bloom's taxonomy structuring the learning journey

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning

Charlotte Ruhl

Research Assistant & Psychology Graduate

BA (Hons) Psychology, Harvard University

Charlotte Ruhl, a psychology graduate from Harvard College, boasts over six years of research experience in clinical and social psychology. During her tenure at Harvard, she contributed to the Decision Science Lab, administering numerous studies in behavioral economics and social psychology.

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Saul McLeod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

On This Page:

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a set of three hierarchical models used to classify educational learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity. The three lists cover the learning objectives in cognitive, affective, and sensory domains, namely: thinking skills, emotional responses, and physical skills.

Key Takeaways

• Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical model that categorizes learning objectives into varying levels of complexity, from basic knowledge and comprehension to advanced evaluation and creation.
• Bloom’s Taxonomy was originally published in 1956, and the Taxonomy was modified each year for 16 years after it was first published.
• After the initial cognitive domain was created, which is primarily used in the classroom setting, psychologists devised additional taxonomies to explain affective (emotional) and psychomotor (physical) learning.
• In 2001, Bloom’s initial taxonomy was revised to reflect how learning is an active process and not a passive one.
• Although Bloom’s Taxonomy is met with several valid criticisms, it is still widely used in the educational setting today.

Take a moment and think back to your 7th-grade humanities classroom. Or any classroom from preschool to college. As you enter the room, you glance at the whiteboard to see the class objectives.

“Students will be able to…” is written in a red expo marker. Or maybe something like “by the end of the class, you will be able to…” These learning objectives we are exposed to daily are a product of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

What is Bloom’s Taxonomy?

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a system of hierarchical models (arranged in a rank, with some elements at the bottom and some at the top) used to categorize learning objectives into varying levels of complexity (Bloom, 1956).

You might have heard the word “taxonomy” in biology class before, because it is most commonly used to denote the classification of living things from kingdom to species.

In the same way, this taxonomy classifies organisms, Bloom’s Taxonomy classifies learning objectives for students, from recalling facts to producing new and original work.

Bloom’s Taxonomy comprises three learning domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. Within each domain, learning can take place at a number of levels ranging from simple to complex.

Development of the Taxonomy

Benjamin Bloom was an educational psychologist and the chair of the committee of educators at the University of Chicago.

In the mid 1950s, Benjamin Bloom worked in collaboration with Max Englehart, Edward Furst, Walter Hill, and David Krathwohl to devise a system that classified levels of cognitive functioning and provided a sense of structure for the various mental processes we experience (Armstrong, 2010).

Through conducting a series of studies that focused on student achievement, the team was able to isolate certain factors both inside and outside the school environment that affect how children learn.

One such factor was the lack of variation in teaching. In other words, teachers were not meeting each individual student’s needs and instead relied upon one universal curriculum.

To address this, Bloom and his colleagues postulated that if teachers were to provide individualized educational plans, students would learn significantly better.

This hypothesis inspired the development of Bloom’s Mastery Learning procedure in which teachers would organize specific skills and concepts into week-long units.

The completion of each unit would be followed by an assessment through which the student would reflect upon what they learned. 

The assessment would identify areas in which the student needs additional support, and they would then be given corrective activities to further sharpen their mastery of the concept (Bloom, 1971).

This theory that students would be able to master subjects when teachers relied upon suitable learning conditions and clear learning objectives was guided by Bloom’s Taxonomy.

The Original Taxonomy (1956)

Bloom’s Taxonomy was originally published in 1956 in a paper titled Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Bloom, 1956).

The taxonomy provides different levels of learning objectives, divided by complexity. Only after a student masters one level of learning goals, through formative assessments, corrective activities, and other enrichment exercises, can they move onto the next level (Guskey, 2005).

Cognitive Domain (1956)

Concerned with thinking and intellect.

The original version of the taxonomy, the cognitive domain, is the first and most common hierarchy of learning objectives (Bloom, 1956). It focuses on acquiring and applying knowledge and is widely used in the educational setting.

This initial cognitive model relies on nouns, or more passive words, to illustrate the different educational benchmarks.

Because it is hierarchical, the higher levels of the pyramid are dependent on having achieved the skills of the lower levels.

The individual tiers of the cognitive model from bottom to top, with examples included, are as follows:

Knowledge : recalling information or knowledge is the foundation of the pyramid and a precondition for all future levels → Example : Name three common types of meat. Comprehension : making sense out of information → Example : Summarize the defining characteristics of steak, pork, and chicken. Application : using knowledge in a new but similar form → Example : Does eating meat help improve longevity? Analysis : taking knowledge apart and exploring relationships → Example : Compare and contrast the different ways of serving meat and compare health benefits. Synthesis : using information to create something new → Example : Convert an “unhealthy” recipe for meat into a “healthy” recipe by replacing certain ingredients. Argue for the health benefits of using the ingredients you chose as opposed to the original ones. Evaluation : critically examining relevant and available information to make judgments → Example : Which kinds of meat are best for making a healthy meal and why?

Types of Knowledge

Although knowledge might be the most intuitive block of the cognitive model pyramid, this dimension is actually broken down into four different types of knowledge:

• Factual knowledge refers to knowledge of terminology and specific details.
• Conceptual knowledge describes knowledge of categories, principles, theories, and structures.
• Procedural knowledge encompasses all forms of knowledge related to specific skills, algorithms, techniques, and methods.
• Metacognitive knowledge defines knowledge related to thinking — knowledge about cognitive tasks and self-knowledge (“Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy,” n.d.).

However, this is not to say that this order reflects how concrete or abstract these forms of knowledge are (e.g., procedural knowledge is not always more abstract than conceptual knowledge).

Nevertheless, it is important to outline these different forms of knowledge to show how it is more dynamic than one may think and that there are multiple different types of knowledge that can be recalled before moving onto the comprehension phase.

And while the original 1956 taxonomy focused solely on a cognitive model of learning that can be applied in the classroom, an affective model of learning was published in 1964 and a psychomotor model in the 1970s.

The Affective Domain (1964)

Concerned with feelings and emotion.

The affective model came as a second handbook (with the first being the cognitive model) and an extension of Bloom’s original work (Krathwol et al., 1964).

This domain focuses on the ways in which we handle all things related to emotions, such as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasm, motivations, and attitudes (Clark, 2015).

From lowest to highest, with examples included, the five levels are:

Receiving : basic awareness → Example : Listening and remembering the names of your classmates when you meet them on the first day of school. Responding : active participation and reacting to stimuli, with a focus on responding → Example : Participating in a class discussion. Valuing : the value that is associated with a particular object or piece of information, ranging from basic acceptance to complex commitment; values are somehow related to prior knowledge and experience → Example : Valuing diversity and being sensitive to other people’s backgrounds and beliefs. Organizing : sorting values into priorities and creating a unique value system with an emphasis on comparing and relating previously identified values → Example : Accepting professional ethical standards. Characterizing : building abstract knowledge based on knowledge acquired from the four previous tiers; value system is now in full effect and controls the way you behave → Example : Displaying a professional commitment to ethical standards in the workplace.

