Bloom’s Taxonomy 101

Expert reviewed by Anurag Goyal
bloom's taxonomy all you need to know

Taxonomy is the science of classifying, naming, and organising based on characteristics and hierarchy. Traditionally used for the natural world, when applied to education it can help create a tiered approach to the teaching-learning process.

Initially introduced in 1956, Bloom’s Taxonomy was the work of Benjamin Bloom (an educational psychologist at the University of Chicago) and collaborators Englehart, Frust, Hill, and Krathwohl. Titled the Taxonomy of Educational Concepts, it consisted of a framework that categorised hierarchical educational goals, starting from the basic, and leading up to the application. Today Bloom’s Taxonomy is widely used for effective instruction design across K-12 levels. It provides educators with a shared framework to set tiered teaching goals and assess learning outcomes.

What is Bloom’s Taxonomy?

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical classification of learning outcomes and skills, that helps educators set progressive learning goals for their students starting from lower-order processing, and going up to higher-order cognitive thinking.

Originally classified into stages of Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation, the terminology of the 6 levels was updated in 2001 by Krathwohl and Anderson for ease of understanding and application. Known as the Pyramid of Bloom’s Taxonomy it now includes nomenclature of Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating, and Creating. Each stage depends on developing expertise in the preceding one and is built on the foundation of the previous stages.

bloom's taxonomy explained

Three Domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy

Depending on the learning objective Bloom’s Taxonomy classifies the learning activity into three key domains. The Cognitive Domain deals with developing the intellect, the Affective Domain deals with nurturing the emotional aspects, values and attitudes, and the Psychomotor Domain is concerned with developing motor skills. The three domains put down corresponding hierarchical stages required to develop higher-order skills.

  • Cognitive Domain Six Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
    • Remembering refers to recalling and retrieving relevant information and knowledge from memory. It includes accessing factual, procedural and conceptual information.
    • Understanding stands for comprehending the information leading to metacognition. This is demonstrated through summarising, comparing, interpreting or explaining the gleaned knowledge.
    • Applying refers to executing or implementing recalled knowledge and its subsequently gained understanding to an appropriate situation.
    • Analysing means taking apart and keenly observing the previous step of application to infer relationships between the different aspects.
    • Evaluating refers to assessing the aptness of the conclusions drawn via analysis, taking into account all the previous stages and the outcome of the application
    • Creating requires organising, reassigning and categorising learnings distilled from all the stages to create a new, desired outcome
  • Affective DomainFocused on developing the emotional quotient of the students, this domain concerns itself with helping students pay attention to the feelings and emotions associated with the material. The students receive the information in the first stage of the hierarchy, they respond to the situation, highlighting their rationale and values before moving on to organising, characterising and internalising complex ideas such as conscience, personality, duty, ethical and moral actions etc.
  • Psychomotor Domain This domain deals with mastering dual adeptness of mental processing closely followed by skilful motor execution. It applies to the fields of sports, instrumental music, performances and performing arts, fine arts, photography, sculpting etc. and requires a great amount of practice, internalising and performing. The hierarchy of learning moves from learning basic movements to reflex action, perceptual abilities, physical capabilities, skilled movement and finally to non-discursive communication that meaningfully expresses the student’s intentions.

Importance of Bloom’s Taxonomy

  • For Teachers: Bloom’s Taxonomy helps teachers plan the curriculum, determine the appropriate learning goals and arrive at the teaching objectives for a given class. It further helps them decide on an effective lesson plan and instruction design in line with the desired learning outcomes. Bloom’s Taxonomy also informs the assessment blueprint to gauge the efficacy of the teaching-learning process.
  • For Institutions: Using Bloom’s Taxonomy helps institutions optimise their resources and align their teaching methods for the most effective learning outcomes. It assists institutions in structuring a clear and easily understood approach shared by all its faculty thus facilitating working towards a common goalwhile supporting improved learning, aligned teaching strategy and easy monitoring of progress.
  • For Students: Bloom’s Taxonomy facilitates creating a strong foundation of lower-order skills for students before introducing them to higher-order thinking. It equips them to progress in a systematic manner improving their capability to deliver higher-order cognitive skills. It provides them with the essential brain strength to master skills that help them perform complex intellectual tasks such as problem-solving, and analytical thinking needed in the 21st century world.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs Chart

Bloom’s Taxonomy verb chart is a list of actionable and measurable verbs populated under each of the 6 levels of the cognitive domain that assist you in putting down teaching objectives, creating lesson plans, and designing formative and summative assessments.

