Understanding Levels of Thinking using: SOLO TAXONOMY (after Biggs and Collis 1982) Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ AD ASTRA – aiming high! Think critically and creatively Be prepared to take risks Reflect on learning Seek and use feedback Look for connections Communicate with each other Learn in a variety of ways – Emotion, language, perception, reason Don’t settle for the minimum Solo taxonomy... Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ SOLO TAXONOMY (after Biggs and Collis 1982) WHICH ARE YOU? Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ Compare/contrast Explain causes Sequence Classify Analyse Part/whole Relate Analogy Apply Formulate questions Evaluate Theorise Generalise Predict Create Imagine Hypothesise Reflect SOLO TAXONOMY (after Biggs and Collis 1982) Define Describe List Do algorithm Combine Define Identify Do simple procedure Prestructural Unistructural Multistructural Relational Extended abstract Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

Describing words for each type of Thinking Compare/contrast Explain causes Sequence Classify Analyse Part/whole Relate Analogy Apply Formulate questions Evaluate Theorise Generalise Predict Create Imagine Hypothesise Reflect SOLO TAXONOMY (after Biggs and Collis 1982) Define Describe List Do algorithm Combine Define Identify Do simple procedure Visual image of the type of Thinking Type of Thinking Prestructural Unistructural Multistructural Relational Extended abstract Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

What does it mean? Really there’s not much there. For example: What do you know about Hardy? Err….. What?? Prestructural Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

What does it mean? There’s one idea there. For example: Define Identify Do simple procedure What do you know about Hardy Err….. He’s an author? Unistructural Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

What does it mean? There are a number of ideas. For example: He wrote books.. And poems.. He wrote Tess of the D’Urbervilles.. He’s dead? Define Describe List Do algorithm Combine There are a number of ideas. For example: What do you know about Hardy? Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ Multistructural

What does it mean? Compare/contrast Explain causes Sequence Classify Analyse Part/whole Relate Analogy Apply Formulate questions What does it mean? There are a number of ideas and links are be made between these ideas For example: He wrote the Emma poems after the death of his wife, although they had not had a happy marriage. She had opposed his later novels which caused him to write more poetry in which he explores love and missed opportunities. What do you know about Hardy? Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ Relational

What does it mean? Evaluate Theorise Generalise Predict Create Imagine Extended abstract Evaluate Theorise Generalise Predict Create Imagine Hypothesise Reflect What does it mean? There is a range of ideas which are linked together plus some knew or extended thinking is added. For example: The Emma poems could be said to follow the psychology of grief, suggesting the Hardy really did love Emma. Certainly, his inability to name her in the poems and his reliance on euphemisms for death suggest that he struggled... What do you know about Hardy? ...to come to terms with her death. It is not unusual for artists to respond to grief or struggle with some of their strongest work. An example form a different field is Shostakovich... Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

Why is Mr Peel Telling me this? (Two Reasons) It’s incredibly interesting It parallels most exam marking perfectly and thus, thinking about levels of thinking (metacognition) puts us in a more likely position to achieve at higher levels- though my Shostakovich digression may not be strictly relevant to the average A level essay.. Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

So How do they match up? Multistructural SOLO TAXONOMY Unistructural Multistructural Relational Extended abstract Define Identify Do simple procedure Describe List Do algorithm Combine Compare/contrast Explain causes Sequence Classify Analyse Part/whole Relate Analogy Apply Formulate questions Evaluate Theorise Generalise Predict Create Imagine Hypothesise Reflect SOLO TAXONOMY (after Biggs and Collis 1982) Prestructural Achieved with Merit Achieved with Excellence Not Achieved Achieved Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ

What can I (that’s you) do? Be aware of the links between high grades and an ability to link and to engage with debate in your responses Consciously seek to produce the extended abstract in your responses. Always seek to hit the relational level in formal writing in all subjects. Jonathan Peel SGS 2012: after Lincoln College, NZ