The Psychomotor Domain (1972)

Concerned with skilled behavior.

The psychomotor domain of Bloom’s Taxonomy refers to the ability to physically manipulate a tool or instrument. It includes physical movement, coordination, and use of the motor-skill areas. It focuses on the development of skills and the mastery of physical and manual tasks.

Mastery of these specific skills is marked by speed, precision, and distance. These psychomotor skills range from simple tasks, such as washing a car, to more complex tasks, such as operating intricate technological equipment.

As with the cognitive domain, the psychomotor model does not come without modifications. This model was first published by Robert Armstrong and colleagues in 1970 and included five levels:

1) imitation; 2) manipulation; 3) precision; 4) articulation; 5) naturalization. These tiers represent different degrees of performing a skill from exposure to mastery.

Two years later, Anita Harrow (1972) proposed a revised version with six levels:

1) reflex movements; 2) fundamental movements; 3) perceptual abilities; 4) physical abilities; 5) skilled movements; 6) non-discursive communication.

This model is concerned with developing physical fitness, dexterity, agility, and body control and focuses on varying degrees of coordination, from reflexes to highly expressive movements.

That same year, Elizabeth Simpson (1972) created a taxonomy that progressed from observation to invention.

The seven tiers, along with examples, are listed below:

Perception : basic awareness → Example : Estimating where a ball will land after it’s thrown and guiding your movements to be in a position to catch it. Set : readiness to act; the mental, physical, and emotional mindsets that make you act the way you do → Example : Desire to learn how to throw a perfect strike, recognizing one’s current inability to do so. Guided Response : the beginning stage of mastering a physical skill. It requires trial and error → Example : Throwing a ball after observing a coach do so, while paying specific attention to the movements required. Mechanism : the intermediate stage of mastering a skill. It involves converting learned responses into habitual reactions so that they can be performed with confidence and proficiency → Example : Successfully throwing a ball to the catcher. Complex Overt Response : skillfully performing complex movements automatically and without hesitation → Example : Throwing a perfect strike to the catcher’s glove. Adaptation : skills are so developed that they can be modified depending on certain requirements → Example : Throwing a perfect strike to the catcher even if a batter is standing at the plate. Origination : the ability to create new movements depending on the situation or problem. These movements are derived from an already developed skill set of physical movements → Example : Taking the skill set needed to throw the perfect fastball and learning how to throw a curveball.

The Revised Taxonomy (2001)

In 2001, the original cognitive model was modified by educational psychologists David Krathwol (with whom Bloom worked on the initial taxonomy) and Lorin Anderson (a previous student of Bloom) and published with the title A Taxonomy for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment .

This revised taxonomy emphasizes a more dynamic approach to education instead of shoehorning educational objectives into fixed, unchanging spaces.

To reflect this active model of learning, the revised version utilizes verbs to describe the active process of learning and does away with the nouns used in the original version (Armstrong, 2001).

The figure below illustrates what words were changed and a slight adjustment to the hierarchy itself (evaluation and synthesis were swapped). The cognitive, affective, and psychomotor models make up Bloom’s Taxonomy.

How Bloom’s Can Aid In Course Design

Thanks to Bloom’s Taxonomy, teachers nationwide have a tool to guide the development of assignments, assessments, and overall curricula.

This model helps teachers identify the key learning objectives they want a student to achieve for each unit because it succinctly details the learning process.

The taxonomy explains that (Shabatura, 2013):

• Before you can understand a concept, you need to remember it;
• To apply a concept, you need first to understand it;
• To evaluate a process, you need first to analyze it;
• To create something new, you need to have completed a thorough evaluation

This hierarchy takes students through a process of synthesizing information that allows them to think critically. Students start with a piece of information and are motivated to ask questions and seek out answers.

Not only does Bloom’s Taxonomy help teachers understand the process of learning, but it also provides more concrete guidance on how to create effective learning objectives.

The revised version reminds teachers that learning is an active process, stressing the importance of including measurable verbs in the objectives.

And the clear structure of the taxonomy itself emphasizes the importance of keeping learning objectives clear and concise as opposed to vague and abstract (Shabatura, 2013).

Bloom’s Taxonomy even applies at the broader course level. That is, in addition to being applied to specific classroom units, Bloom’s Taxonomy can be applied to an entire course to determine the learning goals of that course.

Specifically, lower-level introductory courses, typically geared towards freshmen, will target Bloom’s lower-order skills as students build foundational knowledge.

However, that is not to say that this is the only level incorporated, but you might only move a couple of rungs up the ladder into the applying and analyzing stages.

On the other hand, upper-level classes don’t emphasize remembering and understanding, as students in these courses have already mastered these skills.

As a result, these courses focus instead on higher-order learning objectives such as evaluating and creating (Shabatura, 2013). In this way, professors can reflect upon what type of course they are teaching and refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy to determine what they want the overall learning objectives of the course to be.

Having these clear and organized objectives allows teachers to plan and deliver appropriate instruction, design valid tasks and assessments, and ensure that such instruction and assessment actually aligns with the outlined objectives (Armstrong, 2010).

Overall, Bloom’s Taxonomy helps teachers teach and helps students learn!

Critical Evaluation

Bloom’s Taxonomy accomplishes the seemingly daunting task of taking the important and complex topic of thinking and giving it a concrete structure.

The taxonomy continues to provide teachers and educators with a framework for guiding the way they set learning goals for students and how they design their curriculum.

And by having specific questions or general assignments that align with Bloom’s principles, students are encouraged to engage in higher-order thinking.

However, even though it is still used today, this taxonomy does not come without its flaws. As mentioned before, the initial 1956 taxonomy presented learning as a static concept.

Although this was ultimately addressed by the 2001 revised version that included active verbs to emphasize the dynamic nature of learning, Bloom’s updated structure is still met with multiple criticisms.

Many psychologists take issue with the pyramid nature of the taxonomy. The shape creates the false impression that these cognitive steps are discrete and must be performed independently of one another (Anderson & Krathwol, 2001).

However, most tasks require several cognitive skills to work in tandem with each other. In other words, a task will not be only an analysis or a comprehension task. Rather, they occur simultaneously as opposed to sequentially.

The structure also makes it seem like some of these skills are more difficult and important than others. However, adopting this mindset causes less emphasis on knowledge and comprehension, which are as, if not more important, than the processes towards the top of the pyramid.

Additionally, author Doug Lemov (2017) argues that this contributes to a national trend devaluing knowledge’s importance. He goes even further to say that lower-income students who have less exposure to sources of information suffer from a knowledge gap in schools.

A third problem with the taxonomy is that the sheer order of elements is inaccurate. When we learn, we don’t always start with remembering and then move on to comprehension and creating something new. Instead, we mostly learn by applying and creating.

