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Teaching and Learning

Bloom's Taxonomy
Benjamin Bloom (1913-1999) was an educational psychologist who was interested in improving student learning.
In the late 1940s, Bloom and other educators worked on a way to classify educational goals and objectives, which
resulted in three learning categories or "domains" and the taxonomy of categories of thinking:

Cognitive domain (knowledge): verbal or visual intellectual capabilities

Affective domain (attitudes): feelings, values, beliefs
Psychomotor domain (skills): physical skill capabilities

Each of the three domains requires learners to use different sets of mental processing to achieve stated outcomes
within a learning situation. Thus, instructional goals and objectives should be designed to support the different
ways learners process information in these domains.

Each of the three domains requires learners to use different sets of mental processing to achieve
stated outcomes

Original and Revised Taxonomies

The "original" Bloom's taxonomy is still widely used as an educational planning tool by all levels of educators. In
2001, a former student of Bloom published a new version the taxonomy to better fit educational practices of the
21st century. At that time, the six categories were changed to use verbs instead of nouns because verbs describe
actions and thinking is an active process. Both models are portrayed as hierarchical frameworks where each level
is subsumed by the higher, more complex level—students who function at one level have also mastered the
level(s) below it. Using the revised taxonomy, for example, a student who has reached the highest level,
"Creating," has also learned the material at each of the five lower levels. Thus, a student has achieved a high level
of thinking skill.

Bloom’s Taxonomy 1956 Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy 2001

Evaluation
Creating

Synthesis
Evaluating

Analysis
Analyzing

Application
Applying

Comprehension
Understanding

Knowledge Remembering 

Why Use Bloom’s Taxonomy?

Bloom’s Taxonomy can be useful for course design because the levels can help you move students through the
process of learning, from the most fundamental remembering and understanding to the more complex evaluating
and creating (Forehand, 2010).

The taxonomy can assist you as you develop assessments by helping you match course learning objectives to any
given level of mastery. When teaching lower-division, introductory courses, you might measure mastery of
objectives at the lower levels, and when teaching more advanced, upper division courses, you would likely be
assessing students’ abilities at the higher levels of the taxonomy.

Using Bloom's Taxonomy to plan instruction

Instructional objectives are more effective if they include specific verbs that can tell students what they are
expected to do. The verbs listed in the table below are linked with each level of thinking.

To develop effective and meaningful instruction further, design activities and assessments that challenge students
to move from the most basic skills (remembering) to more complex learning which leads to higher order thinking
(creating). 

The table below demonstrates the connections between the levels of thinking, verbs you might use in a learning
objective, sample questions or prompts to generate thinking at that level, and 

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11/2/22, 10:36 PM Bloom's Taxonomy | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Northern Illinois University

Level of Verbs Sample Question / Activities, Products,

Thinking
Statement Stems Outcomes
(Highest to
Lowest)

Creating change
Design a… to… Design a computer
combine
How would you lab for your program
Making compare
improve…? Invent a machine to

Something New compose

Formulate a theory do a specific task
construct
for…? Imagine a new
create
Predict the outcome product

design
of…? and plan a marketing
devise
How would you campaign
formulate
test…? Design a cover image
generate
How would you for a film
hypothesize
estimate the results Formulate a
imagine
for…? hypothesis for…
improve
If you had access to Compose a musical

invent
all resources how score for …
plan
would you deal Devise a problem set
predict
with…? for…
propose What would happen Plan a system of
if…? governance for a
How many ways can utopian society
you…?
Develop a new
proposal which
would…
Create new and
unusual uses for…
Construct a new
model that would
change…

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Evaluating argue
What is your opinion Debate the merits
appraise
of…? of…
Making assess
How would you Write a letter to…
Judgments
check
prove or disprove...? defending your views
Based on
debate
Would it be better on …
Criteria decide
if…? Write an end-of-the-
defend
What would you year report in which
determine
recommend…? you appraise…
dispute
How would you rate Recommend a
editorialize
the…? solution to the
judge
What would you cite problem of…
justify
to defend the Justify a proposal
prioritize
actions…? for…
rate
How could you Select the most
recommend
determine…? useful products for…
select
How would you Prioritize spending
support
prioritize…? for local government
verify Based on what you Assess the credibility
know, how would of sources
you explain…?
What data were used
to make the
conclusion?
How would you
compare the ideas
…?
How would you
compare the people?
How would you
justify...?

