, practice, read,
satisfaction) recite, report,
select, tell, watch,
write
Valuing Acting on belief when not asked Accept, argue, To accept leadership
to do so. (Acceptance of, commit, do, in the Young Modern
preference for, and explain, follow, Farmer’s Club
commitment to values) initiate, invite, join,
prefer, propose,
read, report, study,
work
Organizing Committing to a set of values Adhere, alter, To defend the right of
Values (Learner builds a consistent argue, combine, business
value system) The learner: defend, explain, establishments to
 Conceptualizes values integrate, modify, check on bags.
 Organizes a personal organize,
value system synthesize
 Organizes a philosophy
of life
Characterizing Displaying behaviors that are Act, confirm, To verify information
values all consistent with one’s set of display, influence, before believing in
beliefs. Individual has perform, practice, them.
developed a lifestyle based on propose, question,
the preferred value system. refute, serve, solve,
use, verify

The Psychomotor Domain

The psychomotor domain involves aspects of physical movement and coordination. It also involves
physical manipulation of apparatuses, skill development, and proficiency in using tools. It integrates
cognitive and affective events with bodily actions, although many of the desired behaviors in psychomotor
objectives are means for cognitive and affective learning. One of the goals of education is to produce fully
competent and self-reliant individuals. It is therefore necessary that psychomotor objectives should be
considered in instructional planning.
The table below summarizes the levels under the psychomotor domain.

Summary of Psychomotor objectives

Domain: PsychoMotor (Doing, acting) Classification by Anita Harrow (1969)
LEVELS DESCRIPTIONS EXAMPLES
Fundamental Movements Include physical motions such as Jog in place for two minutes.
walking, jumping, running, pulling,
pushing, and manipulating.
Perceptual Abilities Include visual, auditory, tactile, Write correctly all the letters of
kinesthetic, and coordinated the English alphabet.
activities.
Physical abilities Include showing physical prowess,
strength, endurance, agility,
dexterity, and time required to
react or respond to stimuli.
Skilled movements Include well-coordinated
movements in games, sports, and
the arts.
Nondiscursive Includes nonverbal
communication: communications through facial
expressions, gestures, postures,
and creative body movements.
Do thirty pushups in one
minute.
Play a full quarter in a
basketball game.
Create a rhythmic movement
sequence and execute it to a
musical accompaniment.

The psychomotor domain of objectives can be condensed into three levels. These levels are
described as follows:
1. Movement. This level involves gross motor coordination – carrying, grasping, jumping, walking,
and so on.
2. Manipulating. This level involves fine motor coordination – building, connecting, calibrating,
threading, and so on.
3. Communicating. This level involves the communication of ideas and feelings – describing,
drawing, listening, analyzing, and so on.

Other classification of the Psychomotor Domain (Dave, 1975)

Imitation: Repeat an action after observing a model.
Manipulation: Perform an action without a model.
Precision: Perform a refined action without a model or directions.
Articulation: Sequence and perform a series of acts with control, timing, and speed.
Naturalization: Perform actions that are now routine and spontaneous.