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Blooms Taxonomy and its Use in Classroom Assessment

ArticleSeptember 2009 with 4,572 Reads
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1st Alison Cullinane

University of Limerick

Abstract
One of the most important aims in postprimary education is the attainment of critical or higher-order thinking skills. Identifying how to encourage, teach
and then assess these skills is an important role of the teacher. One tool which has been well regarded and has had many successes in the past is
Blooms Taxonomy of educational objectives (Bloom et al., 1956). This research and resource guide will deal speci cally with the original Blooms
Taxonomy. The author is aware of the revised taxonomy published in 2001 (Anderson et al), but Blooms version continues to be the most referred to
taxonomy.

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Resource & Research Guides Vol. 1 #13 2009-10
Blooms Taxonomy and its Use in Classroom Assessment
Alison Cullinane
Introduction
One of the most important aims in post
primary education is the attainment of critical
or higher-order thinking skills. Identifying
how to encourage, teach and then assess these
skills is an important role of the teacher. One
tool which has been well regarded and has
had many successes in the past is Blooms
Taxonomy of educ ational objectives (Bloom
et al., 1956).
This research and resource guide will deal
specifically with the original Blooms
Taxonomy. The author is aware of the revised
taxonomy published in 2001 (Anderson et al),
but Blooms version continues to be the most
referred to taxonomy.
What is Blooms Taxonomy?
Benjamin Bloom found, in a study which
involved the analysis of third level
examination scripts, that 95% of questions
examined were from lower levels of cognitive
thinking (Lord and Baviskar 2007). It was
from this research, that in 1948, Bloom and
his team of educational ps ychologists created
three different divisions of educational
objectives; Blooms Taxonomy. This research
body found t hat most educational objectives
could be placed in one of the t hree domains;
Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor. Only
the Cognitive and Affective domains were
published by Bloom and his team. The
Psychomotor domain was later developed by
other educational researchers such People who read this publication
as Simpson
(1972).
Applications of Blooms Taxonomy
There are many applications of Blooms
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reference for educators globall y. Research ha
found that the Taxonom y is used mo
frequently at policy making levels an
sparingly by schools and teachers in th
classroom (Anderson and Sosniak, 1994
Teachers have been using the Taxonomy fo
decades to help aid four common areas.
(1) Specifying lesson objectives,
(2) Preparing tests,
(3) Asking questions at different taxonom
levels.
(4) Increasing the cognitive levels of activity
Useful applications of the taxonomy includ
formulating questions to challenge you
students in class tests, during class time an
for homework assignments. The taxonomy
also useful in the designing of lesson plan
and can be used to adapt a previous
designed lesson.
When designing class tests, you can use th
following section as a guide and resource t
aid the p romotion of critical thinking amon
your students. It is necessary to apply and us
a combination of all of the levels in th
various assignments for it to have a benefici
effect on your students. The section illustrate
how, from each level, the verbs used to as
questions can be incorporated into question
this will help students strive to achieve highe
levels of critical thinking.
The Cognitive Domain
In literature most references to Bloom
also read:
Taxonomy refer to the Cognitive domain. Th
objectives dealt with in the Cognitive domai
place an emphasis on remembering o
recalling information. Cognitive objective
vary from simple recall of material that wa
2/11
10/27/2017 Blooms Taxonomy and its Use in Classroom Assessment (PDF Download Available)
Taxonomy. It was initially designed to be learned to highly ori ginal and creative way
See all applied when setting examinations papers at of combining
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Sharesynthesising
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full-text PDF an
1 Reference third level but it now has been used as a basic materials.

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Resource & Research Guides Vol. 1 #13 2009-10

The taxonomy is divided into six levels: Example Question:

Knowledge, Comprehension, Application,
Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation. Bloom's
Taxonomy is hierarchical; m eaning that
learning at the higher levels is dependent on
having attained prerequisite knowledge and
skills at the lower levels. (See Fig 1)
Q Name a polysaccharide.
____________________________________
2. Comprehension: The translation
interpretation or extrapolation o
knowledge.
Comprehension is possibly the mo
emphasised intellectual abilit y in schools. A
comprehension levels students go past simpl
the recall of facts. Instead they will have a
understanding of the information. With th
level, the y will be able to interpret the fac
and be able to put them into their own word
For example; students will not only be able t
name the components of the cell but also b
able to understand the function of each part.

Table 2: Verbs used in question ste ms to assess at a

Comprehension level.

arrange explain interpret

classify express locate
describe identify report
discuss indicate restate
sort translate extrapolate

Fig. 1: Illustrates the Cognitive domain of Blooms

Example Question:
taxonomy. Q Explain the term niche, in relatio
_______________________________ to ecology.
____________________________________
1. Knowledge: The recall of
3. Application: The application o
information.
This is the lowest l evel of the Taxon omy. knowledge to a new situation
Questions are asked solely to test whether a Students will have to apply and use th
student has gained specific information from knowledge they have learned. They m ight b
the lesson. Definitions, naming dates, naming asked to solve a problem with the informatio
people etc are all examples of Knowledge they have gained in class, to create a viabl
type questions . It can als o include knowledge solution, or illustrate an idea or concept wit
of the main ideas being taught. the use of a diagram

Table 3: Verbs used in question ste ms to assess at

Table 1: Verbs used in question ste ms to assess at a
People who read this publication also read: level.
an Application
Knowledge level.

define name order apply practice solve

describe recite recognise choose prepare use
label recall record illustrate schedule demonstrate
t
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list relate reproduce operate sketch measure