Analyzing advertise
What are the parts or Analyze data
analyze
features of …? according to …
Distinguishing
appraise
How is ___ related to Troubleshoot
Different Parts attribute
…? problems with lab
of a Whole
categorize
What is the theme equipment
compare
…? Arrange a
contrast
List the parts … conference and
differentiate
What inferences can sequence all
distinguish
you make …? necessary steps
examine
How would you Make an
identify
classify …? organizational chart
infer
How would you of your unit or
investigate
categorize …? department
organize
What evidence can (categorize)
outline
you find …? Write an ad
separate
What is the campaign for your
sequence
relationship between organization
test …? (advertise)
What is the function Distinguish between
of …? ethical and unethical
What motive is there behavior
…?
Differentiate the
distinct parts of …

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11/2/22, 10:36 PM Bloom's Taxonomy | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Northern Illinois University

Applying classify
How would you Construct a
construct
use…? marketing strategy
Using
complete
What examples can for your organization
Information in
demonstrate
you find to? Develop a
New Situations dramatize
How would you solve storyboard of digital
examine
___ using what images to
execute
you’ve learned? demonstrate a
illustrate
What approach process
implement
would you use to…? Draw a flow chart
practice
What would result that illustrates a
show
if…? system
solve
What elements Perform the scene
use would you choose to Practice the task
change …? Use the tool to…
What questions Graph the parabola
would you ask in an
interview with …?

Understanding calculate
How would you Explain what you
compare
classify the type think is the main idea
Explaining
define
of...? Identify what you
Information and describe
How would you think are the most
Concepts
discuss
compare or important supporting
distinguish
contrast…? details
expand
How would you Restate the story in
explain
rephrase the your own words
identify
meaning of...? Compare the events
interpret
What facts or ideas leading up to the
locate
show…? two wars
outline
Which statements Interpret the artwork
predict
support…? Translate the
report
What can you say passage into English
restate
about…? Calculate the
translate Which is the best solution using the
answer to…? appropriate formula
How would you
summarize…?

Remembering describe
What is…? List the main events
duplicate
Where is ? Write a timeline of
Recalling or
find
How did ___ events for…
Recognizing list
happen? Recite a poem
Information locate
How would you Locate the parts of
name
describe…? __ on a diagram
recall
Who was…? Underline all the
recognize
Who were the adverbs
reproduce
main…? Define the scientific
state
When did…? terms
tell
Recall… Describe the Fourth
underline
Amendment
write

Verbs and Products/Outcomes Based on the Six Levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy

Adapted from "Bloom's Bakery, an Illustration of Bloom’s Taxonomy" by Argiro, Forehand,

Osteen, & Taylor (2007) and Extending Children’s Special Abilities: Strategies for Primary
Classrooms by Dalton & Smith (1987, pp. 36-37)

Summary

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11/2/22, 10:36 PM Bloom's Taxonomy | Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning | Northern Illinois University

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy is one of many tools that faculty can use to create effective and meaningful
instruction. Use it to plan new or revise existing curricula; test the relevance of course goals and objectives;
design instruction, assignments, and activities; and develop authentic assessments.

References
Argiro, M., Forehand, M., Osteen, J., & Taylor, W. (2005). Bloom’s bakery: An illustration of Bloom’s taxonomy.
https://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy

Dalton, J. & Smith, D. (1987). Extending children’s special abilities: Strategies for primary classrooms. Melbourne,
Australia: Ministry of Education.

Forehand, M. (2010). Bloom’s taxonomy. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and
technology (pp. 41-47). Retrieved from
https://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.pdf

Smaldino, S. E., Lowther, D. L., & Russell, J. D. (2008). Instructional technology and media for learning. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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International License.

SUGGESTED CITATION
Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. (2020). Bloom's taxonomy. In
Instructional guide for university faculty and teaching assistants. Retrieved from
https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide

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