Introduction to Bloom’s Taxonomy

The Idea

Purpose◦Organize and classify educational goals◦Provide a systematized approach to course

designGuided by four principles:

◦Ought to be based on student behaviors◦Categories must have a logical relationship◦Reflect current psychological studies◦Describe values as opposed to imposing them

tax·on·o·my[tak-son-uh-mee]noun, plural tax·on·o·mies.1. the science or technique of classification. 2. a classification into ordered categories: a proposed taxonomy of educational objectives.

DomainsBloom’s original taxonomy

divides learning into three distinct domains◦Cognitive (e.g. knowledge,

understanding)◦Affective (e.g. attitude,

emotional)◦Psychomotor ( e.g. physical

skills) Cognitive domain applies to

most classroom setting and e-learning courses.

Cognitive Domain:The Hierarchy

Scales from more fact based to more critical/comprehensive based cognitive skills. Knowledge on the bottom represents the foundation for the higher order cognitive skills such as synthesis and evaluation.

Know

led

ge

Com

pre

hensi

on

• The ability to process new information• Identifying connections between facts• Assembling knowledge into a coherent scheme

• Fact based• Remembering and retrieving • Defining key terms, listing steps in a process• Repeating something heard or seen

If something is flammable, how should it be handled?

Can you identify the WHIMMIS symbols for hazardous materials?

Ap

plic

ati

on

Analy

sis• Recognize relationship between parts

• Be able to break apart complex ideas into these parts• Compare, Contrast, Differentiate, Criticize

• Learners can interpret information • Solve a new problem• Demonstrate mastery of concepts

Why is it important to have workplacestandards for hazardous material?

What are some materials that might be hazardous in your workplace?

Synth

esi

sEvalu

ati

on

• Making value judgments about the subject material• Measure, value, estimate, choose, revise

• Creative behavior• Able to construct new ideas based off of knowledge• Learners should be able to plan, propose, design

Is material safety in your workplace adequate??

How can material safety be improved at your workplace?

The ShiftThe taxonomy shifts learning from teaching

oriented objectives, to objectives focused on the learners◦ Objectives are core to the taxonomy◦ ‘Verbs’ are used to signify what the learner ought to

be doing at each stage in the cognitive hierarchyObjectives determine the structure of course

designPromotion of critical thinking

◦ Objectives based on the top of the hierarchy are more comprehensive Learners must be competent at the lower order verbs in order

to have developed the higher order ability

VERBS

Verbs describe what the behavior ofthe learner should be if the objectiveshave been met.

verb  (vɜːb)  — n 1.

(in traditional grammar) any of a large class of words in a language that serve to indicate the occurrence or performance of an action, the existence of a state or condition, etc. In English, such words as run, make, do,  and the like are verbs

Summary: The FitHow does Bloom’s Taxonomy fit

into Instructional Design?◦Provides objective based approach

A foundation from which to build courses

◦Tools to evaluate Systematizes evaluation through the

verbs

◦Conceptual shift From thinking of learners as passive

recipients of facts To active participants of instruction