BBI 3436 Bloom’s Taxonomy

The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited. (Plutarch)

Good critical thinking does not just happen; carefully considered theory lies behind acquisition of these abilities. Benjamin Bloom: developed 6 stage structure of educational objectives and their assorted tasks. Bloom’s Taxonomy identifies six levels within the cognitive domain of learning which can be thought of as an order of thinking skills.

Bloom's Taxonomy At the lowest levels are knowledge and comprehension, moving up to more complex and abstract mental levels of analysis, application, synthesis and evaluation.   For many educators, Bloom's taxonomy serves as the basis for what are now called Higher Order Thinking skills. Generally the concept is that higher order skills are complex combinations of lower skills.

Productive Pedagogies Students are engaged only in lower-order thinking; i.e. they receive, or recite, or participate in routine practice. In no activities during the lesson do students go beyond simple reproduction of knowledge. Higher-order thinking by students involves the transformation of information and ideas. This transformation occurs when students combine facts and ideas and synthesise, generalise, explain, hypothesise or arrive at some conclusion or interpretation.

Productive Pedagogies Manipulating information and ideas through these processes allows students to solve problems, gain understanding and discover new meaning.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives 1950s- developed by Benjamin Bloom Means of expressing qualitatively different kinds of thinking Adapted for classroom use as a planning tool Continues to be one of the most universally applied models Provides a way to organise thinking skills into six levels, from the most basic to the higher order levels of thinking 1990s- Lorin Anderson (former student of Bloom) revisited the taxonomy

New Terms Original Terms Evaluation Creating Synthesis Evaluating Analysis Application Comprehension Knowledge Creating Evaluating Analysing Applying Understanding Remembering Change in Terms The names of six major categories were changed from noun to verb forms. As the taxonomy reflects different forms of thinking and thinking is an active process verbs were more accurate. The subcategories of the six major categories were also replaced by verbs Some subcategories were reorganised. The knowledge category was renamed. Knowledge is a product of thinking and was inappropriate to describe a category of thinking and was replaced with the word remembering instead. Comprehension became understanding and synthesis was renamed creating in order to better reflect the nature of the thinking described by each category.

Bloom's Taxonomy The first, most basic level of thought is called KNOWLEDGE. When you possess knowledge, you possess basic information. You fill your head with facts, figures, names, dates, places, etc.—remembering previously learned material.

Bloom's Taxonomy If you were to consider the topic of mathematics using Bloom’s Taxonomy, you would define KNOWLEDGE as remembering numbers—the ability to count from 1 to 100, but you would not understand how those numbers are useful. Knowledge: arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name, order, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce state.

Remembering The learner is able to recall, restate and remember learned information. Recognising Listing Describing Identifying Retrieving Naming Locating Finding    Can you recall information?  

Remembering List Label Memorise Products include : Recall Quiz Relate Show Locate Distinguish Give example Reproduce Quote Repeat   Label Recall Write Outline Recite Quote Match Underline Sort Products include : Quiz Definition Fact Worksheet Test Label List Workbook Reproduction Vocabulary

Remembering – potential activities Make a story map showing the main events of the story. Make a time line of your typical day. Make a concept map of the topic. Write a list of keywords you know about…. What characters were in the story? Make a chart showing… Make an acrostic poem about… Recite a poem you have learnt.

Bloom's Taxonomy Knowledge is followed by Understanding, the ability to grasp the meaning of material. It goes just beyond the knowledge level. Comprehension is the lowest level of understanding. Comprehension: classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, identify, indicate, locate, recognize, report, restate, review, select, translate,

Understanding The learner grasps the meaning of information by interpreting and translating what has been learned. Interpreting Exemplifying Summarising Inferring Paraphrasing Classifying Comparing Explaining    Can you explain ideas or concepts?

Understanding Restate Identify Discuss Retell Research Annotate Translate Give examples of Paraphrase Reorganise Associate Products include : Recitation Summary Collection Explanation Show and tell Example Quiz List Label Outline

Understanding – potential activities Cut out, or draw pictures to illustrate a particular event in the story. Report to the class… Illustrate what you think the main idea may have been. Make a cartoon strip showing the sequence of events in the story. Write and perform a play based on the story. Write a brief outline to explain this story to someone else Explain why the character solved the problem in this particular way Write a summary report of the event.

Evaluation - Judging the outcome Synthesis - Putting together Analysis - Taking apart Application - Making use of knowledge Comprehension - Confirming or understanding Knowledge - Gathering Information

Bloom's Taxonomy APPLICATION is the next level of the hierarchy and refers to the ability to use learned material in new and concrete ways, such as solving a particular problem. Application requires a higher level of understanding than comprehension. Application: apply, choose, demonstrate, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write.