For example, you don’t know how to write an essay until you do it. And you might not know how to speak Spanish until you actually do it (Berger, 2020).

The act of doing is where the learning lies, as opposed to moving through a regimented, linear process. Despite these several valid criticisms of Bloom’s Taxonomy, this model is still widely used today.

What is Bloom’s taxonomy?

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical model of cognitive skills in education, developed by Benjamin Bloom in 1956.

It categorizes learning objectives into six levels, from simpler to more complex: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. This framework aids educators in creating comprehensive learning goals and assessments.

Bloom’s taxonomy explained for students?

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a framework that helps you understand and approach learning in a structured way. Imagine it as a ladder with six steps.

1. Remembering : This is the first step, where you learn to recall or recognize facts and basic concepts.

2. Understanding : You explain ideas or concepts and make sense of the information.

3. Applying : You apply what you’ve understood to solve problems in new situations.

4. Analyzing : At this step, you break information into parts to explore understandings and relationships.

5. Evaluating : This involves judging the value of ideas or materials.

6. Creating : This is the top step where you combine information to form a new whole or propose alternative solutions.

Bloom’s Taxonomy helps you learn more effectively by building your knowledge from simple remembering to higher levels of thinking.

Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives . New York: Longman.

Armstrong, P. (2010). Bloom’s Taxonomy. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching . Retrieved from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/

Armstrong, R. J. (1970). Developing and Writing Behavioral Objectives .

Berger, R. (2020). Here’s what’s wrong with bloom’s taxonomy: A deeper learning perspective (opinion) . Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-heres-whats-wrong-with-blooms-taxonomy-a-deeper-learning-perspective/2018/03

Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. Vol. 1: Cognitive domain. New York: McKay , 20, 24.

Bloom, B. S. (1971). Mastery learning. In J. H. Block (Ed.), Mastery learning: Theory and practice (pp. 47–63). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Clark, D. (2015). Bloom’s taxonomy : The affective domain. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/Bloom/affective_domain.html

Guskey, T. R. (2005). Formative Classroom Assessment and Benjamin S. Bloom: Theory, Research, and Implications . Online Submission.

Harrow, A.J. (1972). A taxonomy of the psychomotor domain . New York: David McKay Co.

Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An overview. Theory into practice, 41 (4), 212-218.

Krathwohl, D.R., Bloom, B.S., & Masia, B.B. (1964). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook II: Affective domain . New York: David McKay Co.

Lemov, D. (2017). Bloom’s taxonomy-that pyramid is a problem . Retrieved from https://teachlikeachampion.com/blog/blooms-taxonomy-pyramid-problem/

Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy . (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/effective-teaching-practices/revised-blooms-taxonomy/

Shabatura, J. (2013). Using bloom’s taxonomy to write effective learning objectives . Retrieved from https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/

Simpson, E. J. (1972). The classification of educational objectives in the Psychomotor domain , Illinois University. Urbana.

Further Reading

• Kolb’s Learning Styles
• Bloom’s Taxonomy Verb Chart
• Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. Vol. 1: Cognitive domain. New York: McKay, 20, 24.
• Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An overview. Theory into practice, 41(4), 212-218.
• Montessori Method of Education

The Definitive Guide to Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s taxonomy has long been used by teachers everywhere to help plan lessons and designing curricula but what is it and how can it be used?

What is Bloom’s Taxonomy? Bloom’s taxonomy (the cognitive domain) is a hierarchical arrangement of 6 processes where each level involves a deeper cognitive understanding. The levels go from simplest to complex: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create. They allow students to build on their prior understanding.

I think you’ll agree with me when I say, finding a learning theory that most teachers agree on is like hunting for the lost city of Atlantis.

It turns out that it’s been staring us in the face all along!

Unless you have been living under a rock or in a dark cave for your entire teaching career, you will have come across Bloom’s Taxonomy.

In this definitive guide, I will explain where it came from, what it is exactly and how you can implement it in YOUR classroom!

Who was Benjamin Bloom?

Benjamin Bloom (1913 – 1999), was an American educational psychologist who developed a classification of learning levels (now known as Bloom’s Taxonomy) with his colleagues.

Bloom studied at Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

He received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1942, where he worked with the highly respected education expert Ralph Tyler and was a talented teacher and was especially interested in students’ thought processes while learning.

Benjamin Bloom Biography

Bloom was born on 21st Feb.1913 in Lansford, Pennsylvania. During his early childhood and adolescence, he was extremely interested in the world around him and methods of acquiring knowledge and information.

He loved to read and write research papers and continued to do so throughout his career, using the vast amount of knowledge he gained in his professional work.

He was extremely devoted to his family, wife, and sons. He taught his children various useful skills, often listening to and composing music and playing board games with them.

Bloom’s Pedagogical Research

Bloom had an excellent career. In the early years, he was the director of the examining board of the University of Chicago, heading a group of leading school psychologists with whom he worked to advance this scientific discipline.

As part of his work at the university, he founded the MESA (Measurement, Evaluation, Statistical Analysis) program.

The MESA program encourages scientists and analysts to think deeply about the manner and practice of assessment. Also, Bloom was chairman of the Faculty Admissions Committee.

The Birth of the Mastery Model

In his research, Bloom concluded that achieving the highest results in a particular field of work requires at least decades of dedication, renunciation and hard work.

Bloom surveyed a sample of about 120 leading mathematicians, physicists, biochemists, artists, pianists, athletes (tennis players, swimmers etc).

The result of the research showed that each of them needed at least 10-15 years of hard work (learning, practising, coaching) and dedication to achieve mastery in their specific area of ​​expertise.

The role of educators, teachers, and professors during their professional work improves the conditions in the environment of students to express their knowledge, talents of ingenuity in the highest possible sense.

In 1957, he was sent by the Ford Foundation to conduct an evaluation survey in India which led to the revision of their examination and evaluation system.

Bloom was quite rightly recognized as an advisor to education around the world. His work on learning theories is essential study material for any teacher

He also complimented his rich career with activism at the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievements (IEA).

Who was Benjamin Bloom Influenced by?

Bloom believed that learning was a process and that it was the teacher’s job to plan lessons and assignments to help students achieve the set goals.

Ralph W. Tyler

Bloom’s work on setting goals for educational evaluation and the curriculum was influenced by his mentor Ralph W. Tyler (1902-1994) .

Bloom was a researcher under Tyler’s mentorship during a distinguished Eight-Year Study (1934 -1942).

The goal of the study was to allow schools to investigate and evaluate alternative methods of assessment in schools.

Tyler worked on the theory and development of the curriculum and the evaluation of the educational process. Promoting behavioral goals, he understood learning as a process of adopting new behaviors.

John B. Carroll

John B. Carrol (1916 – 2003) was an American psychologist and author of “ School Learning Model “. Bloom was impressed with Carrolls’ optimism, especially the idea that differentiates students only in the views they take to learn the material.

