Figure 1.1 shows the classification of each level in Bloom taxonomy. In the orange boxes are the questions can be asked while the dark green boxes are example of questions to be asked to the students. Students usually did not recognize the level asked by the teachers. What matters to them is to get the answer correctly.
Bloom’s taxonomy is usually used in order to set the learning objectives in education. Every subject must be referred to Bloom’s Taxonomy in order to have standardized objectives. It is divided into categories and each of them has their own definition and explanation about learning objectives. It is the systematic way to classify each category and the system in teaching and learning. The word Bloom
Bloom’s Taxonomy has divided the class into three domains which are cognitive, psychomotor and affective. Cognitive is the domain that focuses on the mental operation during the process of learning. The next domain focuses on the psychomotor skills. During learning session, students are to use their physical together with their mental abilities to learn the subjects. The last domain which is the affective domain aims to know our soft skills and values that we gain from the lesson. What do we get that can contribute ourselves as a student to the knowledge that we gain. In making and designing the learning objectives, a domain must be included between the three. This is due to the reason that each domain contribute to the end product of any level in Bloom taxonomy. For further reading, please refer to this, http://www.icels-educators-for-learning.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=67
For the first level, it is knowledge. According to Bloom’s definition, knowledge is related to the memory on what students have learnt in class. To support this group, we have action verbs that can be used to explain in the learning objectives. These verbs are arrange, define, describe, duplicate, identify, label, list, match, memorize, name, order, outline, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce, select and state. If one of the verbs is used, it shows that the objective is to test on the knowledge. What students remember and recall from the lesson. This group falls under cognitive domain. We call this as C1. When the set of questions is made, the questions using these verbs will fall under Lower Order Thinking Skills or LOTS.
The second level is comprehension. This classification is to demonstrate an understanding of the facts. This is more to examine the level of understanding that the students have after learning the subject. Teachers are to ask them to classify, convert, defend, describe, discuss, distinguish, estimate, explain, express, extend, generalized, give examples, identify, indicate, infer, locate, paraphrase, predict, recognize, rewrite, review, select, summarize and translate. It is normal to test students’ understanding and therefore the guideline of bloom taxonomy is given.
The next level is application. This is also a Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS). Students have to apply what they have learnt in actual situation. The questions can be asked by asking the students to apply, change, choose, compute, demonstrate, discover, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, manipulate, modify, operate, practice, predict, prepare, produce, relate, schedule, show, sketch, solve, use and write.
The Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) starts at this level. This is the fourth level of Bloom taxonomy. This is where the students have to find evidence to support points that they answer in the question paper. It is call analysis. The mark for this type of questions usually more than one mark. The question can be asked by asking the students to analyze, appraise, breakdown, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, diagram, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, identify, illustrate, infer, model, outline, point out, question, relate, select, separate, subdivide and test. In tertiary level, students are exposed to HOTS more than LOTS. This is because, students are required to think analytically and critically before answering the questions given.
The fifth level is synthesis. This is the level where components ideas are being compiled into a new whole or propose alternative solutions. The questions ask are to arrange, assemble, categorize, collect, combine, comply, compose, construct, create, design, develop, devise, explain, formulate, generate, plan, prepare, rearrange, reconstruct, relate, reorganize, revise, rewrite, set up, summarize, synthesize, tell and write.
The last level of this taxonomy is evaluation. This is the highest level in Bloom Taxonomy. Obviously, the highest level of this taxonomy needs careful answer. The category of this level is HOTS. Students are to make and defend judgments based on internal evidence or external criteria. The action verbs that are usually ask are appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose, compare, conclude, contrast, defend, describe, discriminate, estimate, evaluate, explain, judge, justify, interpret, relate, predict, rate, select, summarize, support and value.
By using all this taxonomy in creating questions to the students, it can make the instructors life easier as they will only need to refer the first word in each question in order to know the level that they question is asked. It is also will be an easy task to analyze each question given to the students.
The table of explanation for this taxonomy is simplified below:
Bloom’s Taxonomy has divided the class into three domains which are cognitive, psychomotor and affective. Cognitive is the domain that focuses on the mental operation during the process of learning. The next domain focuses on the psychomotor skills. During learning session, students are to use their physical together with their mental abilities to learn the subjects. The last domain which is the affective domain aims to know our soft skills and values that we gain from the lesson. What do we get that can contribute ourselves as a student to the knowledge that we gain. In making and designing the learning objectives, a domain must be included between the three. This is due to the reason that each domain contribute to the end product of any level in Bloom taxonomy. For further reading, please refer to this, http://www.icels-educators-for-learning.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=67
For the first level, it is knowledge. According to Bloom’s definition, knowledge is related to the memory on what students have learnt in class. To support this group, we have action verbs that can be used to explain in the learning objectives. These verbs are arrange, define, describe, duplicate, identify, label, list, match, memorize, name, order, outline, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce, select and state. If one of the verbs is used, it shows that the objective is to test on the knowledge. What students remember and recall from the lesson. This group falls under cognitive domain. We call this as C1. When the set of questions is made, the questions using these verbs will fall under Lower Order Thinking Skills or LOTS.
The second level is comprehension. This classification is to demonstrate an understanding of the facts. This is more to examine the level of understanding that the students have after learning the subject. Teachers are to ask them to classify, convert, defend, describe, discuss, distinguish, estimate, explain, express, extend, generalized, give examples, identify, indicate, infer, locate, paraphrase, predict, recognize, rewrite, review, select, summarize and translate. It is normal to test students’ understanding and therefore the guideline of bloom taxonomy is given.
The next level is application. This is also a Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS). Students have to apply what they have learnt in actual situation. The questions can be asked by asking the students to apply, change, choose, compute, demonstrate, discover, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, manipulate, modify, operate, practice, predict, prepare, produce, relate, schedule, show, sketch, solve, use and write.
The Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) starts at this level. This is the fourth level of Bloom taxonomy. This is where the students have to find evidence to support points that they answer in the question paper. It is call analysis. The mark for this type of questions usually more than one mark. The question can be asked by asking the students to analyze, appraise, breakdown, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, diagram, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, identify, illustrate, infer, model, outline, point out, question, relate, select, separate, subdivide and test. In tertiary level, students are exposed to HOTS more than LOTS. This is because, students are required to think analytically and critically before answering the questions given.
The fifth level is synthesis. This is the level where components ideas are being compiled into a new whole or propose alternative solutions. The questions ask are to arrange, assemble, categorize, collect, combine, comply, compose, construct, create, design, develop, devise, explain, formulate, generate, plan, prepare, rearrange, reconstruct, relate, reorganize, revise, rewrite, set up, summarize, synthesize, tell and write.
The last level of this taxonomy is evaluation. This is the highest level in Bloom Taxonomy. Obviously, the highest level of this taxonomy needs careful answer. The category of this level is HOTS. Students are to make and defend judgments based on internal evidence or external criteria. The action verbs that are usually ask are appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose, compare, conclude, contrast, defend, describe, discriminate, estimate, evaluate, explain, judge, justify, interpret, relate, predict, rate, select, summarize, support and value.
By using all this taxonomy in creating questions to the students, it can make the instructors life easier as they will only need to refer the first word in each question in order to know the level that they question is asked. It is also will be an easy task to analyze each question given to the students.
The table of explanation for this taxonomy is simplified below:
Table 1.2
(Table 1.2 is taken from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html)
(Table 1.2 is taken from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html)