1. Bloom’s Taxonomy
a map for designing effective learning
objectives and student outcomes
Choose a level from the pyramid
to learn more about it…
…or start with the
Introduction
When you have completed this module, check out the
Additional Resources
for more.
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2. The Basics
Summarized nicely by Mary Forehand (2005):
Bloom's Taxonomy is a multi-tiered model of classifying thinking according to six cognitive levels of
complexity. Throughout the years, the levels have often been depicted as a stairway, leading many teachers to encourage
their students to "climb to a higher (level of) thought." The lowest three levels are: knowledge, comprehension, and
application. The highest three levels are: analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. "The taxonomy is hierarchical; [in that] each
level is subsumed by the higher levels. In other words, a student functioning at the 'application' level has also mastered the
material at the 'knowledge' and 'comprehension' levels." (UW Teaching Academy, 2003). One can easily see how this
arrangement led to natural divisions of lower and higher level thinking.
Clearly, Bloom's Taxonomy has stood the test of time. Due to its long history and popularity, it has been condensed,
expanded, and reinterpreted in a variety of ways. Research findings have led to the discovery of a veritable smorgasbord of
interpretations and applications falling on a continuum ranging from tight overviews to expanded explanations. Most
recently, Bloom's six major categories were changed from noun to verb forms to reflect the active nature of the cognitive
processes in the learner.
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5. Who was Benjamin Bloom?
Dr. Bloom was an educational psychologist who studied the
development of talent, achievement, and learning. His work
remains some of the most influential in educational theory and the
psychology of teaching and learning.
In 1956, as a result of a result of discussions with colleagues in the
American Psychological Association, he edited the first volume of
Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational
goals in which he outlined the hierarchical levels of learning which
became known as Bloom’s Taxonomy.
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6. Remembering, aka Knowledge
Recall of facts, terms, basic concepts
Knowledge of specifics:
• terminology
• methodology
• conventions
• principles
Rote memory is classified as
the lowest level of learning in
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Click to view examples of activities utilizing the Remembering cognitive process:
Example 1
Example 2
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7. Remembering: Example 1
Ask your students to write out the quadratic
formula…
Negative b plus or minus the square
root of b-squared plus four ac, all
divided by 2a
…and you get a standard, right-or-wrong answer. That’s Remembering.
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8. Remembering: Example 2
Ask your students to recite Hamlet’s soliloquy…
To be or not to be--that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,
No more—and by a sleep to say we end…
…and you get a standard, right-or-wrong answer. That’s Remembering.
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9. Understanding, aka Comprehension
Ability to interpret and relate information and concepts
Demonstrated by:
• description
• comparison
• extrapolation
• organization
• interpretation
Click to view examples of activities utilizing the Understanding cognitive process:
Example 1
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10. Understanding: Example 1
You ask: What is the main idea of the essay you
read for class yesterday?
I think the main idea of the essay
was…
…and you get the student’s interpretation as an answer. That’s Understanding.
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11. Understanding: Example 2
Ask your students to summarize a concept…
My understanding of that idea is…
…and you get an individual take on the answer. That’s Understanding.
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12. Applying
Using new knowledge for problem solving.
Demonstrated by:
• Utilizing acquired information or skills in novel
ways or contexts
Click to view examples of activities designed to develop the Applying cognitive process:
Example 1
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13. Applying: Example 1
“Based on what you know about this system,
what would happen if you eliminated feedback
loop A?”
Removing feedback loop A would
cause changes to…
…the response will demonstrate the student’s ability to Apply acquired
knowledge in novel situations.
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14. Applying: Example 2
“How would you treat a patient displaying the
following symptoms…?”
Based on these symptoms, I would
suggest a treatment consisting of…
…the response will demonstrate the student’s ability to Apply acquired
knowledge in novel situations.
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15. Analyzing
Examination and dissection of information to determine
underlying causes; making and supporting inferences.
Exploration of:
• components
• relationships
• organizing principles
Click to view examples of activities utilizing the Analyzing cognitive process:
Example 1
Example 2
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16. Analyzing: Example 1
Ask your students to describe the relationship
between two elements of a concept.
The depth of color in a finch’s beak
is an indicator of immune system
function due to increased levels of
carotinoids in the diet…
…and the response will display their ability to Analyze information.
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17. Analyzing: Example 2
“What were the societal motives behind accusing
women of witchcraft in the 1690s?”
The context of the Salem witch
trials was a cluster of tension related to
both social and political…
…and the response will display their ability to Analyze information (and situations).
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18. Evaluating
Making and defending judgments based on evidence
and/or criteria.
Evaluation of :
• information
• ideas
• proficiency
Click to view examples of activities which demonstration the Evaluating cognitive process:
Example 1
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19. Evaluating: Example 1
Ask “What are the priorities in this case and how
would you rank them?”
Most importantly, we should pay
attention to…
…and the response will induce students to Evaluate the information.
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20. Evaluating: Example 2
Ask students to make a decision and defend their
choice…
I believe the best option is to
implement a prescribed fire to
control the invasive species…
…and the response will induce students to Evaluate the information.
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21. Creating, aka Synthesis
Formation of original ideas or concepts; reinterpretation
of existing information in new ways.
Demonstrated through:
• design
• production
• adaptation
• derivation
Creating or synthesizing is classified
as the highest level of learning in
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Click to view examples of activities utilizing the Creating cognitive process:
Example 1
Example 2
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22. Creating: Example 1
Ask your students to formulate a novel solution
to a problem…
One way to address global climate
change might be to cultivate plants
on the sides of all high-rise
buildings…
…and they will Create new ideas and synthesize learning in the process.
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23. Creating: Example 2
Have students write a research paper defending a
thesis and include references…
My theory is that…
and the research shows…
therefore…
…and they will Create new ideas and synthesize learning in the process.
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24. Additional Resources
New World Encyclopedia – Benjamin Bloom
Forehand, M. (2005). Bloom's taxonomy: Original and revised. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on
learning, teaching, and technology. Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology.
Seddon, G. M. (1978). The properties of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives for the cognitive
domain. Review of Educational Research, 48(2), 303-323.
Noble, T. (2004). Integrating the revised Bloom's taxonomy with multiple intelligences: A planning tool for
curriculum differentiation. The Teachers College Record, 106(1), 193-211.
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![The Basics
Summarized nicely by Mary Forehand (2005):
Bloom's Taxonomy is a multi-tiered model of classifying thinking according to six cognitive levels of
complexity. Throughout the years, the levels have often been depicted as a stairway, leading many teachers to encourage
their students to "climb to a higher (level of) thought." The lowest three levels are: knowledge, comprehension, and
application. The highest three levels are: analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. "The taxonomy is hierarchical; [in that] each
level is subsumed by the higher levels. In other words, a student functioning at the 'application' level has also mastered the
material at the 'knowledge' and 'comprehension' levels." (UW Teaching Academy, 2003). One can easily see how this
arrangement led to natural divisions of lower and higher level thinking.
Clearly, Bloom's Taxonomy has stood the test of time. Due to its long history and popularity, it has been condensed,
expanded, and reinterpreted in a variety of ways. Research findings have led to the discovery of a veritable smorgasbord of
interpretations and applications falling on a continuum ranging from tight overviews to expanded explanations. Most
recently, Bloom's six major categories were changed from noun to verb forms to reflect the active nature of the cognitive
processes in the learner.
3D Model
back
Expert Video
Who was Benjamin Bloom?
start
over
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