Then, with the help of a teacher, each child could achieve a certain, required level of knowledge.

Bloom was also influenced by the work of pioneers in individualized teaching, especially Washburne (1922) and his Winnetka Plan and Morrison (1926) and his school experiment.

Individualized Learning

The advantage of individual learning and mentoring is that if a student makes a mistake, he/she receives feedback from a mentor, then a correction follows to ensure the performance and high quality of work.

Successful students search the textbook and relevant sources for correcting mistakes so that they do not repeat themselves.

With the help of his mentor, Bloom developed methods that would create a master of science from students, not just those who would memorize theory and facts and repeat the lessons learned.

Elliot W. Eisner

Elliot W. Eisner (1933 – 2014) was Bloom’s student in the education department of the University of Chicago.

Bloom helped his students understand through their own experiences.

Most professors would try to explain the theory but Bloom worked through experiments with students. Bloom inspired his students and associates to dedicate themselves and explore educational opportunities.

He was an optimist based on real facts.

According to Eisner, Bloom was in love with the discovery process and developing strategies in a scientific way.

Benjamin Bloom made a significant impact on the scientific work of his students, contemporaries, and associates.

“After forty years of intensive research on school learning in the United States as well as abroad, my major conclusion is: What any person in the world can learn, almost all persons can learn if provided with appropriate prior and current conditions of learning.” “Developing Talent in Young People” by Benjamin Bloom”

Bloom’s Domains of Learning

With his colleagues David Krathwohl and Anne Harrow, Bloom proposed three domains of learning; The cognitive domain (knowledge), the affective domain (attitudes) and the psychomotor domain (skills).

The Cognitive Domain (Bloom’s Taxonomy)

The first of the domains to be proposed was the cognitive domain (1956), this is the one we commonly refer to as Bloom’s taxonomy.

Taxonomy is a scientific discipline that classifies certain organisms based on their similarities and differences.

The cognitive domain suggests that objectives can be ranked in order of their cognitive difficulty.

It is these ranked classifications that teachers across the world are familiar with. The original order ranging from “knowledge” at the most basic to “evaluation” at the most cognitively taxing, is as follows:

• Understanding
• Application

Bloom’s taxonomy is not a simple classification scheme – it is an effort to arrange different thought processes hierarchically.

Each level depends on the student’s ability to complete the previous level or previous levels (phases) For example, a student applying knowledge (Phase 3), he must have certain information (phase 1) and at the same time understand that information (phase 2).

We also see Bloomian cognitive learning rooted in Rosenshine’s Principles of instruction.

The Hierarchical Structure of Cognition

K nowledge . (remember previously learned content)..

Requirements or instructions that trigger typical knowledge-seeking or identifiable activities. Instructional words you could use include:

List, recite, define, name, match, quote, recall, tell, label, recognize, arrange, order, state, relate, repeat, duplicate.

Example. State: Who is the hero in this story?

U nderstanding . (Mastered the meaning of the content).

This level refers to the student’s ability to understand what is being said, to be able to present in his or her way the content and to understand the conclusions that follow directly from content, claims or results.

Describe, explain, paraphrase, summarize, interpret, identify, classify, report, indicate, formulate, express, translate, review.

Example. Explain in your own words, what is the story about?

Application. (Applies the learned in new and concrete situations).

This is about the ability to use some abstractions in specific situations, that is, to solve problems using learned concepts, ideas, rules, or procedures.

Related activities are initiated by the following instructions in the students:

Predict, expand, compare, classify, calculate, apply, solve, illustrate, use, demonstrate, determine, model, operate, choose, select, perform.

Example: Using what you have learnt about group one metals, predict what will happen when you put a chunk of Lithium in the water.

A nalysis . (Breaks down the content and structure of the material).

This level of educational goals is based on logical thinking. To achieve the objectives appropriate to the level of analysis, students should be instructed such as:

Distinguish, confirm, sketch, list all possible consequences, categorize, organize, translate, contrast, differentiate, question, investigate, examine, determine, compare, discriminate, detect, calculate, classify, outline, analyze.

Example: Based on your experiment, what chemical reaction leads to …?

S ynthesis . (Formulates and builds new structures from existing knowledge and skills).

This level of goal implies the ability to combine known elements and create a new whole, model, or structure that did not exist before.

The core of achieving this category of goals lies in creative thinking. Students will perform appropriate activities aimed at achieving the goals from this level based on the following instructions:

Create, invent, elaborate, summarize, make, picture, imagine, modify, connect, define assumptions, predict, determine keywords (basic thesis, title) combine, minimize, assemble, plan, generalize, manage, write, conclude, prepare, design, formulate, build, compose, generate, derive.

Example: What would the world look like if humans suddenly vanished?

E valuation . (Judges the value of the content for a given purpose).

The objectives at the evaluation level are standards that can be set by the learner, it is their own personal interpretation. Evaluative goals can be initiated by the instructions:

Evaluate, prove, refute, argue, justify, support, convince, debate, resolve the ambiguity, weigh, prioritize, judge.

Example: Justify your opinion on climate change?

Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised

Bloom’s taxonomy was revised by Lorin Anderson , a former Bloom student, and David Krathwohl , Bloom’s original research partner.

Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) redefined the neuro-cognitive processes in the taxonomy and further arranged them hierarchically by listing the corresponding sublevels.

The revised taxonomy retains six levels of educational goals, but now these are formulated as actions (verbs, not nouns as in Bloom’s taxonomy), thus making them easier for teachers to use.

The last two levels have reversed places, so the order is now as follows:

Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a framework for teachers, helping them write and plan the goals and objectives of their lessons .

Its main benefit is that it allows teachers to more clearly differentiate their lesson’s goals.

Another change was to introduce another dimension that more consistently defines the subcategories within each major level.

In this second dimension, different types of knowledge are represented:

Knowledge of facts and data . (Knowledge of terminology and knowledge of specific details and elements of some content).

Conceptual knowledge . (Knowledge of classifications and categories, knowledge of principles and generalizations and knowledge of theories, models and structures).

P rocedural knowledge . (Knowledge of subject-specific skills and knowledge of algorithms, knowledge of subject-specific techniques and methods, and knowledge of the criteria for applying appropriate procedures).

M etacognitive knowledge . (Knowledge of strategies, knowledge of what it takes to work on tasks, knowledge of oneself).

Bloom’s publication Taxonomy of Educational Objectives has become widely used around the world to assist in the preparation of evaluation materials.

Many teachers make extensive use of Bloom’s taxonomy, thanks to the structure it provides in areas such as level assessment knowledge.

Due to its comprehensiveness as a learning theory , Bloom’s taxonomy is applicable in different educational situations, at all levels and areas of learning, and is therefore recommended as an indispensable tool in the practice of every teacher.

The Affective Domain

Affective domain – attitudes, values, and interests.

