1. Understanding Depth 0f knowledge
Steve Williams, Fine Arts Consultant
MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

2. Depth of Knowledge
Measures the degree to which the knowledge elicited from students on assessments is as complex as what students are expected to know and do as stated in the state standards

3. Why Use DOK?
NCLB requires that each state develop rigorous standards (Show-Me Standards) and align their state assessment (MAP) to those standards. States must adopt a system to guarantee that alignment.

4. What Does DOK Accomplish?
Mechanism to ensure that the intent of the standard and the level of student demonstration required by that standard matches the assessment items
Provides cognitive processing ceiling (highest level students can be assessed) for item development

5. Where Did DOK Come From?
Developed by Dr. Norman Webb, senior research scientist at the National Institute for Science Education. Several other states (at least 20) use DOK to evaluate the rigor of their state assessments.

6. How Does it Work?
Depth of Knowledge is broken into 4 levels. Level One is the most basic level, essentially the “definition” stage. As the levels increase, students must demonstrate increasingly complex mental strategies. Higher levels of DOK require that students solve problems in new and creative ways, and allow for multiple solutions to solve those problems.

7. Levels of DOK LEVEL ONE - RECALL LEVEL TWO – SKILL/CONCEPT
Recall of a fact, information, or procedure
LEVEL TWO – SKILL/CONCEPT
Use information or conceptual knowledge
LEVEL THREE – STRATEGIC THINKING
Reasoning, developing a plan
LEVEL FOUR – EXTENDED THINKING
Requires an investigation, collection of data and analysis of results

8. DOK Compared to Bloom’s
DOK is similar to Bloom’s Taxonomy. The next slide is a rough comparison of the levels of DOK and Bloom’s Taxonomy.

9. SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY
WEBB’S DOK
KNOWLEDGE
“The recall of specifics and universals, involving little more than bringing to mind the appropriate material”
RECALL
Recall of a fact, information, or procedure (e.g., What are 3 critical skill cues for the overhand throw?)
COMPREHENSION
“Ability to process knowledge on a low level such that the knowledge can be reproduced or communicated without a verbatim repetition.”
APPLICATION
“The use of abstractions in concrete situations.”
SKILL/CONCEPT
Use of information, conceptual knowledge, procedures, two or more steps, etc.
STRATEGIC THINKING
Requires reasoning, developing a plan or sequence of steps; has some complexity; more than one possible answer
ANALYSIS
“The breakdown of a situation into its component parts.”
SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION
“Putting together elements & parts to form a whole, then making value judgments about the method.”
   EXTENDED THINKING
Requires an investigation; time to think and process multiple conditions of the problem or task.
Wyoming School Health and Physical Education Network (2001).  Standards, Assessment, and Beyond.  Retrieved May 25, 2006, from

10. Our Challenge in the Arts
DOK refers to cognitive processing. It does not accurately define what arts students should be doing in class – creating and performing. According to DOK, a student performing a state- level violin solo or tackling the lead role in the school play is performing at the Skill/Concept Level of DOK.

11. DOK 1
Emphasis is on facts and simple recall of previously taught information. This also means following simple steps, recipes, or directions. Can be difficult without requiring reasoning. At DOK 1, students find “the right answer,” and there is no debating the “correctness,” it is either right or wrong.

12. DOK 2
Requires comparison of two or more concepts, finding similarities and differences, applying factual learning at the basic skill level. Main ideas – requires deeper knowledge than just the definition. Students must explain “how” or “why” and often estimate or interpret to respond.

13. DOK 2 in Music
This is where the student begins to play an instrument or sing in context. Students learn notes and fingerings in DOK 1, then apply the skill at DOK 2. Students use basic aural skills such as hearing intervals or adjusting pitch.

14. DOK 2 in Dance
Students begin to perform simple moves, shapes, and steps. By knowing about various styles, they can show how they are different. They can mimic dance modeled by others.

15. DOK 2 in Visual Art
Students demonstrate skill in using a variety of art-making techniques. They apply knowledge of elements by practicing them in isolation or in teacher-led projects, and use various media.

16. DOK 2 in Theater
Students begin to read scripts with emotion, with occasional prompting from the teacher. They use blocking and scene design for effect. Students use aspects of technical theater with guidance.

17. DOK 3
Students must reason or plan to find an acceptable solution to a problem. More than one correct response or approach is possible. Requires complex or abstract thinking, and application of knowledge or skill in a new and unique situation.

18. DOK 3 in Music
Students begin to use knowledge of scales to compose melodies. They improvise over a single key center and exper- iment with their own creativity. They perform in an ensemble and adjust pitch, expression, and dynamics, and follow the cues of a conductor.

19. DOK 3 in Visual Art
Students plan their own projects using teacher-selected media and themes. They apply multiple techniques to solve artistic problems and refine previously developed skills.

20. DOK 3 in Theater and Dance
We need to continue to define this. Probably will entail beginning script writing and choreography.

21. DOK 4
At this level, students typically identify a problem, plan a course of action, enact that plan, and make decisions based on collected data. Usually involves more time than one class period. Multiple solutions are possible. Students often connect multiple content areas to come up with unique and creative solutions.

22. DOK 4 in Music Students compose with 2 or more voices
Requires application of harmony, pre-planning and extended time
Students improvise over a chord progression
Requires knowledge of chords, spontaneous decision- making and advanced aural skills
Students rehearse/perform solo or in a small ensemble
Students make decisions about style, interpretation, balance, and expression without the aid of a teacher

23. DOK 4 in Visual Art
Students develop their own projects, work with Big Ideas, and choose their own media and techniques. Over time, students create art that expresses meaning and has personal connections.

24. DOK 4 in Theater and Dance
We need to continue to define this. Will include advanced choreography, script writing, and high impact performance.

25. Examples of All Levels in Music
The following slides review all 4 levels and give reasons why a particular DOK level has been chosen. We will need to do this in all four arts areas.

26. Examples of DOK 1 in Music
Items
Why is this DOK 1?
Name the notes of the C Major scale
Name 4 periods of classical music.
Know that a sharp raises a note ½ step
Simple recall of pre- learned knowledge
Simple recall, but must be taught
Identify a #, recognize that it raises a pitch

27. Examples of DOK 2 in Music
Items
Why is this DOK 2?
Read and perform a simple rhythm
Play a simple melody or accompaniment
If the student inter- prets the rhythm (as opposed to repeating) it is DOK 2.
Student must make sense out of written notation and perform

28. Examples of DOK 3 in Music
Item
Why is this DOK 3?
Improvise a simple melody
Perform as a member of a conducted ensemble
Compose a single line melody
New application of complex processes
Students makes individual choices about performance

29. Examples of DOK 4 in Music
Item
Why is this DOK 4?
Compose using 2 or more parts
Improvise over a given chord progression
Perform in a student- led ensemble or solo with accompaniment
Requires application of harmony, voice leading, cadence
Requires student to apply all previous learning in a new and novel situation
Student makes all choices

30. Is this Level Two?
According to Webb’s DOK, this represents the skill/concept level, DOK 2. This is why we are trying to redefine DOK.

31. Key Points Regarding DOK
DOK is about complexity, not difficulty
DOK 1 + DOK 1 + DOK 1 = 1
In levels 1 and 2, the answer is either completely right or completely wrong
In levels 3 and 4, students make decisions and there are many right answers
We don’t do enough level 3 and 4
Either 1 - 2, or 3 - 4

32. MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Thank You!
Please contact me if you have any questions
Steve Williams
Fine Arts Consultant
MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Ph. (573)