The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT): Improving Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in an Accountability-Driven, Standards-Based World Developed and Presented by Dr. Lorin Anderson Edited 2008 by Bill Ellis

A FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH We don’t see the world as it is; we see the world through the lens through which we look at it.

Unfortunately, many educators appear to suffer from myopia. They see the trees but not the forest. Furthermore, they believe that others see the world they way they do. To reinforce this belief they form “tribes” that include those who see things the way they do and exclude others. The proliferation of tribes has led to a serious problem in education. In Ben Bloom’s words, we have chaos.

Taxonomies provide us with common lenses so we are able to see the world similarly and use common language to share our understanding of the world as we see it. Taxonomies are intended to break down the artificial barriers that exist between and among tribes. The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook 1, The Cognitive Domain, written in the early 1950s and published in 1956, was an initial attempt to produce a common framework in education.

The Common Format of Objectives Subject Verb Object S V O

Verb = Create (a product based on) Subject = The student (will be able to) Object = The principles & elements of design The student will be able to create a product based on the principles and elements of design

The SUBJECT is the Learner or the Student. The student (will) The student (should) The student (might) Quite often, the subject is implicit or understood.

The verbs provide clues as to the cognitive process category intended by the person or persons writing the standard. Adopted from the original Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, there are six cognitive process categories.

Bloom Revised Bloom Remember Apply Understand Analyze Evaluate Create Evaluation Analysis Synthesis Application Comprehension Knowledge

Remember Retrieve relevant knowledge from long term memory – Recognizing – Recalling

Understand Construct meaning from instructional messages, including oral, written and graphic communication. –Interpreting –Exemplifying –Classifying –Summarizing –Inferring –Comparing –Explaining

Apply Carry out or use a procedure in a given situation. – Executing – Implementing

Analyze Break material into its constituent parts and determine how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose. – Differentiating – Organizing – Attributing

Evaluate M ake judgments based on criteria and standards –Checking –Critiquing

Create Put elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganize elements into a new pattern or structure –Generating –Planning –Producing

Each of the six cognitive process categories was divided into specific cognitive processes. Nineteen (19) specific cognitive processes were identified.

THE TAXONOMY TABLE COGNITIVE PROCESS DIMENSION 1. REMEMBER Recognizing Recalling 2. UNDERSTAND Interpreting Exemplifying Classifying Summarizing Inferring Comparing Explaining 3. APPLY Executing Implementing 4. ANALYZE Differentiating Organizing Attributing 5. EVALUATE Checking Critiquing 6. CREATE Generating Planning Producing

Unlike the verbs, the objects of the standards are subject-specific (e.g., math, science, social studies). The objects specify the CONTENT of the standard. For several reasons, CONTENT was replaced by KNOWLEDGE.

What are Differences Between Content and Knowledge? Content is subject-matter specific. If you focused on content, then, you would need as many taxonomies as there are subject matters (e.g., one for science, one for history, etc.). Content exists outside the student. A major problem, then, is how to get the content inside the student. When content gets inside the student, it becomes knowledge. This transformation of content to knowledge takes place through the cognitive processes used by the student.

Four Types of Knowledge Factual Knowledge Conceptual Knowledge Procedural Knowledge Metacognitive Knowledge

Factual Knowledge The basic elements students must know to be acquainted with a discipline or solve problems in it. –Knowledge of terminology –Knowledge of specific details and elements

Conceptual Knowledge The interrelationships among the basic elements within a larger structure that enable them to function together. –Knowledge of classifications and categories –Knowledge of principles and generalizations –Knowledge of theories, models and structures

Procedural Knowledge How to do something, methods of inquiry and criteria for using skills, algorithms, techniques and methods. –Knowledge of subject-specific skills and algorithms –Knowledge of subject-specific techniques and methods –Knowledge of criteria for determining when to use appropriate procedures

Metacognitive Knowledge Knowledge of cognition in general as well as awareness and knowledge or one’s own cognition. –Strategic knowledge –Knowledge about cognitive tasks, including appropriate contextual and conditional knowledge –Self-knowledge How did I get that answer?

THE TAXONOMY TABLE COGNITIVE PROCESS DIMENSION FACTUAL KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE DIMENSION 1. REMEMBER Recognizing Recalling 2. UNDERSTAND Interpreting Exemplifying Classifying Summarizing Inferring Comparing Explaining 3. APPLY Executing Implementing 4. ANALYZE Differentiating Organizing Attributing 5. EVALUATE Checking Critiquing 6. CREATE Generating Planning Producing CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE

THE TAXONOMY TABLE D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D. Metacognitive Knowledge C6 C5 C4 C3 C2 C1 C. Procedural Knowledge B6 B5 B4 B3 B2 B1 B. Conceptual Knowledge A6 A5 A4 A3 A2 A1 A. Factual Knowledge 1. REMEMBER Recognizing Recalling 2. UNDERSTAND Interpreting Exemplifying Classifying Summarizing Inferring Comparing Explaining 3. APPLY Executing Implementing 4. ANALYZE Differentiating Organizing Attributing 5. EVALUATE Checking Critiquing 6. CREATE Generating Planning Producing

Some Examples of Objectives The student will be able to recognize the steps of the selling process (C1). [Sports & Entertainment] The student will be able to explain foodborne contaminants and food allergies (B2) [Foods II]

More Examples The student will be able to demonstrate correct drawing procedures (C3) [Drafting] The student will be able to analyze transactions into debit and credit parts (B4) [Computerized Accounting]

Still More Examples The student will be able to critique alternative medical modalities (D5) [Medical Sciences II] The student will be able to create a product based on the principles and elements of design (B6) [Fundamentals of Technology]

One of the primary values of the Taxonomy Table is that it helps us understand the intent and meaning of objectives!

With this understanding we can plan more effective instruction, design more valid assessments, and increase the alignment among objectives, assessments, and instruction are aligned.

How Is This Possible? First, objectives in the same cells of the taxonomy table are taught in the much the same way Second, objectives in the same cells of the taxonomy table are assessed in much the same way Third, using a common framework to examine objectives, instruction, and assessment leads to an increase in the alignment among objectives, assessments, and instruction.