Krathwohl and Bloom proposed the affective domain in 1964 (8 years after the cognitive domain). Like the cognitive domain, it too divides its objectives into hierarchical subdivisions.

This domain addresses the issues of the emotional component of learning and ranges from a basic willingness to receive information to the integration of beliefs, ideas, and attitudes.

The ranked domain subcategories range from “receiving” at the lower end up to “characterization” at the top. The full ranked list is as follows:

• Receiving. Being aware of an external stimulus (feel, sense, experience).
• Responding. Responding to the external stimulus (satisfaction, enjoyment, contribute)
• Valuing. Referring to the student’s belief or appropriation of worth (showing preference or respect).
• Organization. The conceptualizing and organizing of values (examine, clarify, integrate.)
• Characterization. The ability to practice and act on their values. (Review, conclude, judge).

As with the cognitive domain, it is assumed that learning at lower levels is a prerequisite for reaching the next, higher level.

To explain the way we approach things from an emotional point of view, Bloom and his colleagues have developed five basic categories:

Receiving refers to the willingness to receive information. For example, an individual accepts the obligation to be in class, listens to others with respect, shows an interest in social issues.

Responding refers to the active participation of an individual in their education.

For example, an individual shows interest in the subject is willing to prepare a presentation, participate in class discussions and likes to help others.

Valuation ranges from simply accepting some value in the lesson to commitment.

For example, an individual expresses faith in democratic processes, respects the role of science in everyday life, shows concern for the well-being of others or shows an understanding of personal and cultural differences.

O rganization refers to the process a person goes through when he or she associates different values, resolves conflicts between them, and begins to adopt them. They adjust behavior to a value system.

For example, they start to recognize the need for a balance between freedom and responsibility in a democracy, accept responsibility for one’s behavior, accept standards of professional ethics or adapts behavior to their new value system.

Characterization is the level of adoption, an individual has a developed system of evaluation in terms of their own beliefs, ideas, and attitudes that guide their behavior consistently and predictably.

For example, They will express confidence in working independently, demonstrate a commitment to the ethics, demonstrate good personal, social and emotional adjustment and lives out healthy life habits.

The Psychomotor Domain

Psychomotor domain – skills.

The psychomotor domain refers to human movement from a psychological perspective, those objectives that are specific to reflex actions, interpretive movements and discreet physical functions.

It is a misunderstanding of the psychomotor domain that physical objectives that support cognitive learning fit the psycho-motor label, e.g.; learning how to chop vegetables or sanding a piece of wood.

These physical actions are a vector for cognitive learning, not psycho-motor learning.

The psychomotor domain is concerned with how we recognize the world around us using our bodies and senses.

For example how we such as learning how to serve in tennis or perform multiple somersaults in high diving or trampolining.

This third domain has received the least attention than the previous two. Bloom and his colleagues did not complete their work on the psychomotor domain leading to later research by other authors.

R.H. Dave (1970)

Dave’s psychomotor domain is perhaps the most common version and can be the simplest to apply as a learning theory .

It deals with levels of competency in a physical task. Dave suggested five levels from the initial discovery to mastery of the physical skill.

Elizabeth Simpson (1972)

Simpson’s psychomotor domain is concerned with using and coordinating motor skills. it is a track towards mastery.

Anita Harrow (1972)

Anita Harrow published her paper in 1972; “ A Taxonomy of the Psychomotor Domain “ . In it, she classified different types of learning in the psycho-motor domain ranging from reflex actions to those require precise control.

How Is Bloom’s Taxonomy Used in the Classroom?

Bloom’s taxonomy has been developed precisely to help teachers formulate learning outcomes and as a guide to devising assessment criteria tailored to the type of cognitive domains and mental and companion skills being assessed.

The research done by Bloom and his colleagues has multiple implications for teaching practice and the quality of education.

It allows teachers to adequately plan their teaching while respecting the individual abilities of students, as well as using different learning and education strategies , innovating practice and adequately assessing students’ knowledge and skills.

Based on the insights gained from such monitoring, teachers can make meaningful adjustments to their curriculum to devote more attention and time to those goals that they did not recognize through their students’ learning journey.

If teachers involve the students themselves in this process, encouraging them to self-assess by comparing expected and achieved outcomes, it will also contribute to the development of learning motivation.

Student self-assessment is a brilliant tool for developing students’ responsibility for their progress and success in learning.

After reviewing the work of Bloom and his associates, it is evident that his contribution to the planning, organization and structuring of the educational process is remarkable.

Bloom’s Taxonomy FAQ

The three domains that form Bloom’s taxonomy are; the cognitive domain (knowledge), the affective domain (attitudes, values, and interests) and the psychomotor domain (skills).

The 6 levels that make up the cognitive domain (the domain commonly referred to as Bloom’s taxonomy are (from simplest to most complex): remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create.

Bloom’s taxonomy is not a simple classification scheme – it is a hierarchical arrangement of cognitive processes that lend themselves perfectly to teachers planning lessons and allowing students to build upon their prior understanding.

Bloom and his collaborators have provided a framework upon which teachers can build lessons and curricula, students must master one level before building to mastery of subsequent levels.

Dealing with knowledge, the cognitive domain is a hierarchical scaffold where each level involves a deeper cognitive understanding.

The affective domain (sometimes referred to as the feeling domain), is focused on the emotional aspect of learning. It takes into account attitudes, values and interests.

The psychomotor domain refers to human movement from a psychological perspective. It involves those objectives that are specific to reflex actions, interpretive movements and discreet physical functions.

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An excellent explanation of teaching and learning levels and skills.

Thanks for these theories, it really helped me to write the teaching materials for the course “learning strategies”

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What is Bloom’s Taxonomy: the pyramid of true learning

Exploring the depths and implications of Bloom's Taxonomy in learning.

Imagine a seed, tucked into the soil, ready to start its growth. It will go through stages, transforming from a tiny seed into a sprouting plant, and eventually into a blooming flower.

This process is not unlike the journey your mind embarks on when learning something new. That’s where Bloom’s Taxonomy comes in—a framework for understanding the stages of learning.

A Seed Planted: What is Bloom’s Taxonomy?

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical model designed to classify learning objectives. Created by educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues in the 1950s, it’s a ladder of sorts—a way to understand how learning progresses from simple facts to complex analysis. Each rung represents a different level of understanding, a new layer of complexity, a new bloom on the flower of knowledge.

Bloom’s Taxonomy, also known as The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, provides a roadmap for the journey of learning, outlining the steps from basic knowledge to complex understanding. The aim is to promote higher forms of thinking in education, moving beyond rote memorization to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills .

It’s not just about memorizing — it’s about understanding information, applying it, analyzing it, evaluating it, and creating something new with it. It’s a model that recognizes that learning is not a one-size-fits-all process but a layered, multifaceted journey.

Bloom’s Taxonomy has been widely embraced in education and training contexts around the globe, and it remains one of the most well-known and frequently used educational frameworks. In essence, it provides a blueprint for learning, offering a structured approach to the development of educational programs and lesson plans, and a systematic method for assessing learners’ understanding.

