BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

OF THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

• Benjamin Bloom (et al.) created this taxonomy for categorizing levels of abstraction of questions that commonly occur in educational settings.

• The taxonomy provides a useful structure in which to categorize test questions.

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

Competence Skills Demonstrated

Knowledge The recall of specific information

Comprehension Understanding of what was read

Application Converting abstract content to concrete situations

Analysis Comparison and contrast of the content to personal experiences

Synthesis Organization of thoughts, ideas, and information from the content

Evaluation Judgment and evaluation of characters, actions, outcomes, etc., for personal reflection and understanding

KNOWLEDGEMemorization

• Observation and recall of information

• Knowledge of dates, events, places

• Knowledge of major ideas

• Mastery of subject matter

KNOWLEDGEMemorization

• Arrange• Define • Describe• Duplicate• Identify• Label• List• Memorize

• Name• Order• Quote• Recall• Recognize• Relate• Repeat• Reproduce

COMPREHENSIONUnderstanding

• Understand information

• Grasp meaning

• Translate knowledge into new content

• Interpret facts, compare, contrast

• Order, group, infer causes

• Predict consequences

COMPREHENSIONUnderstanding

• Classify• Describe• Discuss• Explain• Express• Identify• Indicate

• Locate• Recognize• Report• Restate• Review• Select• Translate

APPLICATIONUsing

• Use information

• Use methods, concepts, theories in new situations

• Solve problems using required skills or knowledge

APPLICATIONUsing

• Apply• Choose• Demonstrate• Dramatize• Employ• Illustrate• Interpret

• Operate• Practice • Schedule• Sketch• Solve• Use• Write

ANALYSISTaking apart

• Recognition of patterns

• Organization of parts

• Discovery of hidden meanings

• Identification of components

ANALYSISTaking apart

• Analyze• Appraise• Calculate• Categorize• Compare• Contrast• Criticize

• Differentiate• Discriminate• Distinguish• Examine• Experiment• Question• Test

SYNTHESISPutting together

• Use old ideas to create new ones

• Generalize from given facts

• Relate knowledge from several areas

• Predict, draw conclusions

SYNTHESISPutting together

• Arrange • Assemble• Collect • Compose• Construct• Create• Design• Develop

• Formulate• Manage• Organize• Plan• Prepare• Propose• Set up• Write

EVALUATIONJudging

• Compare and discriminate between ideas

• Assess value of theories, presentations

• Make choices based on reasoned argument

• Verify value of evidence

• Recognize subjectivity

EVALUATIONJudging

• Appraise• Argue• Assess• Attach• Choose• Compare• Defend• Estimate

• Judge• Predict• Rate• Select• Support• Value• Evaluate• Explain

REFERENCES

• Bloom, B., Englehart M., Furst, E., Hill, W.,& Krathwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York: Longmans Green.

Web resources

• http://www.che.wsu.edu/~millerre/bloom.html• http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/

bloom.html• http://www.kent.wednet.edu/KSD/MA/resources/

blooms/teachers_blooms.html• http://www.tecweb.org/eddevel/blooms.html• http://www.valdosta.peachnet.edu/~whuitt/psy70

2/cogsys/critthnk.html

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

applied to

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

KNOWLEDGEthe recall of specific information

• Who was Goldilocks?

• Where did she live? With whom?

• What did she do in the forest?

COMPREHENSIONan understanding of what was read

• This story is about ___________ (topic).

• This story tells us _________(main idea).

• What did Goldilocks look like?

APPLICATIONthe converting of abstract content to concrete situations

• How were the bears like real people?

• Why did Goldilocks go into the little house?

• Draw a picture of what the bears’ house looked like.

• Draw a map showing Goldilocks’ house, the path in the forest, the bears’ house, etc.

ANALYSISthe comparison and contrast of the content to personal

experience

• How did each bear react to what Goldilocks did?

• How would you react?

• Compare Goldilocks to any of your friends.

• Do you know any animals (pets) that act human?

SYNTHESISthe organization of thoughts, ideas, and information from

the content

• List the events of the story in sequence.• Do you know any other stories about little girls

or boys who escaped from danger?• Make a diorama of the bears’ house and the

forest.• Make a puppet out of one of the characters.

Using the puppet, act out his/her part of the story.

EVALUATIONthe judgment and evaluation of characters, actions,

outcomes, etc., for personal reflection and understanding

• Why were the bears angry with Goldilocks?• Do you think Goldilocks was happy to get home?

Explain your answer.• Do you think she learned anything by going into

the bears’ house? Explain your answer.• Would you have gone into the bears’ house?

Why or why not?

EVALUATION CON’T.

• Do parents have more experience and background than their children? Give an example from your own history.

• Do you think this really happened to Goldilocks? Why or why not?

• Why would a grown-up write this story for children to read?

• Why has the story of Goldilocks been told to children for many, many years?

References

• http://www.ops.org/reading/blooms_taxonomy.html