Cognitive Domain: Bloom

1. KNOWLEDGE:

Knowledge is defined as the remembering of previously learned material. This may involve the recall of a wide range of materials, from specific facts to complete theories, but all that is required is the bringing to mind of the appropriate information. Knowledge represents the lowest level of learning outcomes in the cognitive domain.

Description (to know   to recall):
Remembering previously learned material
Lowest level of learning
Listing learned information
Remembering terms, methods, facts, concepts, specific items of information

Sample Activities:

Label the parts of a plant.
Group together all the four syllable words.
List the freedoms included in the Bill of Rights.
Identify the food group to which each of these foods belongs.
Write definitions to the following words.
Locate examples of capitalization in the following story.
Remember an idea or fact in somewhat the same form in which it was learned
Question and answer sessions
Workbooks/worksheets
Programmed instruction
Remember things read, heard, saw
Games
Information searches
Reading assignments
Drill and practice
Finding definitions
Memory games
Quizzes
Questions have right and wrong answers

Question/Statement Verbs:

*** Words alone may not ensure the desired level.
Choose, copy, define, describe, find, group, identify, indicate, label, list, locate, match, name, pick, point to, quote, recall, recite, select, sort, state, tell, underline, write, what, when, who

2. COMPREHENSION

Comprehension is defined as the ability to grasp the meaning of material. This may be shown by translating material from one form to another (words or numbers), by interpreting material (explaining or summarizing), and by estimating future trends (predicting consequences or effects). These learning outcomes go one step beyond the simple remembering of material, and represent the lowest level of understanding.

Description (explaining and understanding):
Ability to grasp the meaning of material
Communicating an idea
Explaining ideas
Summarizing material
Understanding facts and principles

Sample Activities:

Give reasons for the energy crisis.
Explain why we have bus safety rules.
Outline the steps necessary for an idea to become a law.
Restate the reasons for weather changes.
Summarize the story.
What were the underlying factors that contributed to the Revolutionary War?
Communicate an idea
Giving examples of
Paraphrasing
Peer teaching
Show and tell
Give reasons for

Question/Statement Verbs:

*** Words alone may not ensure the desired level.

Compare, comprehend, conclude, contrast, demonstrate, explain, expound, illustrate, outline, predict, rephrase

3. APPLICATION

Application refers to the ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations. This may include the application of such things as rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws, and theories. Learning outcomes in this area require a higher level of understanding than those under comprehension.

Description (using ideas):
Applying concepts and principles to new situations
Applying laws and theories to practical situations
Solving of mathematical problems
Constructing charts and graphs
Demonstrating correct usage of a method or procedure
Applying rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws, theories
Requires higher level of understanding than comprehension

Sample Activities:

Put this information in graph form.
Organize the forms of pollution from most damaging to least damaging.
Sketch a picture that relates your feelings of recess.
Using knowledge from various areas to find solutions to problems
Applying ideas to new or unusual situations
Simulation Activities
Role playing/role reversal
Model building
Interviewing
Group presentation
Conducting experiments
Practical applications of learned knowledge
Suggest actual uses of ideas

Question/Statement Verbs:

*** Words alone may not ensure the desired level.

Apply, construct, classify, develop, organize, solve, test, use, utilize, wield

4. ANALYSIS

Analysis refers to the ability to break down material into its component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. This may include the identification of the parts, analysis of the relationships between parts, and the recognition of the organizational principles involved. Learning outcomes here represent a higher intellectual level than comprehension and application because they require an understanding of both the content and the structural form of the material.

Description (breaking down):
Breaking material down into component parts
Understanding the organizational structure
Analysis of relationships between parts
Recognition of organizational principles involved
Understanding both the content and structural form
Analyzing the elements

Sample Activities:

Simplify the ballet to its basic moves and.
Inspect a house for poor workmanship and ...
Observe a painting to uncover as many principles of art as possible and ...
Read a nonfiction book. Divide the book into its parts. Tell why the parts were placed in the order they were.
Look into the forces that might cause pressure for our legislators and ...
Inspect two presidential speeches. Compare and contrast them in writing.
Uncovering unique characteristics
Distinguishing between facts and inferences
Evaluating the relevancy of data
Recognizing logical fallacies in reasoning
Recognizing unstated assumptions
Analyzing the organizational structure of a work (of art, music, or writing)
Comparing and contrasting
Problem identification
Attribute listing
Morphological analysis

