1. Lorin Anderson University of South Carolina
The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy: An Overview
Lorin Anderson
University of South Carolina

2. 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.

3. Bloom’s Taxonomy as a Framework
A taxonomy of educational objectives “could do much to
bring order out of chaos in the field of education. It could
furnish the conceptual framework around which our
descriptions of educational programs and experiences
could be oriented. It could furnish a framework for the
development of educational theories and research. It could
furnish the scheme needed for training our teachers and for
orienting them to the varied possibilities of education”
(Bloom, 1949)

4. Who were the taxonomists?
Post World War II
Students received course credit by passing the examinations (credit-by-examination)
Quite obviously, the exams had to be based on course objectives (validity) and of sufficient length to be reliable.
University Examiners
Responsible for designing or helping to design end-of-course examinations

5. They Needed a Set of Categories that Cut-Across Subject Areas
“Although the objectives … may be specified in an almost unlimited number of ways, the student behaviors involved in these objectives can be represented by a relatively small number of classes. Therefore, the taxonomy is designed to be a classification of the student behaviors which represent the intended outcomes of the educational process” (p. 18).

6. Looking Through a New Lens

7. The Original Bloom’s Taxonomy The Original “Bloom’s Taxonomy
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
The Original Bloom’s Taxonomy
The Original “Bloom’s Taxonomy
The Original “Bloom’s Taxonomy

8. Without the Lens The student will recall the names of
the parts of a flower.

9. This is a knowledge objective.
With the Lens
The student will recall the names of
the parts of a flower.
This is a knowledge objective.

10. Objectives were used to form categories; then categories were used to classify objectives % of the objectives fell into the Knowledge category

11. The Revision Began in November 1996 Led by David Krathwohl
Involved cognitive psychologists, curriculum theorists, teacher educators, and measurement and assessment specialists.
Group met twice a year for four years.
Draft completed in 2000; text published in 2001.
Two books – soft cover for teachers and other “practitioners” and hard cover for academicians.

12. In education, objectives are statements of what we want students to learn as a result of the instruction we provide. Standards are simply mandated objectives.
Make the point that objectives provide a purpose for our instruction. They answer the WHY question. For example, why are we teaching this stuff? By mandated, we mean that teachers are expected to teach toward standards whether they believe them to be important or not.

13. The Common Format of Objectives
Subject Verb Object
S V O
All standards are written in the same grammatical format: subject-verb-object or SVO.

14. The SUBJECT is the Learner or the Student.
The student (will)
The student (should)
The students (might)
The subject is the learner or the student or students (or learners). There is a verb immediately after the subject but that is not the verb of interest to us. Rather, that verb is in the future tense and indicates the intentional nature of standards. Also, that verb indicates our commitment to student learning (“will” is greater than “should” which is greater than “might”).
Quite often, the subject is implicit or understood.

15. 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.

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

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

18. Cognitive Processes Remember Understand Recognizing Recalling
Interpreting
Exemplifying
Classifying
Summarizing
Inferring
Comparing
Explaining

19. Cognitive Processes (continued)
Apply
Analyze
Evaluate
Create
Executing
Implementing
Differentiating
Organizing
Attributing
Checking
Critiquing
Generating
Planning
Producing

20. 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

21. Unlike the verbs, the objects of the standards are subject-specific (e
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.

22. 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.

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

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25. THE TAXONOMY TABLE COGNITIVE PROCESS DIMENSION DIMENSION KNOWLEDGE1.
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
FACTUAL KNOWLEDGE
CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE
PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE
METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE

26. B. Conceptual Knowledge
THE TAXONOMY TABLE 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
A. Factual Knowledge A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6
B. Conceptual Knowledge B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6
We can use shorthand notation to refer to the cells. For example, A1 is Remember Factual Knowledge and C3 is Apply Procedural Knowledge.
C. Procedural
Knowledge C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6
D. Metacognitive
Knowledge D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6

