Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework for classifying educational learning objectives into different levels of complexity and specificity. It's essentially a hierarchy of thinking skills ranging from basic recall to complex evaluation. Originally developed by Benjamin Bloom in 1956, it was revised in 2001 to reflect modern educational practices.

The original taxonomy consisted of six categories: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The revised taxonomy uses action verbs to describe the cognitive processes involved in learning.

The cognitive domain is the most important domain in Bloom's taxonomy. It focuses on mental skills like remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

• Remembering is the lowest level of the cognitive domain. It involves recalling facts, definitions, or concepts. For example, a student might be asked to define the word "democracy" or to list the three branches of government.

• Understanding is the next level of the cognitive domain. It involves grasping the meaning of information. For example, a student might be asked to explain the water cycle in their own words or to summarize the main points of a reading passage.

• Applying is the third level of the cognitive domain. It involves using knowledge in new situations. For example, a student might be asked to use a formula to solve a real-world problem or to apply a concept to a new situation.

• Analyzing is the fourth level of the cognitive domain. It involves breaking down information into its parts and examining relationships. For example, a student might be asked to compare and contrast two different political systems or to identify the causes of a problem.

• Evaluating is the fifth level of the cognitive domain. It involves making judgments based on criteria. For example, a student might be asked to evaluate the effectiveness of a solution to a problem or to assess the quality of a piece of writing.

• Creating is the highest level of the cognitive domain. It involves generating new ideas or products. For example, a student might be asked to design a new invention to address an environmental challenge or to write a poem about a personal experience.

Bloom's taxonomy is a valuable tool for educators. It can help teachers to create clear and specific learning objectives, to promote the development of higher-order thinking skills, and to design effective teaching and assessment activities.

In this article, we have discussed the original and revised versions of Bloom's taxonomy. We have also explored the six levels of the cognitive domain. Bloom's taxonomy is a complex and nuanced framework, but it is a valuable tool for educators who are committed to helping students learn at the highest levels.

Here are some additional resources you might find helpful:

• Bloom's Taxonomy website

• Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University

• TeachThought