Delving into the cognitive domain, we explore the work of Benjamin Bloom in understanding and planning cognitive outcomes. Benjamin Bloom is one of the legends in the landscape of learning luminaries. An educator at the University of Chicago in the 1950s, he is best known for what is popularly referred to as “Bloom’s Taxonomy.” The name comes from the title of his 1956 publication, "Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals" (co-authored with Max D. Engelhart, Edward J. Furst, Walter H. Hill, and David R. Krathwohl, with minor modifications made in 2001).
The Taxonomy is a hierarchically structured classification system of learning goals in the cognitive domain. The Taxonomy continues to be a foundational reference for helping teachers and curriculum developers plan, implement, and evaluate learning at different levels of thinking. This article will define key words, describe the different levels of the Taxonomy, identify common terms for writing cognitive objectives, provide an example for each level, and suggest questions that can be asked by teachers for each of the levels. Finally, applicational assumptions and advice are given for applying Bloom’s work to church and school education.
Key Words for Getting Started
Three key words are worth noting. These are taxonomy, hierarchy, and cognition.
Taxonomy is a term used in the sciences to name and organize things into groups that have similar characteristics.
Hierarchy, as used in Bloom’s taxonomy, refers to levels of thinking being built upon one another, with mastery of one level normally necessary before being able to fully function at the next level. To visualize this, the structure of a pyramid is used in Bloom’s design.
Cognition refers to intellectual and mental processes that are used in acquiring knowledge of facts as well as reasoning, reflection, and critical thinking skills.
Levels of the Taxonomy and Related Resources
The following descriptions summarize the six levels of the taxonomy. In the original work, The levels are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (see End Note for the updated list of these terms). Each level is defined and supplemented with an example of an outcome statement, outcome-related words, and questions representative of that level. These can be used by teachers in planning cognitive results.
Knowledge defined: Recalling specific factual information. This level is the foundation for future levels
Outcome example: Name three moral values.
Outcome words: Define, list, recognize, state, tell, what, who, and write
Questions: What is …? Where is …? How did ___________ happen? How would you describe …? Can you recall …? Can you list three …?
Comprehension defined: Understanding the meaning of information.
Outcome example: Summarize what it means to forgive someone.
Outcome words: Compare, discuss, explain, locate, paraphrase, show, summarize, and tell.
Questions: How would you compare …? Contrast? How would you rephrase the meaning …? What is the main idea of …? How would you summarize …? What can you say about …? Can you explain what is happening …? What is meant by…?
Application defined: Using knowledge in a new but similar form about a particular situation.
Outcome example: Talk about words and behaviors that show an understanding of forgiveness in a real-life situation.
Outcome words: Choose, develop, demonstrate, use, model, illustrate, predict, solve, plan, select, and organize.
Questions: How would you use …? How would you show your understanding of …? What approach would you use to …? What would result if …? What facts would you select to show …? What questions would you ask in an interview with …?
Analysis defined: Taking knowledge apart and breaking it into its primary segments.
Outcome example: Compare and contrast the different ways of dealing with forgiveness.
Outcome words: Categorize, classify, compare, diagram, distinguish, examine, outline, separate, simplify, and survey.
Questions: What are the parts or features of …? Why do you think…? Can you list the parts …? What is the relationship between …? What is the function of …? How would you categorize …?
Synthesis defined: Putting together the parts of information to create something new.
Outcome example: Summarize what you would like a person to say to you in asking forgiveness regarding an issue that has created tension between you.
Outcome words: Arrange, compile, compose, construct, create, design, formulate, modify, summarize, and theorize.
Questions: How would you improve …? What would happen if …? What way would you design …?
What would you adapt _______ to create a different …? Can you predict the outcome if …? Can you think of an original way for …?
Evaluation defined: Making judgments about the value of information and ideas.
Outcome example: Describe your opinion about a person who refuses to forgive and tell why you feel this way.
Outcome words: Appraise, award, conclude, contrast, criticize, measure, judge, justify, evaluate, value, estimate, and give an opinion.
Questions: Do you agree with …? What is your opinion of …? What would you recommend …? How would you evaluate …? How would you compare …? Why was it better that …?
Applicational Assumptions for Church and School Education
Several qualifiers should be noted for the use of the Taxonomy. These include the following.
--Learners may function within more than one of the domain levels during an educational activity.
--Cognition is a dynamic process requiring flexibility in a learning experience.
--Some levels of the Taxonomy may be more relevant than others in a specific teaching-learning situation. It is not necessary to move consecutively through all the levels in every situation. Learners bring their prior knowledge and learning styles.
--Humans, as image bears of God, reflect a divine complexity that frequently does not comply with even the best lesson plans and curriculum designs.
--The Taxonomy is a resource and not a formula or prescription. When planning, teachers should give priority to the needs of students and the learning environment.
Applicational Advice for Church and School Education
--Normal learning, in most cases, progresses from simple to complex. The natural progression of thought development requires competence in lower levels of the taxonomy as a basis for more complex mental structures. Start simple, activate prior knowledge, and teach in ways that meet needs, including those that are moral, ethical, spiritual, social, psychological, and relational.
--Instructional design involves planning learning activities that are based on assessments made by teachers. These assessments may be made by using formal or informal tools, but the interpretation of these tools is a teacher’s responsibility. Teachers, (not books or media) have the privilege of cultivating higher-level thinking skills.
--To the degree that they are able, it is the role of teachers to challenge students to higher, deeper, and more complex levels of thinking, to awaken thought processes in learners that reflect their God-given dignity, worth, and capacity for productive, righteous, loving, joyful, peaceable, and hopeful living.
Summary
This presentation has provided an overview of Bloom’s Taxonomy and its application to church and school education. Definitions and key words were given to understand the Taxonomy and examples were provided for planning educational outcomes. Assumptions and advice were also provided regarding the limitations, as well as the potential benefits of goals and objectives for educational planning. Teachers have the privilege of challenging learners to develop their minds and thought processes to achieve greater depth and complexity through the use of the Taxonomy as a planning tool.
Resources
Bloom, Benjamin. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals.
https://ia803005.us.archive.org/15/items/bloometaltaxonomyofeducationalobjectives/Bloom%20et%20al%20-Taxonomy%20of%20Educational%20Objectives.pdf
Bilon, Edmund. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Objectives.
https://amzn.to/42oAIR5
SimplyPsychology web site page. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning | Domain Levels Explained (simplypsychology.org)
YouTube video of this blog. https://youtu.be/X6wmHvV-99Y
Supplementary online resources that may have been consulted include ChatGPT, Google Search, Google Bard, Bing, and Wikipedia
Church and School Education (CASE) Resources is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com.
Supplementary online resources that may have been consulted include ChatGPT, Google Search, Google Bard, Bing, and Wikipedia
Church and School Education (CASE) Resources is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com.