Using strategies, concepts, principles and theories in new situations Applying The learner makes use of information in a context different from the one in which it was learned. Implementing Carrying out Using Executing    Can you use the information in another familiar situation? Using strategies, concepts, principles and theories in new situations

Applying Products include : Translate Operate Photograph Manipulate Illustration Simulation Sculpture Demonstration Presentation Interview Performance Diary Translate Manipulate Exhibit Illustrate Calculate Interpret Make Practice Apply Operate Paint Change Compute Sequence Solve Demonstrate Construct Adapt

Understanding – potential activities Construct a model to demonstrate how it looks or works Practise a play and perform it for the class Write a diary entry Make a scrapbook about the area of study. Prepare invitations for a character’s birthday party Take and display a collection of photographs on a particular topic. Make up a puzzle or a game about the topic. Make a clay model Continue the story…

Bloom's Taxonomy In ANALYSIS, the 4th level of the taxonomy, the learning outcomes requires the ability to break the information into separate parts in order to gain a greater understanding of the whole. Analysis: analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test.

Breaking information down into its component elements Analysing The learner breaks learned information into its parts to best understand that information. Comparing Organising Deconstructing Attributing Outlining Finding Structuring Integrating    Breaking information down into its component elements Can you break information into parts to explore understandings and relationships?

Analysing Distinguish Question Appraise Experiment Inspect Examine Probe Separate Inquire Arrange Investigate Sift Research Criticize Compare Contrast Products include : Graph Spreadsheet Checklist Chart Outline Survey Database Abstract Report

Understanding – potential activities Design a questionnaire to gather information. Survey classmates to find out what they think about a particular topic. Analyse the results. Make a flow chart to show the critical stages. Classify the actions of the characters in the book Make a family tree showing relationships. Write a biography of a person studied. Review a work of art in terms of form, colour and texture. Draw a graph

Bloom's Taxonomy SYNTHESIS, the 5th level of Bloom, refers to the ability to put parts together to form a new whole. and, finally, formulate new ideas from the patterns of information SYNTHESIS allows you to take the information you have collected through the analysis process and to pull in other information in order to formulate new ideas Synthesis: arrange, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, manage, organize, plan, prepare, propose, set up, write.

Creating The learner creates new ideas and information using what has been previously learned. Designing Constructing Planning Producing Inventing Devising Making   Can you generate new products, ideas, or ways of viewing things? Putting together ideas or elements to develop a original idea or engage in creative thinking.

Creating Compose Assemble Organise Invent Compile Forecast Devise Products include : Propose Construct Plan Develop Generate Formulate Products include : Film Story Project Plan New game Song Newspaper Advertisement Painting

Understanding – potential activities Invent a machine to do a specific task. Design a robot to do your homework. Create a new product. Give it a name and plan a marketing campaign. Write about your feelings in relation to... Write a TV show play, puppet show, role play, song or pantomime about.. Develop a menu for a new restaurant using a variety of healthy foods Write a jingle to advertise a new product.

Bloom's Taxonomy The last level of the taxonomy is EVALUATION. Evaluation is concerned with the ability to judge the value of material for a given purpose. The thought process in this area is the highest in the cognitive hierarchy because it incorporates or contains elements of the previous levels: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, and synthesis. In addition, this level contain conscious value judgments and arguments based on clearly defined criteria.

Bloom's Taxonomy This last level of the taxonomy, EVALUATION, empowers you to judge the value “Which is the best choice? What would be best for me, for others, or for my family?” Evaluation: appraise, assess, choose compare, defend estimate, judge, predict, rate, select, support, value, evaluate.

Evaluating The learner makes decisions based on in-depth reflection, criticism and assessment. Checking Hypothesising Critiquing Experimenting Judging Testing Detecting Monitoring   Can you justify a decision or course of action? Judging the value of ideas, materials and methods by developing and applying standards and criteria.

Evaluating Judge Rate Validate Predict Assess Score Revise Determine Prioritise Compare Evaluate Conclude Deduce Justify Criticise Reject Products include : Debate Report Evaluation Investigation Verdict Conclusion

Understanding – potential activities Write a letter to the editor Prepare and conduct a debate Prepare a list of criteria to judge… Write a persuasive speech arguing for/against… Make a booklet about five rules you see as important. Convince others. Form a panel to discuss viewpoints on…. Write a half-yearly report. Evaluate the character’s actions in the story

Sample: Travel Remembering How many ways can you travel from one place to another? List and draw all the ways you know. Describe one of the vehicles from your list, draw a diagram and label the parts. Understanding How do you get from school to home? Explain the method of travel and draw a map. Write a play about a form of modern transport. Explain how you felt the first time you rode a bicycle. Applying Explain why some vehicles are large and others small. Write a story about the uses of both. Survey 10 other children to see what bikes they ride. Display on a chart or graph.

Sample: Travel Analysing Make a jigsaw puzzle of children using bikes safely. What problems are there with modern forms of transport and their uses- write a report. Use a Venn Diagram to compare boats to planes, or helicopters to bicycles. Evaluating What changes would you recommend to road rules to prevent traffic accidents? Debate whether we should be able to buy fuel at a cheaper rate. Rate transport from slow to fast etc.. Creating Invent a vehicle. Draw or construct it after careful planning. What sort of transport will there be in twenty years time? Discuss, write about it and report to the class. Write a song about traveling in different forms of transport.

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