“At the time it was introduced, the term taxonomy was unfamiliar as an education term. Potential users did not understand what it meant, therefore, little attention was given to the original Taxonomy at first. But as readers saw its potential, the framework became widely known and cited, eventually being translated into 22 languages,” wrote American psychologist David R. Krathwohl, who would later greatly influence the revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Original Bloom’s Taxonomy: The First Blossom

The original Bloom’s Taxonomy had six stages, each representing a different cognitive skill. Let’s take a walk through this garden of growth.

The first level of the taxonomy is Knowledge. This is where your learning journey starts. It’s about remembering and recalling basic facts and information—names, dates, places, and ideas. This is the seed of knowledge, the foundation upon which all other learning is built.

Comprehension

Next comes Comprehension. It’s more than just knowing facts—it’s understanding them. It’s the moment when a seedling first breaks through the surface and reaches towards the sunlight, starting to take in its environment.

Application

At the Application level, things start getting interesting. Here, you begin to use what you’ve learned in new ways. It’s the stage when the plant begins to spread its leaves, putting to use the sunlight it’s absorbing.

The fourth stage, Analysis, is where the understanding becomes deeper. It’s about breaking information down into parts and understanding how those parts relate to each other—the way a botanist might dissect a flower to better understand its structure.

Synthesis, the second-to-last stage, is where creativity comes into play. It’s about combining information in new ways like a gardener arranging different flowers to create a beautiful bouquet.

The final stage, Evaluation, is about making judgments and forming opinions about what you’ve learned. It’s the full bloom of the flower, ready to be admired and critiqued.

Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy: A New Bloom

Over time, our understanding of learning has evolved, and so too has Bloom’s Taxonomy. Just as a gardener might prune and adjust a plant to help it grow more effectively, a group of cognitive psychologists are improving and adapting the taxonomy.

Led by one of Bloom’s former students, Lorin Anderson, and educational psychologist David R. Krathwohl , researchers revisited the original taxonomy in the early 2000s . They made some key changes to better reflect our contemporary understanding of learning processes. The revised taxonomy maintains the essence of the original—still presenting a hierarchical model of cognitive processes. However, there were two significant adjustments.

Changing Nouns to Verbs

The first change was linguistic but impactful: the six categories were renamed from nouns to verbs. This shift emphasizes that learning is an active process. Each category now represents an action that a learner engages in, rather than a static stage of understanding.

• Remembering: The base level, previously known as “Knowledge,” is now “Remembering.” This involves retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from long-term memory.
• Understanding: Previously “Comprehension,” this level involves constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages.
• Applying: This remains unchanged in name but now emphasizes the use of procedures to solve problems, not just in routine tasks.
• Analyzing: This level is about breaking material into constituent parts and detecting how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose.
• Evaluating: Previously the highest level in the original taxonomy, “Evaluation” is now the penultimate stage. It involves making judgments based on criteria and standards.
• Creating: This final stage, previously “Synthesis,” is now “Creating.” It’s about putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole or reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure.

Swapping the Top Two Levels

The second significant change in the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy is the swapping of the top two levels. In the original, “Evaluation” was the highest level of cognitive work. In the revised model, “Creating” takes this spot. This change was made to reflect the idea that creating a new product or point of view requires a higher level of understanding and mastery than making a judgment or evaluation.

These adjustments in the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy were not made to replace the original model but to update it, recognizing that our understanding of cognitive processes and learning behaviors have evolved.

Like the original, the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy serves as a powerful tool that can enhance teaching and learning strategies, emphasizing the active, dynamic nature of learning.

The Importance of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Why it Matters

Why should we care about this taxonomy? Why not just learn and let learn? Well, Bloom’s Taxonomy offers a structured way to approach learning that helps ensure a deep, thorough understanding of a topic. It’s like a map guiding us through the territory of knowledge, ensuring we don’t miss any important landmarks along the way.

The taxonomy also provides a useful framework for teachers and educators to design their curriculum and assessments. By addressing each level of the taxonomy, they can ensure they’re not just teaching facts, but also fostering understanding, application, analysis, evaluation, and creativity. It’s a way to nurture the whole garden of learning, not just a single plant.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs: The Language of Learning

Each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy is associated with specific verbs that describe the cognitive processes involved. These verbs serve as signposts, guiding learners and educators alike through the stages of understanding.

• Remembering: This level involves verbs like define, list, recall, and recognize. You’re dealing with the basic elements of knowledge here—the seeds of understanding.
• Understanding: Verbs at this level include describing, explaining, summarizing, and interpreting. They’re about making sense of the knowledge you’ve gained.
• Applying: Here, you’ll see verbs like use, demonstrate, solve, and implement. These actions are all about using your knowledge in practical ways.
• Analyzing: At this level, verbs such as compare, differentiate, examine, and relate come into play. They’re about dissecting knowledge, and understanding its inner workings.
• Evaluating: Here, verbs, like assess, critique, judge, and defend, are used. These actions are about forming judgments based on your understanding.
• Creating: The highest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy involves verbs like design, construct, produce, and invent. These are the actions of a fully bloomed learner, able to use their knowledge in new and innovative ways.

These verbs aren’t just descriptors—they’re actions that learners actively engage in. They provide a clear structure to follow, guiding learners and educators alike on the journey from the simple act of recalling information to the complex process of creating something new.

It’s not just about the destination—it’s also about the journey, and these verbs help illuminate the path.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Questions: Probing the Depths of Knowledge

Bloom’s Taxonomy doesn’t just guide the learning process—it also provides a framework for asking questions. Each level of the taxonomy corresponds to a different type of question , allowing teachers and learners to probe the depths of understanding.

• Remembering: Questions at this level might include “What is…?” or “Can you recall…?” They’re about retrieving basic information.
• Understanding: Here, questions might be “Can you explain why…?” or “How would you summarize…?” They’re about comprehending the information.
• Applying: Questions at this level could include “How would you use…?” or “What examples can you find…?” They’re about applying knowledge to new situations.
• Analyzing: Questions like “What are the differences between…?” or “How does…relate to…?” come into play here. They’re about breaking down complex ideas.
• Evaluating: Questions at this level might be “What do you think about…?” or “Can you defend your position on…?” They’re about making judgments based on knowledge.
• Creating: Finally, questions like “What would you invent…?” or “How would you improve…?” are used. These are the questions that push learners to create something new from their understanding.

Bloom’s Taxonomy List of Objectives: Guiding the Learning Journey

Just as a gardener plans out a garden, setting objectives for what they want to grow and where, educators use Bloom’s Taxonomy to plan out the learning journey. Each level of the taxonomy can be associated with specific learning objectives , forming a roadmap for growth.

