UCD TEACHING AND LEARNING/ RESOURCES

ASSESSMENT

Guide to Taxonomies of Learning

Author: Geraldine ONeill, Feargal Murphy Email: Geraldine.oneill@ucd.ie, feargal.murphy@ucd.ie Date: 20th January 2010

www.ucd.ie/teaching

Introduction Withtheintroductionofmodularisation,UCDhasmovedtoalearningoutcomesbased approachtoensurethatcurriculumdesignevolvesfromamoreteachercentred (content)toamorestudentcentred(learning)focus.Identifyinglearningoutcomes enablesboththeteacherandstudentstoclearlyidentifywhatastudentisexpectedto haveachievedorhavemadeprogresstowardsachievingoncompletionofamodule.This shortguideisdesignedtofacilitatemodulecoordinatorsinwritingappropriatelearning outcomes.IthasbeenespeciallydesignedforuseduringtheCollegeofArtsandCeltic StudiesandtheCollegeofHumanSciencesmoduleenhancementprocess.Itisnot designedtobeprescriptivebutrathermaybeausefulwayofconsideringhowtowrite meaningfuloutcomesforyourmodules. Learningtaxonomiesorclassificationsarecommonlyutilisedasawayofdescribing differentkindsoflearningbehavioursandcharacteristicsthatwewishourstudentsto develop.Theyareoftenusedtoidentifydifferentstagesoflearningdevelopmentandthus provideausefultoolindistinguishingtheappropriatenessofparticularlearning outcomesforparticularmodulelevelswithinourProgrammes.Themostcommonand earliestoftheseisBloomsTaxonomy(1956),adaptedmorerecentlybyAndersonetal (2001). 1.TaxonomyofAndersonetal(2001)andBloom(1956). Thistaxonomyissimilartomanyothersinitshierarchicalnature:simplyputthe categorizationimpliesimplyingthattheearlierlevel,asageneralrule,mustbemastered beforethenextlevel.Theoriginaltaxonomyhasthreeparts(ordomains)andtheseare theCognitive,AffectiveandPsychomotor. TheCognitivedomainhasreceivedmostattentionbothinAnderson/Bloomsandothers taxonomies.TherevisedBloomsCognitivedomainhasahierarchyofcategoriesthat capturetheprocessoflearning,fromsimplyrememberinginformationtocreating somethingnew:RememberUnderstandApplyAnalyzeEvaluateCreate.Totheselevelshas beenaddedaknowledgedimension(factualconceptualproceduralmetacognitive).Table 1belowindicatesthestructureofBloomsrevisedtaxonomyandsomeverbsthatmight beusefulinwritinglearningoutcomesappropriatetoparticularkindsofskillsthatyou wishyourstudentstodemonstrate.Forotherexamplessee: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/coursedev/models/id/taxonomy/#table.

Factual Knowledge Conceptual Knowledge Procedural Knowledge Metacognitive Knowledge

Table1:Andersonsetal(2001)CognitiveRevisedDomain
Remember List Describe Tabulate Appropriate Use Understand Summarize Interpret Predict Execute Apply Classify Experiment Calculate Construct Analyze Order Explain Differentiate Achieve Evaluate Rank Assess Conclude Action Create Combine Plan Compose Actualise

KrathwohlsTaxonomyoftheAffectiveDomainwasdevelopedfromBloomsoriginaland isthebestknownoftheaffectivedomains,itincludesconceptssuchasReceivingideas; Respondingtoideas,phenomena;Valuingideas,materials;Organizationofideas,values; Characterisationbyvalueset(ortoactconsistentlyinaccordancewithvalues internalised).Thelearnermovesfrombeingawareofwhattheyarelearningtoastage ofhavinginternalisedthelearningsothatitplaysaroleinguidingtheiractions.We expectgraduatesofourcollegestodeveloptheabilitytorespondwithahighlydeveloped valuesystemtotheworldaroundthemandinexpressingthiskindofoutcome,wecan useaffectivedomainframework.TheaffectivedomainiscertainlyapplicableinArtsand HumanSciences,asitcapturestheideaofstudentslearningthevalueofwhatisbeing taught.Educatorscanexpectthatstudentslearntovalueandappreciateliterature,music, visualart,cultureetcaspartoftheirlearningaboutthem.Itisnormalforustoexpect studentstocometoappreciatethesignificanceofmanyoftheideasandtopicweare teachingratherthanjustmasteringskills.Theaffectivedomainisoneareawherewecan findthevocabularytohelpexpressthisexpectation.(see http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/Resources2/krathstax.htm)(Seels& Glasgow,1990).