Remember Understand Apply Analyse Evaluate Create
Cite Add Acquire Analyse Appraise Abstract
Define Approximate Adapt Audit Assess Animate
Describe Articulate Allocate Blueprint Compare Arrange
Draw Associate Alphabetize Breadboard Conclude Assemble
Enumerate Characterize Apply Break down Contrast Budget
Identify Clarify Ascertain Characterize Counsel Categorize
Index Classify Assign Classify Criticize Code
Indicate Compare Attain Compare Critique Combine
Label Compute Avoid Confirm Defend Compile
List Contrast Back up Contrast Determine Compose
Match Convert Calculate Correlate Discriminate Construct
Meet Defend Capture Detect Estimate Cope
Name Describe Change Diagnose Evaluate Correspond
Outline Detail Classify Diagram Explain Create
Point Differentiate Complete Differentiate Grade Cultivate
Quote Discuss Compute Discriminate Hire Debug
Read Distinguish Construct Dissect Interpret Depict
Recall Elaborate Customize Distinguish Judge Design
Recite Estimate Demonstrate Document Justify Develop
Recognize Example Depreciate Ensure Measure Devise
Record Explain Derive Examine Predict Dictate
Repeat Express Determine Explain Prescribe Enhance
Reproduce Extend Diminish Explore Rank Explain
Review Extrapolate Discover Figure out Rate Facilitate
Select Factor Draw File Recommend Format
State Generalize Employ Group Release Formulate
Study Give Examine Identify Select Generalize
Tabulate Infer Exercise Illustrate Summarize Generate
Trace Interact Explore Infer Support Handle
Write Interpolate Expose Interrupt Test Import
Interpret Express Inventory Validate Improve
Observe Factor Investigate Verify Incorporate
Paraphrase Figure Layout Integrate
Picture graphically Graph Manage Interface
Predict Handle Maximize Join
Review Illustrate Minimize Lecture
Rewrite Interconvert Optimize Model
Subtract Investigate Order Modify
Summarize Manipulate Outline Network
Translate Modify Point out Organize
Visualize Operate Prioritize Outline
Personalize Proofread Overhaul
Plot Query Plan
Practice Relate Portray
Predict Select Prepare
Prepare Separate Prescribe
Price Subdivide Produce
Process Train Program
Produce Transform Rearrange
Project Reconstruct
Provide Relate
Relate Reorganize
Round off Revise
Sequence Rewrite
Show Specify
Simulate Summarize
Sketch
Solve
Subscribe
Tabulate
Transcribe
Translate
Use

Difference Between Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) and Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (2001)

The revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy was released by his collaborators Krathwohl and Anderson who also partnered with him on the drafting of the original version in 1956. Keeping true to the essence and the approach of the original draft the revised version attempted to make Bloom’s Taxonomy streamlined, applicable and up-to-date. Their key differences lie in the below-listed points.

  • Ease of Application: The original hierarchy included Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation. It was a combination of a noun and verbs. The first stage (knowledge) outlined an assumed state over which the actions of learning were built. The revised hierarchy highlights Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysis, Evaluation and Creation. It converts all stages into measurable action verbs.
  • High-Order Skill: While the original hierarchy concluded at the evaluation stage, the revised hierarchy includes the higher-order skill of creation, which takes learning outcomes a notch higher by introducing an element of productivity. This aligns with the relevant skills of problem-solving via creative application nudging students towards innovation and original thought.
  • Knowledge Continuum: The revised structure places each stage along a knowledge continuum that progresses as the student gains newer skills. It allows for each stage to be dynamic yet complete becoming the stepping stone for the next skill. The original hierarchy, with knowledge at its base, created a learning structure that remained unidimensional without expanding the scope of certain aspects of learning.

How Extramarks Helps in Implementing the Bloom’s Taxonomy Model?

With its integrated learning solutions, Extramarks can assist students and educators alike at each stage of Bloom’s Taxonomy hierarchy.

  • Interactive Learning Modules: Extramarks offers engaging multimedia content like learning videos and quizzes that can support the Remembering and Understanding stages.
  • Application and Analysis: It offers an exhaustive bank of problem-solving exercises as well as real-world case studies that help assist students in mastering the Application and Analysis stages.
  • Evaluation and Creation: Powered by smart edtech, Extramarks helps students develop creativity and critical thinking by facilitating collaborative projects, topical essay writing and innovative projects.
  • Personalized Learning Paths: Extramarks supports individualised progression and aids personalised learning by tailoring content to a learner’s expertise and level via adaptive learning technology.

Wrapping it up

Bloom’s Taxonomy is great practical tool to structure the curriculum, lesson plans and classroom instruction. With its 6 levels it provides educators with a simple framework for progressive learning, breaking down the learning outcome in stages from lower-order skills to higher-order thinking. It helps teachers define learning objectives and informs students on what is expected of them, partnering both for an optimised teaching-learning experience.

Last Updated on August 23, 2024

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