Bloom’s Taxonomy The Concept of “Levels of Thinking”

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited” -- Plutarch

Who was Benjamin Bloom? Benjamin Bloom was an educational psychologist in the 1950’s

Who was Benjamin Bloom? While doing research he discovered that over 95 % of the test questions students usually encounter require them to only recall information –He believed the recall of information was at the lowest level of thinking In 1956 he developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior (or “levels of thinking”) important in learning

Why Use a Taxonomy? A taxonomy assists a teacher in levels of thinking… –It guides the teacher to understand what needs to be learned and how it will be demonstrated –It helps the teacher design questions and activities of different levels of complexity

Why Study Bloom’s Taxonomy? Why would we study Bloom’s Taxonomy as a part of the PDP Program? What is its significance in pedagogical practice?

Why Study Bloom’s Taxonomy? Asking a range of questions allows teachers to engage all learners’ minds in thinking at all levels of complexity Research shows that teachers that teach at more complex levels of thinking are often more effective

Bloom’s Taxonomy Bloom’s Taxonomy has Six Levels 1.Knowledge / Recall 2.Understanding / Comprehension 3.Application 4.Analysis 5.Synthesis 6.Evaluation

Knowledge and Recall Knowledge and recall is considered the most simple level of thinking This includes recalling information such as names, places and dates Recall questions may have the following cues: –list, define, describe, identify, label, collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when, where, etc.

Understanding and Comprehension The second level of thinking is understanding information Comprehension includes explaining ideas or concepts Comprehension questions may have the following cues: –summarize, describe, explain, paraphrase, interpret, compare, contrast, predict, distinguish, estimate, or differentiate

Application Application is using known information in other situations This involves using skills, knowledge, methods, concepts, and theories in new contexts in order to solve problems Application questions may have the following cues: –apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate, show, solve, examine, modify, relate, change, experiment, discover

Analysis In analysis, information is broken into parts to explore understandings and relationships Analysis involves seeing patterns, organizing parts, recognizing hidden meanings, and identifying components Analysis questions may have the following cues: –analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, divide, compare, select, explain, infer

Synthesis Synthesis involves using old ideas to create new ones Synthesis questions may have the following cues: –combine, integrate, modify, rearrange, substitute, plan, create, design, invent, what if?, compose, formulate, prepare, generalize, rewrite

Evaluation Evaluation involves comparing and discriminating between ideas In evaluation, one makes choices based on reasoned arguments while recognizing personal subjectivity Evaluation questions may have the following cues: –assess, decide, rank, test, recommend, convince, select, judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude

Lower Levels of the Taxonomy Why would we use lower levels of the taxonomy in teaching? When would these lower levels of questioning be most appropriate to use?

Lower Levels of the Taxonomy Lower level questions are those that target remembering, understanding and lower level application levels Usually questions at the lower levels are appropriate for: Evaluating students’ preparation and comprehension Diagnosing students’ strengths and weaknesses Reviewing and/or summarizing content

Higher Levels of the Taxonomy Why would we use higher levels of the taxonomy in teaching? When would these higher levels of questioning be most appropriate to use?

Higher Levels of the Taxonomy Higher level questions are those requiring complex application, analysis, evaluation or creation skills Questions at higher levels of the taxonomy are usually most appropriate for: Encouraging students to think more deeply and critically Problem solving Encouraging discussions Stimulating students to seek information on their own and create

What is our Role as Teachers? In helping students become producers of knowledge, the teacher’s main instructional task is to create activities or environments that allow them opportunities to engage in higher-order thinking

The Significance of Bloom’s Taxonomy Questioning should be used purposefully to achieve well-defined goals. Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of thinking organised by levels of complexity. –It gives teachers and students an opportunity to learn and practice a range of thinking and provides a simple structure for many different kinds of questions and thinking

Bloom’s Taxonomy in Beyond Monet Go to page 74 in “Beyond Monet” and classify the questions into one of the six levels of thinking in Bloom’s Taxonomy individually Go to page 75 in “Beyond Monet” read the questions and share your answers with a partner

Bloom’s in the Classroom Imagine you are teaching the class about a topic of your choice (preferably in your field) –E.g. the model of an atom, the basic structure of an essay, the history of the Iroquois, the rules of basketball Develop 1-3 questions in each of the taxonomy levels and share these with someone in the class in a similar field