Table2:AffectiveDomain
Characteristic Developingawarenessofideasand phenomena Committingtotheideasetcby respondingtothem Beingwillingtobeseenasvaluing certainideasormaterial Tobegintoharmoniseinternalized values SomeVerbs AskFollowReplyAcceptPrefer AnswerRecitePerformReport SelectFollowExploreDisplay JustifyProposeDebateRelinquish DefendInitiate ArrangeCombineCompare BalanceTheorize DiscriminateQuestionRevise Change

Level Receiving Responding Valuing Organizationand Conceptualisation

Characterisationby Toactconsistentwiththe Value internalisedvalues

AnexampleofausefulPsychomotordomainisDaves(1970)andFerrisandAzizs (2005)adaptationofBloomsoriginalTaxonomy.Thekeycategoriesinthiscompetence capturethedevelopmentinlearningfrominitialexposuretofinal,unconsciousmastery. Whilethetaxonomydealslargelywithmotorareaskillsandthemasteryofthem,itis alsoapplicabletotheCollegesofArtsandCelticStudies,andHumanSciences.Manyofthe skillsandattributesweseektoimparttoourstudentsinvolvejustthiskindof development.Thismaybethemoreobviousonessuchasperformingonamusical instrumentorbeingpartofasuccessfulexcavation,butincludedherearealsosuchthings asthedevelopmentoffluencyinalanguageaswellasthekeytransferableskillsof encodinganddecodinginformationingraphicforms,suchastreediagramsandbar chartsalongwiththeabiloitytoproduceaccuratemaps.Thekeystagesandabrief explanationareshownbelowintableformat.Foranotherviewonthecategorisationand organisationofthepsychomotordomain,youcanvistthewebsite http://www.businessballs.com/bloomstaxonomyoflearningdomains.htm#bloom's%20ta xonomy%20overview. Table3PsychomotorDomain Level Perception/ Observing GuidedResponse /Imitation Mechanism Complex response Adaptation Origination Characteristic Herethestudentissimplyobserving theprocedure Thestudentcanfollowinstructions butneedstobeinstructed Thisisanintermediatestagewhere proficiencyandconfidenceare growing Proficiencyhasgrownand performanceisquickandaccurate withlittleornohesitation Thestudenthassuchabilitythatthey cancombineandintegraterelated aspectsoftheskillwithoutguidance Thestudenthasinternalized automaticmasteryoftheskill SomeVerbs ObserveListenDetect CopyReactFollow Reproduce OrganiseManipulate Theverbsareessentially thesameasMechanism,but modifiedbyaccuratelyor quickly ReorganiseAlterRearrange VaryInternalise ComposeConstructDesign InitiateCreate

2.TheSOLO(StructureofObservedLearningOutcomes)Taxonomy The alternative to Blooms Cognitive Domain that is commonly utilised in Higher EducationistheSOLOTaxonomy.Ithasbeenusedtonotonlyassistinwritinglearning outcomesbuthasalsobeenusedtocategoriseanswersandisoftenusedinassessment criteria.Therearefivehierarchicallevels(Biggs&Collis,18982;Biggs,1992)thatrange from incompetence to expertise (BoultonLewis, 1994). A good representation of the SOLO taxonomy and the different types of relations it deals with can be found at: http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/solo.htm. Table4:SOLOTaxonomy PreStructural Characteristic SomeVerbs Incompetent,nothingknownaboutthe area UniStructural Onerelevantaspectisknown List,NameMemorize Multistructural Severalrelevantindependentaspectsare DescribeClassifyCombine known Relational Aspectsofknowledgeareintegratedinto Analyse,Explain,Integrate astructure Extended Knowledgeisgeneralisedintoanew Predict,Reflect,Theorise Abstract domain 3.FinksTaxonomy. Unliketheprevioustwotaxonomies,Fink(2003)presentsataxonomythatisnot hierarchical.Inadditionitcoversabroadercrosssectionofdomainswiththeexceptionof apsychomotordomain.ItissimilartoAndersonstaxonomy(2001)initsemphasisison metacognition(learningtolearn)andalsoincludesmoreaffectiveaspectssuchasthe humandimensionandcaring:identifying/changingonesfeelings.Table5highlights someappropriateverbslinkedtoparticularlearningbehavioursthatmaybeofusein writingyourlearningoutcomes.

