Bloom’s Taxonomy

Developing Critical Thinking Skills using Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom's taxonomy is a long-standing cognitive framework that categorizes critical reasoning in order to help educators set more well-defined learning goals. Benjamin Bloom, an American educational psychologist, developed this pyramid to define levels of critical thinking required by a task. Since its inception in the 1950s and revision in 2001, Bloom's Taxonomy has given teachers a common vocabulary for naming specific skills required for proficiency. The goal of education is to create thinkers and doers. Bloom's taxonomy gives a path to follow from the beginning of a concept or skill to its end, or to the point where students can think creatively about a topic and solve problems for themselves.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy was created by Benjamin Bloom in 1956, published as a kind of classification of learning outcomes and objectives that have, in the more than half-century since, been used for everything from framing digital tasks and evaluating apps to writing questions and assessments. The original sequence of cognitive skills was Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. The framework was revised in 2001 by Lorin Anderson and David Krathwohl, yielding the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. The most significant change was the removal of ‘Synthesis’ and the addition of ‘Creation’ as the highest-level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. And being at the highest level, the implication is that it’s the most complex or demanding cognitive skill–or at least represents a kind of pinnacle for cognitive tasks.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

The matrix organization of the revised version of Bloom’s taxonomy is designed to be a more precise form of thinking about learning, making it easier for educators to create clear objectives for lesson planning and student evaluation. It also makes it simpler for students to understand what is expected of them.

What do the different levels mean?

Remember

The first stage, remember, is about recalling facts and concepts. In the remembering level of the taxonomy, which used to be known as the knowledge level, questions are used solely to assess whether a student remembers what they have learned. This is the bottom level of the taxonomy because the work that students are doing when remembering is the simplest. It’s the most basic level in Bloom’s taxonomy, but represents an important foundation; a stepping stone toward deeper learning. A student can define and duplicate, make a list, memorize points, repeat information, and make valid statements. But this does not prove comprehension. Example activities at the Remembering level: memorize a poem, recall capital cities, remember math formulas, memorize dates from a specific time period or can recall the main idea for a lesson.

Questions for Critical Thinking can be used in the classroom to develop all levels of thinking within this cognitive domain.

In this level students are asked questions to see if they have gained insight from the lesson.

• What is…? • Can you select? • Where is…? • When did ____ happen?

• Who were the main…? • Which one…? • Why did…? • How would you describe…?

• When did…? • Can you recall…? • Who was…? • How would you explain…?

• How did ___happen…? • Can you list the three..? • How is…?

• How would you show…? • Who…?

Keywords: who, what, why, when, omit, where, which, choose, find, how, define, label, show, spell, list, match, name, relate, tell, recall, select

Understand

The understanding level of Bloom's Taxonomy moves students slightly beyond fact recall into understanding the information presented. This used to be known as comprehension. Within understanding, students encounter questions and tasks where they interpret facts rather than state them. The student explains ideas and concepts, discusses and describes a topic in detail, explains what it means, recognizes it and translates the facts in some way in order to prove that they understand. They can paraphrase a point, or compare and contrast information.

Questions for Critical Thinking can be used in the classroom to develop all levels of thinking within this cognitive domain.

During this level, students will be asked to interpret facts that they learned.

• How would you classify the type of…? • How would you compare…? contrast…?

• Will you state or interpret in your own words…? • How would you rephrase the meaning?

• What facts or ideas show…? • What is the main idea of ……? • Which statements support…?

• Which is the best answer…? • What can you say about …? • How would you summarize… ?

• Can you explain what is happening…? • What is meant by…?

Keywords: compare, contrast, demonstrate, interpret, explain, extend, illustrate, infer, outline, relate, rephrase, translate, summarize, show, classify

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Apply

Application questions ask students to apply or use the knowledge or skills that they have acquired. They might be asked to use information that they have been given to create a viable solution to a problem. They use the information they’ve learned in new situations, whether it’s to solve a problem, demonstrate an idea, interpret, schedule, sketch—whichever method works for the specific type of learning, course of study, and/or class environment.

Questions for Critical Thinking can be used in the classroom to develop all levels of thinking within this cognitive domain.

Questions asked during this level are meant to have students apply or use the knowledge learned during the lesson.

How would you use…? How would you solve ___ using what you’ve learned…? What examples can you find to…? How would you show your understanding of…?�How would you organize _______ to show…? How would you apply what you learned to develop…?�What approach would you use to…? What other way would you plan to…? What would result if…? �Can you make use of the facts to…? What elements would you use to change…? �What facts would you select to show…? What questions would you ask during an interview?

