Bloom's Taxonomy

Definition

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework that categorizes educational learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity. It helps educators design effective instructional strategies and methods by identifying the cognitive processes involved in learning, enabling a more structured approach to teaching and assessment.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Bloom's Taxonomy consists of six levels: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create, each representing a different cognitive skill.
2. Originally created in 1956 by a team of psychologists led by Benjamin Bloom, it was revised in 2001 to include a focus on higher-order thinking skills.
3. The taxonomy is widely used by educators to create lesson plans that encourage students to engage in deeper thinking and active learning.
4. Each level of Bloom's Taxonomy builds on the previous one, promoting a progression from basic knowledge recall to higher-level critical thinking and creativity.
5. The framework supports differentiated instruction by providing various entry points for teaching based on students' varying levels of understanding and skills.

Review Questions

• What are the six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy and how do they relate to instructional strategies?
  • The six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy are Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. Each level corresponds to different cognitive processes and can inform instructional strategies. For instance, teaching methods for the 'Remember' level might include memorization techniques, while 'Create' would involve more complex tasks like projects or original work. This hierarchy helps educators design lessons that progressively challenge students' thinking.
• How can Bloom's Taxonomy be used to develop effective assessment strategies?
  • Bloom's Taxonomy serves as a guide for developing assessments that evaluate different levels of cognitive understanding. By aligning assessment questions with the taxonomy levels, educators can ensure they assess not only recall but also comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation, and creativity. For example, lower-level assessments might ask students to define terms, while higher-level assessments could require them to analyze case studies or create solutions to real-world problems.
• In what ways does Bloom's Taxonomy promote higher-order thinking skills in education?
  • Bloom's Taxonomy promotes higher-order thinking skills by encouraging educators to structure their lessons around the upper levels of the taxonomy, such as Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. This approach pushes students beyond basic recall of information to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving. By focusing on these advanced cognitive processes, students learn to synthesize information from various sources, make judgments based on evidence, and innovate solutions, which are essential skills for success in an increasingly complex world.

Related terms

Cognitive Domain: The domain of learning that involves mental skills and knowledge acquisition, which is central to Bloom's Taxonomy.

Assessment: A systematic approach for evaluating student learning and understanding, often informed by the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.

Learning Objectives: Specific statements that describe what learners should know or be able to do after instruction, often aligned with the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.