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LESSON 5
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY

Background information.
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a classification of the different outcomes and skills that educators set for
their students (learning outcomes). The taxonomy was proposed in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom, an
educational psychologist at the University of Chicago. 
Bloom’s taxonomy is a powerful tool to help develop learning outcomes because it explains the
process of learning.

Applications of Bloom’s Taxonomy

 Finding meanings of words, phrases, idioms that are used in the paragraph using application and
understanding
 Concluding the passage and its points using evaluation and analysis
 Gaining details and remembering them using understanding and remembering
 Understanding the author’s tone by using the concept of evaluation
 Give a proper title for the passage using the concept of evaluation and understanding
Importance of Bloom’s Taxonomy in higher education
To Faculty:

 Bloom's Taxonomy assists educators in determining the intellectual level at which

individual students can work and develop clear objectives in their framework.
 Faculty can better understand the goals of the classroom and alter the questions' level of
difficulty and aid learners in ascending the hierarchical scale.
 It can help develop assessments by matching course learning objectives to any given
level of mastery.
 It also helps faculty improve their critical thinking.
 Additionally, it can offer a framework for cognitive behaviors that can be used to
evaluate tasks, understand how difficult they are, and simplify or complicate them.

To students:

 Bloom's taxonomy encourages higher-order thinking in the students by building up

lower-level cognitive skills.
 It helps students' brains grow stronger - According to research, the critical thinking
ability developed through the use of Bloom's Taxonomy's higher-level thinking skills
strengthens the brain and creates more synapses between nerve cells.
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 It assists students to develop skills that employers want - Surveys of employers show that
they want to hire people with the critical thinking skills demonstrated in higher education.
They specifically state that they prefer problem-solving skills over memorization of
coursework.

To institutions:

 Bloom's Taxonomy can be useful for course designers to develop curricula that the
industry demands.
 It helps achieve better outcomes, and track and improve progress.

How Bloom’s Taxonomy Is Useful for Teachers?

 Bloom’s taxonomy helps the teachers to think and analyze their teaching and student’s
learning. The framework is used to state clear objectives which can help the teachers to
plan lessons accordingly.
 Moreover, it can provide a framework for cognitive behaviors which can be applied to
understand the difficulty of tasks, conduct an assessment, and simplify or complicate the
activities.
 Bloom’s Taxonomy helps the teachers to understand the objectives of classroom
teaching.
 It guides them to change the complexity of the questions and helps students to achieve
higher levels of hierarchy.
 Further, it helps to develop critical thinking among teachers.

Three Domains of Bloom's Taxonomy

i) Cognitive.
ii) Affective.
iii) Psychomotor.
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1.Cognitive behaviour
Cognitive behaviour involves the ability to recall specific information, the application of
information and the process of analysis and decision-making. Therefore the teacher when
planning on the strategies to apply should identify the cognitive behaviour expected.

When discussing cognitive domain, the teacher can classify cognitive competencies according to:
1) Evaluation. This requires a decision or judgment: i.e. the student should be able make
judgment and thus he is able to select the data or actions that will be appropriate for a given
situation.
2) Analysis/ synthesis: This implies carefully considering and weighing all facts from multiple
sources and determine possible causes of action.
3) Application involves using the previous learning in a new situation in his or her own words.
4) Comprehension: involves demonstrating of material without necessary relating the materials
to other data. This then implies that the student reveals understanding of materials by
explaining
5) Knowledge requires recalling facts, terms and principles in the form in which they were
learned.

The above information can be demonstrated by the following Bloom’s taxonomy (classification
system) that shows the levels of cognitive domain analyzed for observable behaviour. The
observable behaviour is the one expected from the student.

Level of cognitive domain analyzed for observable behaviour

Levels of cognitive Observable behaviour
domain
High Evaluation Judges which data or action are appropriate
for a given situation/ make and defend
decisions

Analysis/synthesis Gather facts from multiple sources and

determines possible courses of action, based
on logics
Application Uses previously learned facts in a new
situation use previous knowledge
Comprehension
Low Reveals understanding of material by
explaining it in own words
knowledge
Recalls facts and terms and discriminates
among items
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.
Nb
Analysis Breakdown of communication into its constituents, parts such that relative hierarchy of
ideas is made clearers and / or the relatives between the ideas expressed are made clear
Synthesis- putting together of parts to form a whole: analyzing and combining pieces in such a
way as to constitute a pattern or structure not clearly there before

In any subject, some students will not be capable of reaching the analysis/ synthesis or evaluation
level of the cognitive domain.. For example all students might be required to operate the spirit
duplicator (application); however only a few students will achieve the decision making level of
selecting the most efficient means of duplicating programs for a school events in terms of the
constraints of time and cost (evaluation).

The only purpose for acquiring and comprehending facts is the application of facts to other
learning: thus practically all learning must be developed to at least application level.
This principle applies to cognitive skills as well as other cognitive learning. Because cognitive
learning skills is the habit of making complex mental responses without giving conscious
thought to the thinking pattern, this skills always occur at the application level.

2. Affective domain

Affective behavior, which in most cases is frequently hidden from observation, are values which
a leaner places upon what is being learned including attitude towards learning.

