1. Depth of Knowledge (DOK) An Overview

2. 2 Depth of Knowledge (DOK) Adapted from the model used by Norman Webb, University of Wisconsin.

3. 3 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)

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

5. 5 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.

6. 6 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

7. 7 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.

8. 8 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

9. 9 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.

10. 10 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

11. 11 More 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

12. 12 Extended Thinking: Level 4 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.

13. 13 However, extended time alone is not the distinguishing factor. TaskThinking Collecting data samples over several months Recall Organizing the data in a chartSkills/ concepts Using this chart to make and justify predictions Strategic Thinking Developing a generalized model from this data and applying it to a new situation Extending Thinking

14. 14 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”

15. 15 More 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

16. 16 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.

17. 17 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

18. 18 Verbs are not always used appropriately Words like explain or analyze have to be considered in context. –“Explain to me where you live” does not raise the DOK of a simple rote response. –Even if the student has to use addresses or landmarks, the student is doing nothing more than recalling and reciting.

19. 19 DOK is about what follows the verb What comes after the verb is more important than the verb itself. –“Analyze this sentence to decide if the commas have been used correctly” does not meet the criteria for high cognitive processing. –The student who has been taught the rule for using commas is merely using the rule.

20. 20 DOK is not about difficulty Difficulty is a reference to how many students answer a question correctly. –How many of you know the definition of exaggerate? DOK 1 – recall If all of you know the definition, this question is an easy question. –How many of you know the definition of prescient? DOK 1 – recall If most of you do not know the definition, this question is a difficult question.

21. 21 DOK is about intended outcome, not difficulty DOK is a reference to the complexity of mental processing that must occur to answer a question, perform a task, or generate a product. –Adding is a mental process. –Knowing the rule for adding is the intended outcome that influences the DOK. –Once someone learns the “rule” of how to add, 4 + 4 is DOK 1 and is also easy. –Adding 4,678,895 + 9,578,885 is still a DOK 1 but may be more “difficult.”

22. 22 DOK is about complexity The intended student learning outcome determines the DOK level. Instruction and classroom assessments must give students the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency at a high DOK level.

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

24. 24 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)

25. 25 DOK and Mathematics Level 1: RECALL includes knowing information such as facts, definitions, terms, or simple procedures. Level 2: BASIC REASONING includes the engagement of some mental processing beyond habitual response. Students must make decisions about what they are presented. Note: A two-step process in a math calculation is NOT automatically a DOK 2 if the steps require only rote or mechanical knowledge or skills.

26. 26 More DOK and Mathematics Level 3: STRATEGIC THINKING requires demanding reasoning, using evidence, and a high level of thinking. Justifying answers is a DOK 3 activity. Level 4: EXTENDED THINKING requires complex reasoning and development of a product, often over an extended period of time. Note: The extended time period does not automatically raise the DOK level if students merely repeat a rote process.

27. 27 DOK – Math Examples DOK ____: Read, write, and compare decimals in scientific notation. DOK ____: Design a statistical experiment to study a problem and communicate the outcomes. DOK ____: Construct two-dimensional patterns for three-dimensional models, such as cylinders and cones. DOK ____: Compute with numbers (that is, add, subtract, multiply, divide).

28. 28 DOK and Reading Level 1: RECALL requires students to recite facts or to use simple skills or abilities requiring only a shallow understanding of the text presented. Level 2: BASIC REASONING requires both comprehension and subsequent processing of text or portions of text. DOK 2 items require closer understanding of text; DOK 2 multiple-choice answer options may reflect paraphrasing of the text rather than verbatim wording.

29. 29 More DOK and Reading Level 3: STRATEGIC THINKING involves reasoning and planning; students must be able to support their thinking. Justifying answers is a DOK 3 activity. Level 4: EXTENDED THINKING requires extended activity and application of significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking. Note: The extended time period does not automatically raise the DOK level if students merely repeat a rote process.

30. 30 DOK and Writing Level 1: RECALL expects students to write, speak, and edit using the conventions of Standard English. This level includes having students use appropriate grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. Level 2: BASIC REASONING expects students to begin connecting ideas, using a simple organizational structure. Applying more complex sentence structure meets the DOK 2 criteria.

31. 31 More DOK and Writing Level 3: STRATEGIC THINKING expects students to compose text that demonstrates some synthesis and analysis with multiple paragraphs and complex sentence structure. Students show awareness of their audience and purpose. Level 4: EXTENDED THINKING requires students to compose multi-paragraph text based upon their ability to synthesize and analyze complex ideas or themes (from multiple sources).

32. 32 DOK – Reading and Writing Examples DOK ____: Identify cause and effect, and understand main idea and purpose implied by text. DOK ____: Evaluate the relative accuracy and usefulness of information from different sources. DOK ____: Locate, gather, and analyze written information for the purpose of drafting a reasoned report that supports a position.

33. 33 How does DOK impact the classroom? Teachers can no longer rely solely on “tell- me-what-I-told-you” classroom assessments; they must begin creating “demonstrate-and- apply-what-you-have-learned” assessments to help students become comfortable with the new assessments. Students need to collect evidence from their class work that they have attained proficiency in state and district expectations at a DOK level of at least 3.

34. 34 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.

35. 35 Credits This presentation was put together in part from presentations written by: Kentucky Department of Education Mississippi Department of Education