An introduction to Bloom’s taxonomy

Bloom’s taxonomy is based on the belief that learners must begin by

learning basic, foundational knowledge about a given
subject before they can progress to more complex types of
thinking such as analysis and evaluation. Bloom’s framework is
often presented in the form of a pyramid much like Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs to show that higher levels of thinking can only
be attempted once lower levels have been mastered.

2. The original Bloom’s taxonomy

In the early 1940s, Benjamin Bloom identified the need for

educational goals to be placed in specific categories and believed
that by doing so, it would be possible to more accurately predict the
performance of college students. Bloom collaborated with a
number of other experts and spent 16 years refining and revising
this framework. The final version, published as the Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives in 1956, offered a framework for education
attainment through six orders of learning.

Since its introduction, Bloom’s taxonomy acted as the foundation

of many teaching philosophies. Although it was initially intended to
aid student assessment, it soon found favor among teachers who
needed to create curriculums, set learning objectives and devise
classroom activities. Over the years, Bloom’s taxonomy has been
adapted for use in classes ranging from kindergarten to college
level.

3. The revised Bloom’s taxonomy

In 2001, Bloom’s taxonomy was given a major revamp by a former
student of Bloom’s, Lorin Anderson, who led a group of
assessment specialists, curriculum theorists, and psychologists.
The key aim of the revamp was to replace the one-dimensional
levels of the original classification system with more dynamic
concepts that made it easier for learners to understand what
was expected of them at each level.

Understanding Bloom’s taxonomy learning

objectives

Bloom’s taxonomy has three separate domains of educational

activities:

 Cognitive

 Psychomotor

 Affective

The goal is for all students to have acquired new knowledge,

skills, and attitudes about a given subject by the end of the course.
Let’s look at these areas in greater detail.

The cognitive domain

The six levels of the original Bloom’s taxonomy - Knowledge,

Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation –
are at the heart of the cognitive domain. Being able to recall and
understands concepts, patterns and facts provide the basis for
higher levels of thinking.
The affective domain

The affective domain concerns the emotions of feelings that

students have a subject and themselves. For example, in a medical
setting, the affective domain may assess a student’s ability to
demonstrate empathy. In a classroom setting, the students’ ability
to participate in discussions may be evaluated.

The psychomotor domain

In the psychomotor domain, students develop physical or manual

skills, such as the use of motor skills, coordination, and physical
movement. Depending on the age group or setting, psychomotor
skills can include anything from dressing a wound to operating
heavy machinery. These skills are measured in terms of procedures,
technique, precision, and speed.

Explanation of Cognitive domain

The six levels of the original Bloom’s taxonomy are as follows:

1. knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

For any given course or topic, learners must work through these
levels in order and master one level before they can progress to
the next.
Teachers, course designers, and instructors regularly use
Bloom’s taxonomy to help ensure that they are asking appropriate
questions and delivering appropriate assignments and
assessments during each stage of the learning process. For
example, learners must have mastered basic knowledge about a
subject before they can start applying their knowledge. Each level
acts as a crucial building block for the following level.

In the revised version, the final two levels were switched, making ‘Create’
the ultimate level of thinking. All of the levels of learning noted above
make up the cognitive domain, but the revised version of Bloom’s
taxonomy separates cognition into found distinct types.

This image depicts the revised Bloom’s taxonomy framework with

educational objectives and the key levels of thinking required at
each level.

1. Remember
Can the learners remember key facts and terminology?
 2. Understand
Students then move up to understanding, using the knowledge
they gained in the previous level.

3. Apply
At this stage, learners are expected to apply their knowledge
and understanding in a particular way.

4. Analyze
Analyzing is a high-level skill that requires more cognitive
processing than lower-order skills.

5. Evaluate
Evaluating material is only possible once the lower-order skills
have been mastered.

6. Create
Creating new or original work is the pinnacle of the revised
Bloom’s taxonomy. This is the highest level of thinking and
requires the deepest learning and the greatest degree of
cognitive processing.

Test
A test is a series of questions or problems that is used to determine a person's
ability or understanding of something.
What is pre test and post-test
Typically, a pretest is given to students at the beginning of a course to
determine their initial understanding of the measures stated in the learning
objectives, and

posttest is conducted just after completion of the course to determine what the
students have learned.