1. Preplanning Presentation 2011-2012
Depth of Knowledge
Preplanning Presentation

2. Why Depth of Knowledge?
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires assessments to “measure the depth and breadth of the state academic content standards for a given grade level” (U.S. Department of Education, 2003, p. 12)

3. Descriptive, not a taxonomy Not the same as difficulty
Depth of Knowledge
Focuses on content standard in order to successfully complete an assessment/standard task.
Descriptive, not a taxonomy
Not the same as difficulty
Final Jeopardy is always DOK 1 (recall) even though the level of difficulty is often quite high.
The Depth of Knowledge is NOT determined by the verb, but the context in which the verb is used and the depth of thinking required.

4. Webb’s Depth of Knowledge levels:
Recall and Reproduction: Level 1
Skills & Concepts: Level 2
Strategic Thinking: Level 3
Extended Thinking: Level 4
Sean Elkins

5. What is DOK? Model of how teachers and students interact with content
Assignments are categorized based upon the cognitive complexity
Descriptive- not a taxonomy
Ensures teachers are teaching to promote student achievement

6. DOK 3: Strategic Reasoning DOK 4: Extended Reasoning
Explaining reasoning is a key marker
Short-term use of higher order thinking
Focus on complex reasoning and thinking over a period of time
Focus on applying skills and concepts
Students act on the information they have memorized
Memorization
Nothing is solved or figured out
Usually one right answer
DOK 1: Recall
DOK 2: Skills/Concepts
DOK 3: Strategic Reasoning
DOK 4: Extended Reasoning

7. COMPLEXITY DIFFICULTY
The DOK Level assigned to a task
should reflect the
COMPLEXITY
of the cognitive processes demanded
by the task rather than the
DIFFICULTY
of the task.

8. Complexity of the task or information
Students’ expected level of prior knowledge
The central VERB is NOT sufficient for assigning DOK level.
Mental processes required for successful completion of the task
Assigning DOK Level

9. DOK Level 1
Basic recall of memorized information
One right answer
Involves working with facts, terms, or properties of objects
Can memorize something simple or complex, but it’s still memorization

10. DOK 1 Tasks Apply a well known formula or algorithm
Locate or recall facts from a text
Apply a well known formula or algorithm
Use a dictionary to find meanings of words
Most worksheets

11. DOK Level 2
Some mental processing beyond recalling and memorization
Some important concepts are covered, but not in a complex way.
Students take information they memorized at Level 1, and use it in some way
The learner should make use of information in a context different from the one in which it was learned.

12. DOK 2 Tasks Identify and summarize narrative elements in a text
Explain the cause-effect relationship of historical events
Predict a logical outcome based on information given in a reading selection
Retrieve information from a table or graph and use this information to solve a multi-step problem

13. DOK Level 3
Short-term use of higher- order thinking processes
Tasks require analysis, evaluation, reasoning and planning, and solving real-world problems
Stating one’s reasoning is a key indicator of tasks that are level 3
Students must be able to support their thinking and reasoning

14. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of literary elements in a text
DOK 3 Tasks
Key processes include analyzing, explaining and supporting with evidence, generalizing, and creating
Tasks at this level require reasoning and planning with an explanation of the thinking processes the students used to complete the task
Solve a multi-step math problem and provide support with a mathematical explanation that justifies the answer
Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of literary elements in a text

15. Extended use of higher order thinking processes
DOK Level 4
Extended use of higher order thinking processes
Employing and sustaining strategic thinking processes over a longer period of time in order to solve a problem
Work must require applying significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking skills

16. DOK 4 Tasks
Gather, analyze, and synthesize information from multiple sources to conduct a well researched report. Present information in a unique way.
Analyze and explain multiple perspectives of the same issue
Specify a problem, identify possible solutions, solve the problem, and report the results
Write and produce and original play

17. Depth Of
knowledge
DOK 1: tasks are those that require memorization of facts or other information presented
DOK 2: tasks use information learned in level 1 and take it a step farther
DOK 3: tasks require deeper thinking-students must support their answers with reasoning
DOK 4: tasks require extended time to conduct complex investigations or explorations- high cognitive demand