• Remembering: The objective at this level is to recall information accurately.
• Understanding: The goal here is to comprehend the meaning of the information.
• Applying: The aim at this level is to use the information in a new context.
• Analyzing: The objective here is to break down complex information into its constituent parts and understand how they relate.
• Evaluating: The goal at this level is to make informed judgments based on the acquired understanding.
• Creating: The final objective is to use the accumulated knowledge to create something new or original.

Each objective serves as a stepping stone, guiding the learner from one level of understanding to the next, ensuring a comprehensive grasp of the subject matter.

Using and Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy: Charting the Course of Learning

Like a compass in a vast forest, Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a sense of direction in the learning journey. But how do you use it in practice?

Start by identifying the current level of understanding. Are you or your students just beginning to learn about a topic, or do you already have a solid foundation to build upon? This will determine your starting point on the taxonomy.

From there, use the taxonomy as a guide to structure your learning or teaching. Plan activities and assessments that address each level of the taxonomy, ensuring a well-rounded understanding.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Activities: From Seed to Blossom

Let’s take a look at some examples of activities that correspond to each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Remember, these are just starting points—feel free to adapt and expand upon them to suit your specific learning needs.

Remembering: Create flashcards with key terms and concepts. Use them to practice recalling information.

Understanding: Write a summary or an explanation of a topic in your own words. This can help solidify your understanding.

Applying: Solve a problem or carry out a task using the information you’ve learned. This could be a math problem, a science experiment, or a real-world scenario.

Analyzing: Compare and contrast two related concepts or ideas. How are they similar? How are they different? This can help you see the nuances of the topic.

Evaluating: Form an opinion about a topic and defend it with evidence. This encourages critical thinking and helps you form your own perspectives.

Creating: Design a project or create a product that incorporates what you’ve learned. This could be a piece of artwork, a business plan, a research proposal, or anything else that allows you to use your knowledge in a new and creative way.

Critique and Limitations of Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy has been applied by generations of  K – 12  teachers and college instructors in their teaching. It is a model that greatly enhances learning objectives compared to unstructured learning. But like all models, it is not perfect.

In a 2018 article , Ron Berger, Chief Academic Officer at EL Education, critiques the traditional view of Bloom’s Taxonomy. He argues that the hierarchical pyramid graphic misrepresents the nature of learning by suggesting that cognitive processes are discrete and ranked in importance.

Berger contends that learning does not occur in a linear progression, starting with remembering and moving upward. Instead, he asserts that understanding is built through the application and creation of knowledge. Just as adults learn new skills by applying and creating, students also need opportunities to apply their knowledge and engage in the creation process to develop a deep understanding. Berger suggests that the integrated, circular, and iterative process of creating, analyzing, revising, and improving is how learners truly build understanding.

While acknowledging the usefulness of frameworks like Bloom’s Taxonomy in organizing thinking and reminding educators to address a range of skills, Berger argues that the taxonomy encourages instructional practices that do not align with how learning actually happens. He emphasizes the importance of providing students with ample opportunities to create and analyze throughout their learning journey, integrating active, hands-on experiences with the acquisition of knowledge.

Final words

In the end, Bloom’s Taxonomy is more than just a hierarchy of learning—it’s a celebration of the human mind’s capacity to grow, to understand, and to create. It’s a reminder that learning is not a straight line but a blooming flower , each petal a new layer of understanding. So the next time you embark on a journey of learning, remember to take a moment to stop and smell the roses.

FAQ about Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical framework used to classify educational objectives and skills into different levels of complexity and cognitive processes.

Bloom’s Taxonomy was developed by Benjamin Bloom, an educational psychologist, in collaboration with a group of educators in the 1950s.

The purpose of Bloom’s Taxonomy is to provide educators with a structured and systematic approach to design and assess learning outcomes. It helps in setting clear learning objectives, planning instructional strategies, and evaluating student performance.

The six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, in ascending order of complexity, are: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.

The “Remembering” level focuses on recalling or retrieving factual information, such as facts, terms, and concepts. It involves tasks like listing, defining, naming, and describing.

The “Understanding” level requires students to demonstrate comprehension and interpretation of information. It involves tasks like summarizing, explaining, comparing, and paraphrasing.

The “Applying” level involves using acquired knowledge and skills in new situations or contexts. It includes tasks like solving problems, demonstrating techniques, and implementing procedures.

The “Analyzing” level focuses on breaking down information into its constituent parts and examining relationships between them. It involves tasks like categorizing, organizing, comparing, and contrasting.

The “Evaluating” level requires making judgments and assessments based on criteria and standards. It involves tasks like critiquing, appraising, justifying, and defending.

The “Creating” level involves generating new ideas, products, or interpretations by combining existing knowledge and skills. It includes tasks like designing, constructing, composing, and planning.

Bloom’s Taxonomy can be used by teachers to design effective lesson plans, develop appropriate assessment methods, and scaffold student learning. It encourages higher-order thinking skills and promotes deep understanding.

Yes, Bloom’s Taxonomy is applicable to all subjects and grade levels. It can be adapted and customized according to the specific needs and learning objectives of different disciplines and age groups.

Absolutely! Bloom’s Taxonomy can be effectively applied in online or distance learning environments. It provides a framework for designing engaging and interactive activities that promote active learning and critical thinking.

Some critics argue that Bloom’s Taxonomy oversimplifies the complexity of learning and that it places too much emphasis on the cognitive domain while neglecting other important aspects, such as affect

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Welcome to the

Interactive bloom's taxonomy, what is bloom's taxonomy.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a well-known learning theory used by educators to craft learning outcomes and identify the depth (or level) of learning desired of students. Originally presented in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom and colleagues, the taxonomy today includes three domains of learning: cognitive (mental knowledge or head), psychomotor (manual/physical doing or hand) and affective (feelings/emotions or heart) domains. More recently, a digital (technology) domain has been proposed as an addition to the taxonomy in response to advances in information and communication technologies. We may see additional domains added in the future.

Bloom’s Taxonomy reflects a multi-tiered, hierarchical, and cumulative classification scheme of human thinking and learning. Just like climbing a staircase, learners are encouraged to move upward to higher levels within each domain during their learning experience. Learning at one level presumes learning is either subsumed—or has been achieved—at prior levels.

Type a verb stem from a learning outcome in the search bar above to discover the relevant category or categories of Bloom’s Taxonomy, or you can click on the tiles below to view suggested verb stems and assessment activities for each category. Please note that only the cognitive domain is currently available.