27. How it Works

28. Explain the political alliances and policies that impacted the United States in the latter part of the 20th Century, including NATO, the UN, and OPEC

29. Verb = Explain
Object = the political alliances and policies that impacted the United States in the latter part of the 20th Century
including NATO, the UN, and OPEC
[Extraneous information]

30. Verb = Explain = Understand
Object = the political alliances and policies that impacted the United States in the latter part of the 20th Century = Conceptual Knowledge

31. Summarize the provisions of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, including how the amendments protected the rights of African Americans and sought to enhance their political, social, and economic opportunities

32. Verb = Summarize
Object = Provisions of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution
Including how the amendments protected the rights of African Americans and sought to enhance their political, social, and economic opportunities [Extraneous information]

33. Verb = Summarize = Understand
Object = Provisions of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution = Factual Knowledge

34. THE TAXONOMY TABLE COGNITIVE PROCESS DIMENSION DIMENSION KNOWLEDGE1.
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
FACTUAL KNOWLEDGE
Standard 2
CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE
Standard 1
PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE
METACOGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE

35. The SVO format of standards in combination with the two-dimensional structure of the Taxonomy Table allows us to classify standards so we better understand their intent and meaning in terms of student learning.

36. Additional Benefits Increase curriculum alignment
Improve validity of assessments
Improve quality of instruction

37. Instructional Activities/ Materials
Curriculum Alignment
Assessments
Objectives
Curriculum Alignment
Curriculum has three parts
Instructional Activities/ Materials

38. Why is Alignment Important?
Increases validity of assessment
Increases students’ opportunity to learn
Provides more accurate estimates of teaching effectiveness
Permits better instructional decisions to be made

39. Traditional Alignment
What content is included in the objective?
What content is included on the assessment(s)?
Is the content included in the objective and/or on the assessment included in the instructional materials?
If the content is the same, there is a high level of alignment.

40. ALIGNMENT USING THE TAXONOMY TABLE Objectives Assessments
Instructional Activities
Remember
Understand
Apply
Analyze
Evaluate
Create
Factual
Conceptual
Procedural
Meta-
Cognitive

41. (1) Question (2) Incomplete Statement (3) Directive
THE ANATOMY OF AN ASSESSMENT TASK
INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL
(1) Written (2) Pictorial (3) Realia
STEM
(1) Question (2) Incomplete Statement (3) Directive
RESPONSE
(1) Short-Answer (2) Extended Response
* Supply (Fill in the blank) * Written
* Select (Multiple-choice, * Performance
Matching, True-False)

42. Remember Factual Knowledge
No Introductory Material
Stem as Question or Incomplete Statement
Supply (Recall) or Select (Recognize) Format

43. Apply Procedural Knowledge
Introductory Material is Present
Stem as Directive
Extended Response Format

44. Teaching Students to "Remember Factual Knowledge"
Focus students’ attention on important facts and terms, using, among other things, study guides, colors, and verbal markers.
2. Structure the information to be remembered (e.g., outlines, diagrams, pictures).
Use repetition, incorporating songs and rhythmic activities (e.g., clapping, chanting, cheering).
Use mnemonic devices & acronyms; teach memory strategies (e.g., rehearsal, elaboration, making connections with familiar places and things).
5. Use distributed practice.

45. Teaching Students to "Understand Conceptual Knowledge“
1. Emphasize defining features or key characteristics; ask "what makes X, X?"
2. Give examples, non-examples, and “near” examples.
3. Teach concepts in relation to one another; show connections and relationships using visual representations and graphic organizers.
4. Use metaphors and similes.
5. Use “hands-on” activities and manipulatives; build models.

46. Why the Revised Taxonomy?
Historical link (1949 to the present)
Two dimensions match the structure of all objectives: subject-verb-object.
Complete “crossing” of rows with columns makes knowledge and cognitive processes equally important
The use of verbs is critical since the verbs represent the cognitive processes that students use on or with the content so that learning occurs