This domain includes the manner in which we deal with things emotionally, such as feelings,
values, appreciation, enthusiasms, motivations, and attitudes.
Blooms and others have classified affective behaviour in observable and non-observable
behaviour of a student. Four of these five involves responding and therefore classified as either
high- level responding or low level responding.
Level of the affective domain analyzed for observable and non-observable behaviour.
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Levels of affective domain Observable and non-observable

behaviors
High:
Observable; reveals by consistent,
Internalizing
automatic responses to situation that
affective behavior pattern.
Organizing
Non-observable: recognizes values of
behavior and establish some system of
exhibiting desired behaviour.
Low level of responding
Non-observable: sees the values of this
Valuing
attitude or traits and recognises how it can
be important.
Observable; reacts by answering
Responding
questions, participating in discussion,
working with others and following
instructions
Receiving
Non-observable. Begins to think about
Low
behavior to be developed

The lowest (receiving) involves mere observation of the behaviour of other. The student is
usually passive. As the student reaches the next level (responding) some reaction is evident to the
observer. As the student responds he / she is probably analyzing the worth of the activity and
formulating an altitude (valuing) from this point the student responses enter high level
responding by planning to exhibiting the behaviour (organizing).

Determination of a standard of performance in the initial formation of effective competence

poses special problem for the teacher. The teacher must decide just which observable behaviour
will reflect the desired affective task and how well that behaviour must be performed.

Only by repeated observations of each students can the teacher determine whether a student
exhibit a specified behaviour consistently. A teacher who is able to get a student who enters the
class with a negative attitude to respond positively, even at a low level, has accomplished much.
Thus the teacher should consciously plan for the development of desirable affective behaviour,
otherwise their acquisition is left to chance. The importance of affective behaviour to success in
a competence based program dictates the inclusion of the competencies along with those in the
cognitive and psychomotor domain.
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3. Psychomotor domain
Psychomotor behaviour are those requiring muscular (or motion) movements.
The 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.
The various level of the psychomotor are necessary to facilitate in the acquisition
of a motor skill and are divided into three categories:
1) Acquisition.
2) Application.
3) Communication

All students should ultimately be able to perform at levels within the application or
communication category. This classification is useful in helping teacher pinpoint a
student’s progress in developing a motor skill. Cognitive learning is always
involved while the learner is performing at levels within the acquisition category.
For example the learner in typewriting must know the machine parts to be
manipulated, the correct keys stroke and the correct hand position i.e. cognitive
learning at the knowledge and comprehension levels. To these cognitive learners
adds the physical movements of reaching for and striking the keys (psychomotor
behaviour in the acquisition category)
In Summary
These three types of behaviour must be combined to produce a competency that is required in an
individual.
As a teacher you should ensure that any cognitive or psychomotor behaviour is accompanied by
affective behaviour. This affective behaviour is usually the direct results of cognitive or
psychomotor behaviour acquired by the learner during a successful or unsuccessful learning
experience.
In most cases a student who succeeds in a learning activity is frequently motivated to try harder
and learn more, while a student who is unsuccessful in a given subject may develop a bad taste
for it.
Because of their importance, then the teacher should give top priorities to the development of
desirable affective behaviour, especially when students have been previously conditioned by
negative learning experiences. The teacher should plan for each student to attain competence at
the highest possible level.

The teacher should realize that today emphasis is on preparing students for unpredictable
situations, in which they must assess situations, forecast probable outcome and make judgment.
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4. SOCIAL DOMAIN
The social domain is our ability to engage in healthy social networks that promote overall well-
being and optimal performance. 
Being healthy socially doesn't mean having many intimate friends, a multitude of casual
acquaintances; but it does mean being able to know how to make contact..

The social domain forces us to realize that we aren't alone.  The ability to communicate, feel
connected, have social support and feel a sense of teamwork.  If you know you have someone to
turn too, it makes that day that just isn't going that great, that much easier to deal with.

We always have to make time to play and have fun and there are many avenues available to do
just that.
Getting involved in the community, group activities, etc., is just the tip of the social domain and
there will be more to follow as the weeks go by.

Like Coach Vince Lombardi said, "It is not whether you get knocked down.  It's whether you get
up again..."  I would like to add, "...it's better if we have someone who can help us get back up." 
That is the social domain.

USE TO THE BUSINESS LEARNERS AND TEACHERS

An important and fast growing trend in business education today is the competence
based education movement. A basic component is the competency, which is a task
(specific activity done by a worker or consumer) that is performed to a certain
standard.
The needs of the learner and the needs of business do help the teacher to
implement a learning system by which intelligent consumers and employable
workers may be developed. Level of cognitive learning to be achieved depends
upon the desired competency.
However, most affective behaviour essential for success should be developed to
the highest level so that the behaviour is a consistent response in the individual's
behaviour pattern.

Since the levels of the psychomotor domain are steps through which a learner
moves in acquiring a motor or muscular skill, then they are useful for the teacher in
evaluating a student's development of a motor skill.

In the business world there is a lot of teamwork and interactions if a trade is to

succeed both domestically and internationally hence social behavior is necessary.
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Thus classification of competencies by domain and level enables the teacher to

assist the student in planning for learning or behaviour changes and in establishing
strategies helpful in acquiring the desired behaviour.