Introduction

Bloom’s taxonomy was developed to provide a common language for teachers to discuss and exchange
learning and assessment methods. Specific learning outcomes can be derived from the taxonomy,
though it is most commonly used to assess learning on a variety of cognitive levels. The table below
defines each cognitive level from higher- to lower-order thinking
Bloom’s taxonomy was originally published in 1956 by a team of cognitive psychologists at the
University of Chicago. It is named after the committee’s chairman, Benjamin Bloom (1913–1999) who
was an American educational psychologist. The original taxonomy was organized into three domains:
Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor
COGNITIVE DOMAIN

The American educational psychologist David Krathwohl and some of his associates subsequently
focused on the affective domain, which is concerned with student interests, attitudes, and feelings.
Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy originally was represented by six different domain levels:

 Knolevels
 Comprehension
 Application
 Analysis
 Synthesis
 Evaluation

All of the Bloom domains focused on the knowledge and cognitive processes.
AFFECTIVE DOMAIN

The affective domain includes “the manner in which we deal with things emotionally, such as feelings,
values, appreciation, enthusiasms, motivations, and attitudes”, Excitement, challenge, frustration, and
even trauma are all emotions and experiences that require us to dip into our bank of coping skills and
apply them in order to successfully navigate interpersonal situations.

Categories of affective domain

The domain is broken into five categories that develop from more simple to complex over time.

Receiving

One of the earliest skills is the receiving phenomena which in a nutshell means the person is able to
listen and has a willingness to hear out others. At a young age, children are taught to attend to
directions from adults or demands from playmates. This early skill is a prerequisite to finding success in
later skills in the Affective Domain.

Responding

Becoming an active participant in social situations can begin effectively once the receiving skills are
mastered. Participating in discussions, asking questions, and presenting information to others are next-
level skills that create a stronger foundation for interpersonal connection and expression.

Valuing

Once receptive and expressive communication skills are established, students can internalize values that
inform how they use their thinking and reasoning to act upon what they learn. Appreciation,
justification, invitation, and demonstration are all ways one may show this category of thinking with
interpersonal situations.
Organization

As we grow, we realize that different values and beliefs are held, and we must grapple with the conflict
of such a message. To do so, our brain engages in organization, where we contrast different view points
and create our own unique system to evaluate what we see occurring based on our values. Each system
is unique because of the various influences that are put upon the individual in order to make sense of
the unique experience they are having in the world.

Characterization

Once a person has identified various belief systems and placed value and organization on them, the
person will act based on the unique affective system they have created. For example, one may act on an
injustice through verbalization or service because of the value they have placed on fairness and equity.

Undoubtedly, it is critical we attend to the affective domain as educators to ensure students build
everything from receiving phenomena where they can actively listen, to characterization through which
they can take informed action to positively impact their lives and others. If social-emotional learning is
not already a part of your district’s curriculum, the time is right to ask for it, and tell them Bloom sent
you!
PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN

Psychomotor domain includes physical movement, coordination, and use of the motor-skill areas.
Development of these skills requires practice and is measured in terms of speed, precision, distance,
procedures, or techniques in execution. Thus, psychomotor skills rage from manual tasks, such as
digging a ditch or washing a car, to more complex tasks, such as operating a complex piece of machinery
or dancing.
PURPOSE OF TEACHING BLOOMS TAXONOMY

Is to encourage higher-order thought in their students by building up from lower-level cognitive

skills.The goal of an educator’s using Bloom’s taxonomy is to encourage higher-order thought in their
students by building up from lower-level cognitive skills. Behavioral and cognitive learning outcomes are
given to highlight how Bloom’s taxonomy can be incorporated into larger-scale educational goals or
guidelines. The key phrases can be used to prompt for these skills during the assessment process.
REFERENCES

Bloom, B. S. (1969). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals :

Handbook I, Cognitive domain. New York: McKay.

Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., & Bloom, B. S. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and
assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.

Bloom, B.S. (Ed.). Engelhart, M.D., Furst, E.J., Hill, W.H., Krathwohl, D.R. (1956). Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc.

Dave, R.H. (1970). Psychomotor levels in Developing and Writing Behavioral Objectives, pp.20-21. R.J.
Armstrong, ed. Tucson, Arizona: Educational Innovators Press.

www.Graduateprogramsforeducaters.com

Engelhart, M. D.; Furst, E. J.; Hill, W. H.; Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives:
The classification of educational goals. Vol. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay
Company.

Shane, Harold G. (1981). “Significant writings that have influenced the curriculum: 1906–1981”. Phi
Delta Kappan. 62 (5): 311–314.

Bloom et al. 1956, p. 4: “The idea for this classification system was formed at an informal meeting of
college examiners attending the 1948 American Psychological Association Convention in Boston. At this
meeting, interest was expressed in a theoretical framework which could be used to facilitate
communication among examiners.

Simpson, Elizabeth J. (1966). “The classification of educational objectives: Psychomotor domain”. Illinois
Journal of Home Economics. 10 (4): 110–144.

*Harrow, Anita J. (1972). A taxonomy of the psychomotor domain: A guide for developing behavioral
objectives. New York: David McKay Company.

*Dave, R. H. (1975). Armstrong, R. J. (ed.). Developing and writing behavioral objectives. Tucson:
Educational Innovators Press.