Suggested verbs include:

Associated assessment types include:

• definitions
• labelling activity
• listing activity
• matching activity
• multiple choice test
• identifying terms
• providing examples
• reciting concepts
• scavenger hunt
• text reading
• fill-in-the blanks
• true and false questions
• a trivia game
• characterize
• demonstrate
• differentiate
• distinguish
• extrapolate
• give examples
• interpolate
• discussions
• concept map
• expanded definition
• short answer question
• summarizing
• diagrams or infographics
• matrix activity
• back / back up
• case studies
• escape room
• discussion board post
• e-portfolio
• lab reports
• one-minute paper
• presentations
• problem-solving tasks
• discriminate
• investigate
• analytical report
• class discussion
• book or film review
• diagram and infographics
• critique of hypothesis, procedures etc.
• literature review
• testing and mapping results
• branching scenarios
• argumentative or persuasive essay
• provide alternative solutions
• evaluative reports
• deductive reasoning games
• troubleshooting a flawed process
• justification report
• hypothesize
• reconstruct
• tell / tell why
• concept models
• designs or schematics
• works of art
• a composition or performance
• original media
• new processes or criteria
• innovative or alternative solutions
• grant proposals
• research proposals
• business plans

• Learning Techniques
• Suggest a topic

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s taxonomy is a toolbox that teachers or students can use to classify and organize learning objectives. It’s most popular version was formalised in 1956 by a group of Psychologists and educators. It is based on the notion of the cognitive domain and assumes that learning should be structured from easy to difficult in 6 steps. Let’s have a look at them!

The full story

On the first level, we learn to remember . There is just rote memorization and recollection of facts without much understanding. For example, if we learn about lemons, we want to remember the name, shape, colour, size and that they are sour. Once we memorize these essentially meaningless facts, we move to the second level of learning. 

On level two we learn to understand . We begin to decode information and learn that a lemon is yellow when it’s ripe to eat, and if we take a bite, that it’s really super sour. We also understand that lemons love sunshine and that they contain lots of vitamin C, which is a great natural antioxidant that keeps us healthy. Now as we really understand a lemon, we can work with it. 

On the third level, we apply what we know. We’ve understood that while lemons are sour, they are also a great provider of vitamin C. To apply this knowledge in a meaningful way, we could boil a lemon into hot water and add some honey. Then serve this hot lemon to our sick sister, who’s in need of treatment. 

On the fourth level, we learn to analyze . This involves examining and breaking down information into components, determining how the parts relate to one another and finding evidence to support generalizations. We study the lemon flesh, examine the skin and look at levels of vitamins. We conclude that we can eat everything inside, while the skin tastes bitter and contains traces of toxic pesticides. It ought not to be consumed. 

Now we are ready to evaluate . We analyze, critique and compare. To evaluate our lemon as a good source of vitamins, we compare it to other sources, such as oranges and supplements. We look at the following properties: vitamin levels, affordability, taste, and packaging waste. If we evaluate our thoughts critically and without bias, we learn where the lemons score high and where others score higher. 

Now after we have learned, understood, applied, analyzed and evaluated, we are ready to create . As we now really understand lemons, also in comparison to similar things, we can formulate a plan to create our own natural lemonade. It’s now easy to come up with a cute shop design, a good name “sweet lemons” and a good slogan “natural healthy yummy”. 

Bloom’s Taxonomy was first formalised in 1946 by American psychologist Benjamin Bloom. The revised version from 2001, as just presented, serves as the backbone of many teaching philosophies, in particular, those that aim towards teaching specific skills. Each level usually comes with a clear learning objective that can be tested. Critics of the taxonomy often question the existence of a sequential, hierarchical link between each level. What are your thoughts? Please share them in the comments below! 

“As a university instructor in Education, this is a perfect video that sums up Bloom’s Taxonomy and provides clear examples. I will share it with my students and thank you so much.” – Rayan Bahsoun 

• Bloom’s Taxonomy – Wikipedia
• Bloom’s Taxonomy – Centre for Teaching
• 50 Ways To Use Bloom’s Taxonomy In The Classroom – TeachThought
• Read the full script here – by Sprouts

Dig deeper!

• What No One Tells You About Bloom’s Taxonomy – Education to Save the World
• Here’s What’s Wrong With Bloom’s Taxonomy: A Deeper Learning Perspective – Education Week
• The Unfortunate Consequences of Bloom’s Taxonomy – The Critical Thinking Consortium

Classroom activity

Feeling inspired? Try to implement some activities inspired by Bloom’s Taxonomy in your class. Check out this inspiring guide and let us know how it worked for you 🙂 How to use Bloom’s Taxonomy in the classroom

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Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (RBT)

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Bloom's Taxonomy and Webb's Depth of Knowledge

Have you ever wondered about the difference between Webb’s Depth of Knowledge and Bloom’s Taxonomy?

If you are in the educational field, this is something you most likely have been exposed to and are familiar with; if not, this article provides a bit of insight into the concepts. Let’s look further into the differences between these concepts and their relation to course rigor and academic standards alignment.

Access:  Bloom's Taxonomy and Webb's Depth of Knowledge

Bloom's Taxonomy Revised

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Bloom's Taxonomy Revised (for teachers) - YouTube

Access: Bloom's Taxonomy Revised (for teachers) - YouTube

Bloom's Taxonomy Revised - Understanding the New Version of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy

Access: Bloom's Taxonomy Revised - Understanding the New Version of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy: Structuring the Learning Journey - You Tube

Access: Bloom's Taxonomy:  Structuring the Learning Journey - You Tube

Bloom's Taxonomy: The Ultimate Guide

Access: Bloom's Taxonomy: The Ultimate Guide

Cybraryman's Tools and Resources for Bloom's Taxonomy

Access: Cybraryman's Tools and Resources for Bloom's Taxonomy

Curricular Alignment: A Re-Examination by Lorin W. Anderson

Examines key differences among content coverage, opportunity to learn, and curriculum alignment, suggesting that the revised Taxonomy provides a framework for analyzing curriculum alignment and illustrating how the Taxonomy Table can be used to estimate curriculum alignment. The paper notes that the revised Taxonomy enables educators to probe beneath the surface to determine how objectives, activities, and assessments are similar in terms of demands they place on student learning. (SM)

Access: Curricular Alignment:  A Re-Examination by Lorin W. Anderson

E-Learning with Bloom's Taxonomy - YouTube

Access: E-Learning with Bloom's Taxonomy - YouTube

100+ Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs for Critical Thinking

This site has usable information although the advertising can be distracting. Verbs can be used for curriculum mapping, assessment design, lesson planning, personalizing and differentiating learning , and almost any other “thing” a teacher–or student–has to do.  You can even download a handy chart to use as a quick reference.

Access: 100+ Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs for Critical Thinking  

Revised Bloom's Taxonomy

Iowa State's Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching shares this information.

• Handout for Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (Iowa State)

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TreeTopSecret Presents Bloom's Taxonomy and Depth of Knowledge

Access: TreeTopSecret Presents Bloom's Taxonomy and Depth of Knowledge

Understanding Bloom's Revised Taxonomy - You Tube

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Understanding the Basics of Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy Application in eLearning

The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (RBT) brings in an added dimension that enables it to be used more effectively to design eLearning.

Access: Understanding the Basics of Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy Application in eLearning

Videos for Bloom's Revised Taxonomy on YouTube

Access: Videos for Bloom's Revised Taxonomy on YouTube

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