Bloom's Taxonomy
Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives discuss three domains of skills
for developing and demonstrating educational objectives.
1. Skills in the affective domain describe the way people react emotionally and
their ability to feel another living thing's pain or joy. Affective objectives
typically target the awareness and growth in attitudes, emotion, and feelings.
2. Skills in the psychomotor domain describe the ability to physically
manipulate a tool or instrument like a hand or a hammer. Psychomotor
objectives usually focus on change and/or development in behavior and/or
skills.
3. Skills in the cognitive domain revolve around knowledge, comprehension,
and "thinking through" a particular topic. Traditional education tends to
emphasize the skills in this domain, particularly the lower-order objectives.
The concern in this paper is with your developing and demonstrating skills in the
cognitive domain.
Descriptions of the Major Categories in the Cognitive Domain of Educational
Objectives (Bloom, 1956):
Convergent Thinking - Emphasis on mastery of facts and their usage
1. Knowledge is defined as the remembering of previously learned material.
This may involve the recall of a wide range of material, 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.
Verbs you can use in writing objectives:
define label name reproduce
select
describe list outline
state
identify match recall
Sample Phrases and Questions:
"What did the book say about...?"
Define..."
"Who invented...?"
List three..."
2. Comprehension is defined as the ability to grasp the meaning of material.
This may be shown by translating material from one form to another (e.g.
words to numbers), by interpreting material (e.g. explaining or summarizing),
and by estimating future trends (e.g. predicting consequences or effects).
These learning outcomes go one step beyond simple remembering of material
and represent the lowest level of understanding.
Verbs you can use in writing objectives:
convert estimate generalize paraphrase
predict
defend explain give examples
summarize
distinguish extend infer
Sample Phrases and Questions
"Explain the..."
"What could you conclude...?"
"State in your own words..."
"What does the picture mean...?"
"If it rains, then what...?"
"What reasons or evidence...?"
3. 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 high level of understanding than those under comprehension.
Verbs you can use in writing objectives
apply develop operate relate
change discover predict show
solve
compute manipulate prepare
use
demonstrate modify produce
Sample Phrases and Questions
"If you know A and B, how could you determine C?"
"What other possible reasons...?"
"What might they do with...?"
"What would happen if...?"
Divergent Thinking - Emphasis on original thinking, open-ended answers, and a large
number of possible solutions.
4. 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
recognition of organizational principles involved. Learning outcomes here
represent a higher intellectual level than comprehension and application
because they require an understanding of both content and the structural form
of the material.
Verbs you can use in writing objectives
analyze discriminate illustrate relate
break down distinguish infer select
separate
diagram examine outline
subdivide
differentiate identify point out
Sample Phrases and Questions
"What was the author's purpose, bias, or prejudice?"
"What must you know to believe that to be true?"
"Does that follow?"
"Which are facts and which are opinions?"
5. Synthesis refers to the ability to put parts together to form a new whole. This
may involve the production of a unique communication (e.g. theme or speech),
a plan of operation (e.g. research proposal), or a set of abstract relations (e.g.
scheme for classifying information). Learning outcomes in this area stress
creative behaviors, with major emphasis on the formation of new patterns or
structures.
Verbs you can use in writing objectives
categorize design plan revise
combine explain rearrange rewrite
compile generate reconstruct summarize
create modify relate tell
devise organize reorganize write
Sample Phrases and Questions
"If no one else knew, how could you find out?"
"Can you develop a new way?"
"Make up..."
"What would you do if...?"
6. Evaluation is concerned with the ability to judge the value of material (e.g.
statement, novel, poem, research report) for a given purpose. The judgments
are to be based on definite criteria. These may be internal criteria (e.g.
organization) or external criteria (e.g. relevance to the purpose) and the
student may determine the criteria or be given them. Learning outcomes in this
area are the highest in the cognitive hierarchy because they contain elements
of all the other categories, plus conscious value judgments based on clearly
defined criteria.
Verbs you can use in writing objectives
appraise criticize evaluate recommend
relate
compare describe judge
summarize
conclude discriminate justify
support
contrast explain interpret
Sample Phrases and Questions
"Which policy will result in the greatest good for the
greatest number?"
"For what reason would you favor...?"
"Which of the books would you consider to be of greater
value?"
"Evaluate that idea in terms of cost and community
acceptance."
Adapted from Stating Behavioral Objectives for Classroom Instruction, by Norman E.
Grolund. The Macmillan Company: New York, 1970.