Figure1:FinksTaxonomy(2003)

Foundational Knowledge Application Integration HumanDimensions Caring Learningtolearn Table5:FinksTaxonomy(2003;2009) Description SomeVerbs Understandandremember namelistdescribe Critical,creativeandpractical thinkling;problemsolving Makeconnectionsamongideas, subjects,people Learningaboutandchangingones self;understandingandinteracting withothers Identifying/changingonesfeelings, interests,values. Learninghowtoaskandanswer questions,becomingaselfdirected learner Analyseinterpretapply Describeintegrate Reflectassess Reflectinterpret, Critiqueanalyze

Appendix1:OverviewofdevelopmentofTaxonomiesandtheirdomains

Appendix2: Somecriticalthoughtswhenexploringthetaxonomies. Therehasbeensomecriticismintheliteratureofthepracticeand/orimplications thatalllearningissimplyhierarchicalasitcanimplythatearlyyearsinthe curriculumshouldonlyhavelowercognitivelevellearningoutcomesandexperiences, i.e.factual,descriptiveexperiences. Challengingcriticalandcomplexlearningactivitiescanalsobeappropriateearlyin thecurriculum. Theframeworksareaguidefordevelopingarangeofstudentlearningexperiences andnotaprescription;theyneedtobecontextualisedforthedifferent disciplines/subjectareas. Therehasbeen,overthelast50years,hugepopularityintheuseoftheCognitive

domain,despitetheavailabilityoftheAffectiveandPsychomotordomains.Thesetwo havebecomemorepopularinrecentyears,despitethefactthatallthreehavebeen theresince1956(Bloom) ModulecoordinatorsmayfindthediagramintheSOLOtaxonomyausefulhelpin understandingthisversionofthecognitivedomain(seeBiggs1999barticlein referencesandavailableinUCDsAcademicSearchPremierDatabase). Dontbeputoffbysomeoftheeducationallanguagethatmaynotseemtorelateto yourarea,i.e.caringintheFinksTaxonomy,orPsychomotorinBlooms.Whenyou exploretheseconceptsfurthertheyrelatetomostareas/subjects/disciplinesandcan oftenreflectsomecoresubject/disciplinevaluesnoteasilycoveredwhenonlyusing thecognitivedomain.

References: Atherton,J.S.(2005)LearningandTeaching:SOLOtaxonomy[Online]UK:Available: http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/solo.htmAccessed:17February2009 Biggs,J.(1999a)TeachingforQualityLearningatUniversity:WhattheStudentDoes, Buckingham:TheSocietyforResearchintoHigherEducationandOpenUniversityPress. Biggs,J.(1999b)WhattheStudentDoes:teachingforenhancedlearning.Higher EducationResearch&Development,18(1)5775(availableinUCDthroughAcademic SearchPremierdatabase) Biggs,J.B.andCollis,K.(1982)EvaluatingtheQualityofLearning:theSOLOtaxonomy. NewYork,AcademicPress Bloom,B.(ed.)(1956)TaxonomyofEducationalObjectives,theclassificationof educationalgoalsHandbookI:CognitiveDomainNewYork:McKay Dave,R.H.(1970)"PsychomotorLevels."InDevelopingandWritingBehavioralObjectives, ed.RobertJ.Armstrong.TucsonAZ:EducationalInnovatorsPress. Fink,L.D..(2003)Creatingsignificantlearningexperiences:Anintegratedapproachto designingcollegecourses.SanFrancisco:JosseyBass. Fink,D.L,(2009)Aselfdirectedguidetodesigningcourseforsignificantlearning.Access 21 Feb2009 http://www.ou.edu/pii/significant/selfdirected1.pdf Krathwohl, D.R., Bloom, B.S., and Masia, B.B. (1964) Taxonomy of educational objectives: HandbookII:Affectivedomain.NewYork:DavidMcKayCo. Romiszowski, A (1999) The Development of Physical Skills: Instruction in the Psychomotor Domain, Chapter 19, Instructional Design Theories and Models: A New Paradigm of Instructional Theory, Volume II, C. M. Reigeluth, Mahwah, NJ,; Lawrence ErlbaumAssociates. Seels and Glasgow (1990) Exercises in instructional design. Columbus OH: Merrill PublishingCompany. Simpson, E. (1972) The classification of educational objectives in the psychomotor domain:Thepsychomotordomain.Vol.3.Washington,DC:GryphonHouse.
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Businessballs.com(2009)BloomsTaxonomyLearningDomains http://www.businessballs.com/bloomstaxonomyoflearningdomains.htm Andersonsetal(2001)newcognitivedomain: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/coursedev/models/id/taxonomy/#tableBaseduponR. H.Dave,asreportedinR.J.Armstrongetal.,DevelopingandWritingBehavioural Objectives(Tucson,AZ:EducationalInnovatorsPress,1970)