1. Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
Kentucky Department of Education

2. Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
Adapted from the model used by Norman Webb, University of Wisconsin, to align standards with assessments
Used by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) for assessment alignment in more than ten states
Webb Model: Provides analysis of the degree of intersection of state assessments and content standards, which combines qualitative expert judgments and quantified coding and statistical analysis. The Council worked with Norman Webb in developing the model.
Webb Model
The model developed by Norman Webb from the University of Wisconsin, provides a reliable set of procedures and criteria for conducting alignment analysis studies, which combine qualitative expert judgments and quantified coding and analysis of standards and assessments. The product of the analysis is a set of statistics for each standard and grade on the degree of intersection, or alignment, between the content embedded in state content standards and the content in state assessments. The Webb model has been used in alignment studies with more than 10 states, partly through SCASS collaborative projects managed by CCSSO. The model has been used for language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
Following the training process, four to six reviewers, including teachers and content specialists, individually identify the content standard objectives that match each assessment item. They first determine the 'depth of knowledge' required by each objective or benchmark of the content standards being analyzed, and code each using one of four levels of knowledge: (a) recall, (b) skill/concept, (c) strategic thinking, (d) extended thinking. Operational definitions and labels vary somewhat by subject. Second, reviewers determine the objective or benchmark represented by each item or task on the state assessment being reviewed, and they rate the level of knowledge necessary for a student to successfully complete the item or task.
Norman L. Webb is a senior research scientist with the Wisconsin Center for Education Research and the National Institute for Science Education. Webb is a mathematics educator and evaluator who leads the Institute's work on strategies for evaluating reform and rethinking how we evaluate mathematics and science education, while focusing on the NSF's Mathematics and Science Partnerships. His own research has focused on assessment of students' knowledge of mathematics and the alignment of standards and assessments. Webb also directs evaluations of curriculum and professional development projects.

3. Descriptive, not a taxonomy Not the same as difficulty
Depth of Knowledge
Focuses on content standard in order to successfully complete an assessment/standard task.
Descriptive, not a taxonomy
Not the same as difficulty
Final Jeopardy is always DOK 1 (recall) even though the level of difficulty is often quite high.

4. Why Depth of Knowledge?
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires assessments to “measure the depth and breadth of the state academic content standards for a given grade level” (U.S. Department of Education, 2003, p. 12)

5. Why Depth of Knowledge?
Mechanism to ensure that the intent of the standard and the level of student demonstration required by that standard matches the assessment items (required under NCLB)
Provides cognitive processing ceiling (highest level students can be assessed) for item development

6. Webb’s Depth of Knowledge levels:
Recall and Reproduction: Level 1
Skills & Concepts: Level 2
Strategic Thinking: Level 3
Extended Thinking: Level 4
Sean Elkins

7. Recall and Reproduction: Level 1
DOK 1 requires recall of information, such as a fact, definition, term, or performance of a simple process or procedure.
Answering a Level 1 item can involve following a simple, well-known procedure or formula. Simple skills and abilities or recall characterize DOK 1.
Level 1 only requires students to demonstrate a rote response, use a well-known formula, follow a set procedure (like a recipe), or perform a clearly defined series of steps.

8. DOK Level 1 Examples
List animals that survive by eating other animals.
Locate or recall facts explicitly found in text
Describe physical features of places
Determine the perimeter or area of rectangles given a drawing or labels
Identify elements of music using musical terminology
Identify basic rules for participating in simple games and activities

9. Skills/Concepts: Level 2
DOK 2 includes the engagement of some mental processing beyond recalling or reproducing a response. Items require students to make some decisions as to how to approach the question or problem.
These actions imply more than one mental or cognitive process/step.
The content knowledge or process involved is more complex than in level 1. For example, to compare data requires first identifying characteristics of the objects or phenomenon and then grouping or ordering the objects

10. DOK Level 2 Examples Compare desert and tropical environments
Identify and summarize the major events, problem, solution, conflicts in literary text
Explain the cause-effect of historical events
Predict a logical outcome based on information in a reading selection
Explain how good work habits are important at home, school, and on the job.
Classify plane and three dimensional figures
Describe various styles of music
Organize, represent and compare data
Compare/contrast people, events, places, concepts

11. Strategic Thinking: Level 3
DOK 3 requires deep understanding as exhibited through planning, using evidence, and more demanding cognitive reasoning. The cognitive demands at Level 3 are complex and abstract.
An assessment item that has more than one possible answer and requires students to justify the response they give would most likely be a Level 3.
The complexity does not result only from the fact that there could be multiple answers, a possibility for both Levels 1 and 2, but because the multi-step task requires In most instances, requiring students to explain their thinking is at Level 3; requiring a very simple explanation or a word or two should be at Level 2.

