Each level is briefly explained below (Krathwohl, 2002, p.214):
Remember: Retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory (recognizing, recalling)
Understand: Determining the meaning of instructional messages, including oral, written, and graphic communication (interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, explaining) Apply: Carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation (executing, implementing) Analyze: Breaking materials into its constituent parts and detecting how the parts relate to one another an to an overall structure or purpose (differentiating, organizing, attributing) Evaluate: Making judgments based on criteria and standards (checking, critiquing) Create: Putting elements together to form a novel, coherent whole or make an original product (generating, planning, producing)
Bloom’s Taxonomy provides common language about learning goals and objectives. More importantly, it provides a basis for us to examine our course goals and assessment, and see what we are trying to promote among students: are we engaging students in lower level or higher order thinking? All too often class learning activities and assessments focus mainly on lower levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy (Remember, Understand, Apply), but for students to be competent in their future profession and to deal with the complexities in real life situations, the levels of Analyze, Evaluate, and Create are what we as educators should be aiming for. When preparing your course, take a critical look at your goals, objectives, outcomes and test items, and see if you are addressing all the levels of thinking.
For more information about Bloom’s Taxonomy and Higher Order Thinking, please refer to the following resources:
Bloom, B.S. (Ed.). Engelhart, M.D., Furst, E.J., Hill, W.H., & Krathwohl, D.R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook 1: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay. (Note: Lewis library holds the book. Call number: LB 17 T235 v.1 1956)
Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41 (4).
