Summary

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework for student learning and how to build student learning the further along the process they get. This can involve using Bloom's to organize educational objectives and create questions and activities that align with those objectives. The taxonomy was developed by a team led by Benjamin Bloom in the 1950s and is widely used in education to help teachers and students focus on higher-order thinking skills. The revised taxonomy is organized into six levels of cognitive processes: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.

The first level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Remembering. At this level, students are expected to recall previously learned information, such as dates, facts, and definitions. Remembering is the foundation for all higher levels of thinking and is essential for building knowledge. Questions that assess this level of thinking include "What is the capital of France?" and "When was Abraham Lincoln born?"

The second level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Understanding. At this level, students are expected to understand and explain the information they have learned. They should be able to restate the information in their own words, as well as make connections between different pieces of information. Questions that assess this level of thinking include "Explain the process of photosynthesis" and "Compare and contrast the American and French revolutions."

The third level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Applying. At this level, students are expected to use the information they have learned in new situations. They should be able to apply the information to solve problems or make decisions. Questions that assess this level of thinking include "How can you use the scientific method to design an experiment?" and "How would you apply the principles of democracy in a school setting?"

The fourth level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Analyzing. At this level, students are expected to break down the information into its parts and understand how they relate to each other. They should be able to identify patterns, relationships, and connections between different pieces of information. Questions that assess this level of thinking include "What are the causes of the Civil War?" and "Analyze the structure of a poem."

The fifth level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Evaluating. At this level, students are expected to make judgments about the information and its value. They should be able to assess the credibility of sources, the relevance of information, and the usefulness of solutions. Questions that assess this level of thinking include "What are the strengths and weaknesses of a particular argument?" and "What are the ethical implications of a new technology?"

The sixth level of Bloom's Taxonomy is Creating. At this level, students are expected to use the information they have learned to generate something new. They should be able to design experiments, create original works of art, and develop new solutions to problems. Questions that assess this level of thinking include "Design a new product," "Write a short story," and "Develop a plan to address a community problem."

1. Creating a new piece of artwork that demonstrates an understanding of the elements of design (Creating)

2. Designing an experiment to test a hypothesis in science class (Evaluating)

3. Writing a literary analysis of a novel that requires synthesizing multiple sources of information (Analyzing)

4. Giving a presentation on a historical event, using primary sources to support arguments (Analyzing)

5. Creating flashcards to memorize state capitals (Remembering)

6. Participating in a debate on a current event, using logic and reasoning to support a position (Evaluating)

Prominent Criticisms:

Researchers have critiqued Bloom’s taxonomy for not being empirically sound, for being overly simplistic, for not being culturally sensitive, and for an overfocus on the cognitive domain.

Prominent Figures:

Benjamin Bloom was an American educational psychologist best known for his work in the development of Bloom's Taxonomy. Bloom worked on developing this taxonomy for 16 years by studying successful people and researching how they went about learning. He originally had the taxonomy described differently, instead beginning with knowledge and moving up with comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Because Bloom put so much work into this cognitive theory of learning, many other psychologists created their own taxonomies and hierarchies for learning such as Simpson and Krathwhol.

Bloom's Taxonomy has been widely adopted in education and other fields as a tool for organizing and classifying educational goals and objectives. It is considered to be a valuable tool for curriculum development and instruction as it helps educators understand the different levels of thinking required for different types of learning. The framework also helps to guide assessment and evaluation, as it allows educators to design assessments that match the level of thinking required for the learning objectives.

Possible Teacher Activities:

• Remembering: Teachers can use flashcards, matching games, and multiple-choice questions to help students memorize information.
• Understanding: Teachers can use activities such as summarizing, explaining, and paraphrasing to help students understand and make sense of the material.
• Applying: Teachers can use case studies, problem-solving, and role-playing to help students apply what they have learned to real-world situations.
• Analyzing: Teachers can use activities such as comparing and contrasting, cause and effect analysis, and graphic organizers to help students analyze information and understand relationships between ideas.
• Evaluating: Teachers can use activities such as debate, critical review, and self-evaluation to help students evaluate information and make judgments about its value.
• Creating: Teachers can use activities such as designing, writing, and inventing to help students create new ideas and products.

It's important to mention that these activities are just examples and they can be adapted to different subjects and grade levels, also the teacher can combine different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy in a single activity.

Quiz questions:

1. What is the highest level of cognitive skills and knowledge in Bloom's Taxonomy?

   1. Remembering
   2. Understanding
   3. Applying
   4. Creating

2. Which of the following is an example of an activity that aligns with the "analyzing" level of Bloom's Taxonomy?

   1. Summarizing
   2. Comparing and Contrasting
   3. Role-playing
   4. Paraphrasing

3. What is the purpose of Bloom's Taxonomy?

   1. To provide feedback to students
   2. To help students reflect on their learning 
   3. To organize and classify educational goals and objectives 
   4. To create flashcards

References and further reading:

https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/

https://bloomstaxonomy.net/

Disclosure: ChatGPT3 and Consensus. app was used in the creation of this resource.