12. DOK Level 3 Examples
Compare consumer actions and analyze how these actions impact the environment
Analyze or evaluate the effectiveness of literary elements (e.g. characterization, setting, point of view, conflict and resolution, plot structures)
Solve a multiple-step problem and provide support with a mathematical explanation that justifies the answer
Explain, generalize, or connect ideas using supporting evidence from the text or from other sources

13. DOK Level 3 Examples Develop a scientific model for a complex idea
Propose and evaluate solutions for an economic problem
Explain, generalize or connect ideas, using supporting evidence from a text or source
Create a dance that represents the characteristics of a culture

14. Extended Thinking: Level 4
DOK 4 requires high cognitive demand and is very complex. Students are expected to make connections—relate ideas within the content or among content areas—and have to select or devise one approach among many alternatives on how the situation can be solved.
Due to the complexity of cognitive demand, DOK 4 often requires an extended period of time.
Many on-demand assessment instruments will not include any assessment activities that could be classified as Level 4. However, standards, goals, and objectives can be stated in such a way as to expect students to perform extended thinking. “Develop generalizations of the results obtained and the strategies used and apply them to new problem situations,” is an example of a Grade 8 objective that is a Level 4. The extended time period is not a distinguishing factor if the required work is only repetitive and does not require applying significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking.  

15. However, extended time alone is not the distinguishing factor.
Task
Thinking
Collecting data samples over several months
Recall
Organizing the data in a chart
Skills/
concepts
Using this chart to make and justify predictions
Strategic
Developing a generalized model from this data and applying it to a new situation
Extending
Many on-demand assessment instruments will not include any assessment activities that could be classified as Level 4. However, standards, goals, and objectives can be stated in such a way as to expect students to perform extended thinking. “Develop generalizations of the results obtained and the strategies used and apply them to new problem situations,” is an example of a Grade 8 objective that is a Level 4. The extended time period is not a distinguishing factor if the required work is only repetitive and does not require applying significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking.  
is a task. exemplifies a. results in an increase to. would represent a.

16. Extended Reasoning/Thinking Examples: Level 4
Gather, analyze, organize, and interpret information from multiple (print and non print sources) to draft a reasoned report
Analyzing author’s craft (e.g., style, bias, literary techniques, point of view)
Create an exercise plan applying the “FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) Principle”

17. Extended Reasoning/Thinking Examples: Level 4
Analyze and explain multiple perspectives or issues within or across time periods, events, or cultures
Specify a problem, identify solution paths, solve the problem, and report the results
Write and produce an original play

18. The Depth of Knowledge is NOT determined by the verb, but the context in which the verb is used and the depth of thinking required.

19. DOK 3- Describe a model that you might use to represent the relationships that exist within the rock cycle. (requires deep understanding of rock cycle and a determination of how best to represent it)
DOK 2- Describe the difference between metamorphic and igneous rocks. (requires cognitive processing to determine the differences in the two rock types)
DOK 1- Describe three characteristics of metamorphic rocks. (simple recall)
Same verb—three DOK levels

20. DOK levels can be cumulative
An item/standard written to DOK 3 often contains DOK 1 and DOK 2 level demands

21. Determining DOK: Science Example
Sample Science Assessment Limit
(based on Webb)
Example A: Perform a simple science process or a set procedure to gather data
Example B: Represent data collected over a period time, making comparisons and interpretations
Example C: Interpret data collected for a research question for a scientific problem related to your environment
DOK Ceiling
Level 1 2 3
Potential DOK Levels
for Assessment 1
 (Measure temperature of water) 1
(Measure temperature of water at different times/places) 2
(Construct a graph to organize, display, and compare data) 1
(Measure temperature of water at different times/places) 2
(Construct a graph to organize, display, and compare data) 3
(Design an investigation to explain the affect of varying temperatures of the river in different locations)

22. Remember…
• Depth of Knowledge (DOK) is a scale of cognitive demand.
• DOK requires looking at the assessment item/standard-not student work-in order to determine the level. DOK is about the item/standard-not the student.
• The context of the assessment item/standard must be considered to determine the DOK-not just a look at what verb was chosen.