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arrange underline

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Resource & Research Guides Vol. 1 #13 2009-10

to invent a new product or game the y ar

Example Question: being asked to synthesise new ideas.
Q Illustrate the cell as it goes Cover
through the
Page: Science Scope: Ecology. Teaching resource for the new
various stages of cell division.
Junior Cycle science specification.
_____________________________________ Table 5: Verbs used in question ste ms to assess at a
Full-text Jan 2015 Synthesis level.
4. Analysis: Break down knowledge
into parts and show relationships arrange design prepare
among the parts. assemble formulate propose
In this level, students wi ll be required to go collect manage set up
beyond knowledge and application and compose organise synthesise
actually see patterns that they can us e to create Plan write
analyse a problem. This involves dissecting construct modify conduct
ideas and material into its component parts;
therefore examining and discriminating Example Question:
between the relationships of the parts. For Q. Plan and design an ecological fieldtri
example, asking what are the dietary needs booklet for your class which you wi
of a lactose int olerant person requires the undertake at various loc ations, includin
students to anal yse the dietar y needs of that the lake, woodland and seaside.
individual and arrive at a conclusion based on ___________________________________
this analysis.
6. Evaluation: Judgements abou
Table 4: Verbs used in question ste ms to assess at the value of material and method
an Analysis level. for given purposes.
Evaluation is deemed the highest level o
analyse diagram question cognitive thinking. It is a complex proces
calculate discriminate test and is regarded to encom pass combinations o
categorise distinguish differentiate all the other objectives. Students are expecte
contrast examine compare to assess information and come to
criticise experiment inventory conclusion such as its v alue or debating th
pros and cons of the information in front o
Example Question: them. You are writing evaluation questi on
Q. Compare and contrast the various types when you use words like select, judge, debat
of lichens you have found from the recommend, etc.
individual l ocations you have studied.
Why do you think there may be a Table 6: Verbs used in question ste ms to assess at
an Evaluation level.
difference in the occurrence of the lichens
in these locations?
_____________________________________ appraise estimate select
argue evaluate support
5. Synthesis: Bring together parts
assess judge value
(elements, components) of attack predict score
knowledge to form a whole and compare rate defend
People who read this publication also read:
build relationships for new
situations. Example Question:
Students are required to use the given facts to Q. Prepare a case you would present
create new theories or make predictions at this defend your views on stem cell research i
level. Knowledge from multiple subjects can the world today.
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be combined and utilised before comin g to a

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Resource & Research Guides Vol. 1 #13 2009-10
The Affective Domain
The Affective domain focuses on encouraging
the development of factors such as student
feelings, motivation, attitudes, perceptions
and values towards the material they are
learning. This domain transcends activities
ranging from listening to others, pa rticipating
in discussions to showing self-reliance when
working independently (Bloom et al., 1964).
Students require a well rounded education so
they are not simply gathering information but
are responding to what they learn, valuing it,
being able to organise the material and even
characterise themselves as scientists. The
Affective domain is usefu l for areas of moral
concern, where students have an opportunity
to respond to controversial or sensitive issues
in science such as animal testing, st em cell
research (embryonic), donor transplantations,
cancer research and radiation (nuclear
disasters i.e. the Chernobyl disaster). The
Affective domain in the curriculum is
acknowledged to be an important aspect to
learning. Research concerned with attitudes to
science and their effect on t he learning on
science show that without a positive attitude
towards sci ence, students will not want to
learn the subject (Littledyke, 2008).
Behaviours in this d omain are classes into
five separate categories; 1. Receiving, 2.
Responding, 3. Valuing 4. Organisation and
5. Characterisation by a value or value
complex (Bloom et al., 1964).
The Psychomotor Domain
Bloom did not focus on, or devise categories
for skills in the Psychomotor domain, but
other educators have created their own
psychomotor taxonomies (Simpson, 1972).
The Psychomotor domain deals with People
phwho read this publication also read:
ysical
movement and skills that ma y be required in-
order to complete a course or subject matter.
Psychomotor objective are as important to
concentrate on as the Cognitive and Affective
bj ti ith i i d ti
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preparing sl ides, manipulating apparatus an
field work study.
References:
Anderson, L. W. & Sosniak, L. A., eds. (199
Bloom's Taxonomy: A forty year retrospective Chicag
The University of Chicago Press.
Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. et al (2001)
Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing:
Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Education
Objectives, Abridged Edition ed., New York Longman
Alsop, S., (2000) Facts and feelings: exploring th
affective do main in the learning of physics, Physi
Education 35 (2) March.
Bloom, B., Englehart, M., Furst, E., Hill, W. an
Krathwohl, D. (19 56) Taxonomy of education
objectives: The classification of educational goa
Handbook I: Cognitive domain. , New York, Toronto
Longmans, Green
Bloom, B. S., Krathwohl, D. R. and M asia, B.
(1964) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. T
classification of educational goals. Handbook
Affective Domain Boston David McKay Company, Inc
Forehand, M, 2005. Bloom's taxonomy: Original an
revised. ', Emerging perspectives on learning, teachin
and technology. [Online], availabl
http://www.coe.uga.edu/epltt/bloom.htm.
Littledyke, M,. (2008) 'Science education f
environmental a wareness: approaches to integratin
cognitive and affective domains', E nvironmen
Education Research,14:1,1 17
Lord, T and Baviskar, S. (2007) Moving fro
information recitation to exploting Blooms Taxonom
in creating science questions Journal of Colle
Science Teaching 36(5) 40-44
Simpson, E. J. (1972) The classification of education
objectives: Psychomotor domain. , Urbana University
Illinois Press.
Vogel, C. (2007) 'Bloom's Taxonomy levels assigned
ExamView learning series test questions',
Ms Alison Cullinane
Projects Officer in Teaching and Learni
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objectives with-in science education. (Biological Sciences)
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1 Reference and may include; adjusting a microscope,
E-mail: Alison.Cullinane@ul.ie

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Bloom's Taxonomy: A Forty-Year Retrospective

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