Question/Statement Verbs:

*** Words alone may not ensure the desired level.

analyze, assume, breakdown, classify, compare, contrast, discriminate, dissect, distinguish, divide, deduce, diagram, examine, inspect, infer, reason, recognize, separate, simplify, section, scrutinize, survey, search, study, screen, sift, subdivide, take apart

5. SYNTHESIS

Synthesis refers to the ability to put parts together to form a new whole. This may involve the production of a unique communication (theme or speech), a plan of operations (research proposal), or a set of abstract relations (scheme for classifying information). Learning outcomes in this area stress creative behaviors, with major emphasis on the formulation of new patterns or structures.

Description (forming new whole):
Putting parts together in a new whole
Formulating new patterns or structures
Abstract relationships
Communicating an idea in a unique way
Proposing a new set of operations
Creating new or original things
Take things and pattern them in a new way

Sample Activities:

Create a new song for the melody of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
Combine elements of drama, music, and dance into a stage presentation.
Develop a plan for your school to save money.
Create a model of a new game that combines thinking, memory, and chance equally.
Reorganize a chapter/unit from your textbook the way you think it should be.
Find an unusual way to communicate the story of a book you have read.
Formulate positive changes that would improve learning in your classroom.
Develop an original plan
Writing a well organized theme
Writing a creative story, poem, or song
Proposing a plan for an experiment
Integrating the learning from different areas into a plan for solving a problem
Formulating a new scheme for classifying objects
Finding new combinations
Showing how an idea or product might be changed

Question/Statement Verbs:

*** Words alone may not ensure the desired level.

build, create, combine, compile, compose, construct, develop, design, derive, form, formulate, generate, how, make, make up, modify, produce, plan, propose, reorder, reorganize, rearrange, reconstruct, revise, suggest, synthesize, what, write

6. EVALUATION

Evaluation is concerned with the ability to judge the value of material (statement, novel, poem, research report) for a given purpose. The judgments are to be based on definite criteria. These may be internal criteria (organization) or external criteria (relevance to the purpose) and the student may determine the criteria or be given them. Learning outcomes in this area are highest in the cognitive hierarchy because they contain elements of all of the other categories, plus value judgments based on clearly defined criteria.

Description (judging):

Ability to judge the value of material
Use of definite criteria for judgments
Value judgments based on clearly defined criteria
Use of cognitive and affective thinking together
Sample Activities
Decide which person would best fill a position.
Rank the principles of “good sportsmanship” in order of importance to you.
Decide which proposed plan is the best.
Read two different accounts of an incident. Decide which story is most logical in its portrayal.
Judge the posters or murals your class has just constructed.
Justify the actions of your favorite historical figure.
Determine the necessary criteria for a good resource.
Summarize the involvements you have had with your class this year.
Making judgments about data or ideas based on either internal or external conditions or criteria
Rating ideas
Accepting or rejecting ideas based on standards
Judging the logical consistency of written material
Judging the adequacy with which conclusions are supported with data
Judging the value of a work (of art, music, writing) by using internal criteria or external standards of excellence
Generating criteria for evaluation
Making evaluations for peer projects and presentations
Evaluating one’s own products and ideas

Question/Statement Verbs:

*** Words alone may not ensure the desired level.

appraise, accept/reject, assess, check, choose, conclude, criticize, decide, defend, determine, discriminate, evaluate, interpret, justify, judge, prioritize, rate, rank, reject/accept, referee, select, settle, support, umpire, weigh, which,

REFERENCES:

Bloom, B.S. (Ed.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: handbook I, cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Co.
Gronlund, N.E. (1981). Measurement and evaluation in teaching. New York: MacMillan.
Harrow, A.J. (1972). A taxonomy of the psychomotor domain. New York: David McKay Co.K
Krathwohl, D.R. (Ed.). (1964). Taxonomy of educational objectives: handbook II, affective domain. New York: David McKay Co.

Dr. Robert Sweetland's Notes ©