Blooms Taxonomy

Picture sourced from internet (Overbaugh, & Schultz, 2010)

Description

Bloom's Taxonomy is based on higher order thinking and sees learning as "building blocks" or "stepping stones", a student must be able to conquer one before they move onto the next. From a teaching perspective, students need to be assessed to see what level they are currently achieving in order to refine and extend their knowledge, to achieve the next level.

“Categories in the Cognitive Domain (From simplest to most complex):

1. Knowledge - Recall previously learned information

2. Comprehension - Demonstrate an understanding of the meaning or purpose of previously learned information

3. Application - Use previously learned information in novel and concrete situations

4. Analysis - Examine the underlying components of learned information and gain an understanding of their organizational structure - This level also includes making inferences and using the information to support broader generalizations

5. Synthesis - Integrate previously learned information and its components into new concepts

6. Evaluation - Use definite criteria (either provided or self-created) to judge the value of other material and information” (NC State University, 2007)

A list of words are available so you can determine the level of knowledge (skill) you are requiring from students from http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/time_savers/bloom/

Plus

Has been successfully used in a wide variety of contexts (NC State University, 2007). Students are not extended beyond their capabilities. Using high order thinking is a focus of the Essential Learnings and must be considered when constructing learning experiences (CQUniversity, 2010).

Minus

Although it considers higher order thinking it does not focus on content, pedagogy and technology, so there is the possibility of teachers not looking at lesson planning holistically and not having enough emphasis on necessary information.

Interesting

Blooms demonstrates effectively processes that people take for granted and it is good to know and understand how people learn.

Personal reflection
Blooms is a good tool because it looks at the different levels of knowledge, and building higher order thinking skills and would be good to use in conjunction with another framework but used in isolation could open the user up to the possibility of not covering key concepts and information adequately.

CQUniversity. (2010). Effective e.Learning Design. Retrieved from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=142870

NC State University. (2007). Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning (1956). Retrieved 25 November, 2010, from http://litre.ncsu.edu/sltoolkit/Bloom.htm

Overbaugh, R. C., & Schultz, L. (2010). Bloom's Taxonomy: Old version, New version. Retrieved 25 November, 2010, from http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm