Definition
Bloom’s taxonomy is a learning framework in which sets of attainable and measurable learning objectives are organized into 6 levels of “educational attainment”, each with more complex and specific learning objectives than the preceding level (University of Waterloo, n.d.).((University of Waterloo (n.d.). Bloom’s Taxonomy. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo. Retrieved May 12, 2018, from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/planning-courses-and-assignments/course-design/blooms-taxonomy.)) This classification allows teachers and instructional designers to not only standardize learner achievement by setting actionable goals but also helps to track and measure learners’ progress more consistently across the learning experience. The brainchild of Benjamin Bloom, an educational psychologist at the University of Chicago, the original taxonomy published in 1956 eventually grew to encompass 3 domains of learning – cognitive, affective and psychomotor(University of Waterloo, n.d.).((ref:1)) The latest revision to Bloom’s taxonomy was made as recently as 2001 with Anderson and Krathwol publishing a revised version of Bloom’s cognitive hierarchy (University of Waterloo, n.d.)((ref:1)) with more relatable verbs now identifying each category. The key strength of Bloom’s taxonomy lies in the ease in which educators can set and describe attainable and measurable learning objective based on clearly defined stages of learning. Where past educators may have been tempted to set vague or hard to measure learning goals, modern educators equipped with Bloom’s framework are able to set better, clearer goals (Shabatura, 2018).((Shabatura, J. (2018, Mar 19). Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Objectives. In Teaching Innovation & Pedagogical Support. University of Arkansas. Retrieved May 12, 2018, from https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/))
Levels of learning
Envisioned as a pyramid, each level of Bloom’s taxonomy feeds into the next. This means that learning objectives at the bottom of the pyramid must be met before learners are able to achieve goals at the next (higher) level (see infographic) (Shabatura, 2018).((Shabatura, J. (2018, Mar 19). Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Objectives. In Teaching Innovation & Pedagogical Support. University of Arkansas. Retrieved May 12, 2018, from https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/))
Level 1: Remember
At the most basic levels, learning goals consist of merely remember factual information. Quizzes and tests can be used to measure the success of learners at this stage.
Level 2: Understand
Once learners are able to remember the factual information, level 2 goals will focus on reaching a measurable level of understanding. This can be measured via tests, discussions, or creative assignments.
Level 3: Apply
The next stage, ‘Apply’ requires learners to possess a sound foundational knowledge (level 1) and understanding (level 2) of the subject matter to successfully apply its basic principles in a given scenario. Goals at this stage would likely feature project based or task-based learning principles where learners need to tackle a task that requires mastery of the subject matter to complete.
Level 4: Analyze
At this stage learners are typically tasked to compare, contrast, draw relations between ideas, break down processes into its parts and show a level of understanding of the whole and the parts of a concept.
Level 5: Evaluate
Level 5 is where learners demonstrate the ability to assess the effectiveness of a concept or process, distinguish facts from opinions, criticize the concepts, and make sound conclusions with supporting arguments.
Level 6: Create
The pinnacle of educational attainment in Bloom’s taxonomy is characterized by the creation of content requiring all stages of cognition.
Criticism of Bloom’s taxonomy
Over the years, teachers have criticized Bloom’s taxonomy for a variety of reasons. This criticism usually gravitates around the following points of contention (Persaud, 2008. #7. Problems with Bloom’s taxonomy):((Persaud, C. (2018, Aug 13). Bloom’s Taxonomy: The Ultimate Guide. TopHatMonocle Corp. Retrieved September 05, 2018, from https://tophat.com/blog/blooms-taxonomy-ultimate-guide/.))
- Bloom’s framework is only appropriate for the lower levels of learning when learners are learning a new subject.
- It fails to consider more recent advances in cognitive psychology (e.g., The recognition that students create knowledge of their own as part of the learning process).
- It suggests that students must start at the bottom of the pyramid before “engaging in a meaningful dialog about facts”.
- It seems to conflict with other learning approaches such as the discovery approach where learners may engage in higher level goals to achieve goals in the lower portion of the pyramid.
Addressing criticism
Most of the criticism directed at Bloom’s taxonomy is concerned with the rigidness of the framework in tackling learning goals from the bottom up. More practical implementations of Bloom’s taxonomy show that not to be the case as evidenced by the illustration below which takes the original pyramid shape and transforms it into a circular blooming flower with no top or bottom but petals representing each level of cognition. Hopefully, this will help challenges the notion that Bloom’s taxonomy is too rigid and impractical to be used in certain scenarios.
Bloom’s Taxonomy usage scenario
When designing a lesson, course, or program, instructional designers will use Bloom’s taxonomy to set clear, measurable, and attainable learning goals for their learners. The measurable nature of those goals will allow teachers to identify gaps in learning track learner’s progress while their clarity and attainability will give learners sense of balance between challenge and accomplishment. See the infographic to see a clear relation between learning levels and a lesson’s learning goals.