Keywords: apply, build, choose, construct, develop, interview, make use of, organize, experiment with, plan, select, solve, utilize, model, identify

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Analyse

They must draw connections between ideas in the analyse level of Bloom’s taxonomy, and differentiate, organize, relate, compare, contrast, examine, question or test their knowledge. Critical thinking finally comes into play, as the student distinguishes between fact and opinion, and breaks information down into component parts. In the analysing level of this taxonomy, students demonstrate whether they can identify patterns to solve problems. They differentiate between subjective and objective information in order to analyse and come to conclusions using their best judgment.

Questions for Critical Thinking can be used in the classroom to develop all levels of thinking within this cognitive domain.

In the analysis level, students will be required to go beyond knowledge and see if they can analyze a problem.

What are the parts or features of . . . ? How is _______ related to . . . ? Why do you think . . . ? �What is the theme . . . ? What motive is there . . . ? Can you list the parts . . . ? What inference can you make . . . ?�What conclusions can you draw . . . ? How would you classify . . . ? How would you categorize . . ? �Can you identify the different parts . . . ? What evidence can you find . . . ? What is the relationship between . . . ?�Can you make a distinction between . . . ? What is the function of . . . ? What ideas justify . . . ?

Keywords: analyze, categorize, classify, compare, contrast, discover, dissect, divide, examine, inspect, simplify, survey, test for, distinguish, list, distinction, theme, relationships, function, motive, inference, assumption, conclusion, take part in

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Evaluate

In the evaluate stage, the student can justify a stand or decision by appraising a situation, arguing, defending, judging, critiquing, supporting, or weighing in with thoughts based on the knowledge and application they’ve acquired thus far. When evaluating, a level previously known as synthesis, students use given facts to create new theories or make predictions.

Questions for Critical Thinking can be used in the classroom to develop all levels of thinking within this cognitive domain.

This is where students are expected to assess the information learned and come to a conclusion about it.

Do you agree with the actions/outcome…? What is your opinion of…? How would you prove/ disprove…?

Can you assess the value or importance of…? Would it be better if…? Why did they (the character) choose…?

What would you recommend…? How would you rate the…? How would you evaluate…?

How would you compare the ideas…? the people…? How could you determine…? How would you prioritize…?

Questions for Critical Thinking can be used in the classroom to develop all levels of thinking within this cognitive domain.

What choice would you have made…? What would you select…? What data was used to make the conclusion…?

How would you justify…? What judgment would you make about…? Why was it better that…?

How would you prioritize the facts…? What would you cite to defend the actions…?

What information would you use to support the view…? Based on what you know, how would you explain…?

Keywords: award, choose, conclude, criticize, decide, defend, determine, dispute, evaluate, judge, justify, measure, compare, mark, rate, recommend, rule on, select, agree, appraise, prioritize, opinion, interpret, explain, support importance, criteria, prove, disprove, assess, influence, perceive, value, estimate, deduct

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Create

The highest tier of Bloom's taxonomy is called creating, previously known as evaluation. Students demonstrating their ability to create must know how to make judgments, ask questions, and invent something new. In the final level of Bloom’s taxonomy, the student demonstrates full knowledge by applying what they’ve learned, analyzed and evaluated, and building something, either tangible or conceptual.

Questions for Critical Thinking can be used in the classroom to develop all levels of thinking within this cognitive domain.

During the create level of questioning students are expected to come up with a theory about what they learned or use predictions.

What changes would you make to solve…? How would you improve…? What would happen if…?�Can you elaborate on the reason…? Can you propose an alternative…? Can you invent…? �How would you adapt ____________ to create a different…? How could you change (modify) the plot (plan)…? �What facts can you compile…? What way would you design…? What could be combined to improve (change)…? �Suppose you could _____what would you do…? How would you test…? Can you formulate a theory for…? �Can you predict the outcome if…? How would you estimate the results for…? �What could be done to minimize (maximize)…? Can you construct a model that would change…?

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Questions for Critical Thinking can be used in the classroom to develop all levels of thinking within this cognitive domain.

How is _____ related to…? Can you think for an original way for the…? What are the parts or features of…? �Why do you think…? What is the theme…? What motive is there…? Can you list the parts…?�What inference can you make…? …? • What ideas justify…? • What conclusions can you draw…? �How would you classify…? • How would you categorize…? • Can you identify the different parts…?�What evidence can you find…? • What is the relationship between…? • Can you make the distinction between…? �What is the function of…?

Keywords: build, choose, combine, compile, compose, construct, create, design, develop, estimate, formulate, imagine, invent, make up, originate, plan, predict, propose, solve, solution, suppose, discuss, modify, change, original, improve, adapt, minimize, maximize, theorize, elaborate, test, happen, delete

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Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy