In 1956, Benjamin Bloom headed a group of educational psychologists who developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important in learning. Bloom found that over 95 percent of the test questions students encounter require them to think only at the lowest possible level...the recall of information.
Bloom identified six levels within the cognitive domain, from the simple recall or recognition of facts, as the lowest level, through increasingly more complex and abstract mental levels, to the highest order which is classified as evaluation. Verb examples that represent intellectual activity on each level are listed below.
As an TEL Course Developer, this taxonomy will help you write assessment questions and excellent course and lesson objectives.
| LEVEL | DEFINITION | SAMPLE VERBS |
SAMPLE BEHAVIORS |
|---|---|---|---|
| KNOWLEDGE | Student recalls or recognizes information, ideas, and principles in the approximate form in which they were learned. | Write List Label Name State Define Describe Choose Omit |
The student will define the 6 levels of Bloom's taxonomy of the cognitive domain. |
| COMPREHENSION | Student translates, comprehends, or interprets information based on prior learning. | Explain Summarize Paraphrase Describe Illustrate Classify Judge Infer Show Indicate Tell Translate Select Match Represent |
The student will explain the purpose of Bloom's taxonomy of the cognitive domain. |
| APPLICATION | Student selects, transfers, and uses data and principles to complete a problem or task with a minimum of direction. | Use Compute Solve Demonstrate Apply Construct Select |
The student will compare and contrast the cognitive and affective domains. |
| ANALYSIS | Student distinguishes, classifies, and relates the assumptions, hypotheses, evidence, or structure of a statement or question. | Analyze Categorize Compare Contrast Separate Distinguish Identify |
The student will compare and contrast the cognitive and affective domains. |
| SYNTHESIS | Student originates, integrates, and combines ideas into a product, plan or proposal that is new to him or her. | Create
Design Hypothesize Invent Develop Tell Make Do Choose |
The student will design a classification scheme for writing educational objectives that combines the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. |
| EVALUATION | Student appraises, assesses, or critiques on a basis of specific standards and criteria. | Judge Recommend Critique Justify Appraise Criticize Defend |
The student will judge the effectiveness of writing objectives using Bloom's taxonomy. |
[Source: Modified from UT Learning Center, http://www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/handouts/1414.html]
