Understanding that "taxonomy" and "classification" are synonymous helps dispel uneasiness with the term. Bloom's Taxonomy is a multi-tiered model of classifying thinking according to six cognitive levels of complexity. The lowest three levels are: knowledge, comprehension, and application. The highest three levels are: analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The taxonomy is hierarchical; [in that] each level is subsumed by the higher levels. In other words, a student functioning in the higher levels has also mastered the material at the lower levels. You can now see how the lower and higher levels of thinking came about. Due to Bloom's long history and popularity, it has been condensed, expanded, and reinterpreted in a variety of ways. The six classifications are defined as:
Knowledge of terminology; specific facts; ways and means of dealing with specifics (conventions, trends and sequences, classifications and categories, criteria, methodology); universals and abstractions in a field (principles and generalizations, theories and structures):Knowledge is (here) defined as the remembering (recalling) of appropriate, previously learned information.
defines; describes; enumerates; identifies; labels; lists; matches; names; reads; records; reproduces; selects; states; views; writes;.
Comprehension: Grasping (understanding) the meaning of informational materials.
classifies; cites; converts; describes; discusses; estimates; explains; generalizes; gives examples; illustrates; makes sense out of; paraphrases; restates (in own words); summarizes; traces; understands.
Application: The use of previously learned information in new and concrete situations to solve problems that have single or best answers.
acts; administers; applies; articulates; assesses; charts; collects; computes; constructs; contributes; controls; demonstrates; determines; develops; discovers; establishes; extends; implements; includes; informs; instructs; operationalizes; participates; predicts; prepares; preserves; produces; projects; provides; relates; reports; shows; solves; teaches; transfers; uses; utilizes.
Analysis: The breaking down of informational materials into their component parts, examining (and trying to understand the organizational structure of) such information to develop divergent conclusions by identifying motives or causes, making inferences, and/or finding evidence to support generalizations.
analyzes; breaks down; categorizes; compares; contrasts; correlates; diagrams; differentiates; discriminates; distinguishes; focuses; illustrates; infers; limits; outlines; points out; prioritizes; recognizes; separates; subdivides.
Synthesis: Creatively or divergently applying prior knowledge and skills to produce a new or original whole.
adapts; anticipates; collaborates; combines; communicates; compiles; composes; creates; designs; develops; devises; expresses; facilitates; formulates; generates; hypothesizes; incorporates; individualizes; initiates; integrates; intervenes; invents; models; modifies; negotiates; plans; progresses; rearranges; reconstructs; reinforces; reorganizes; revises; structures; substitutes; validates.
Evaluation: Judging the value of material based on personal values/opinions, resulting in an end product, with a given purpose, without real right or wrong answers.
appraises; compares & contrasts; concludes; criticizes; critiques; decides; defends; interprets; judges; justifies; reframes; supports.
Forehand, M. (2005). Bloom's taxonomy: Original and revised.. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved
Answer this question:
Because standards based education is derived from Taxonomy what is your opinion of instructional design that is required to fill taxonomic requirements?
11 comments:
If standards based education is referring to the implementation of national assessment criteria, then I understand the question correctly. Although instructional methods that are designed to fulfill taxonomic requirements have their place in education, it does not allow for thinking "outside of the box". It encourages memory work, repetition and the developed ability to regurgitate answers on call. Bloom's model of cognitive levels acknowledges reasoning, analysis and synthesis as necessary to complete successful learning. A standards based only education limits this mental excellence.
Each day is new. Sarah
Standard based education has assisted educators in a variety of positive areas. It is the way learning has been evaluated for many students and teachers. Before taxonomic standards, subjective evaluations were less effective and problems overlooked or passed over.Evaluations might be as simple as asking the student's last teacher for their "opinion" of the student. I believe all areas of education have benefited from a standard to examine,collect and analyze data. Drawbacks are that as with all standards there will be situations that do not fit "neatly" at a level. Bloom's model of cognitive learning leaves a narrow margin for individual learning styles that may not fit into his taxonomy as written.
Ann Hitchon
Ann,
I believe you have a very valid point. It is necessary to develop some method or design for assessing progress in learning. The standard's based taxonomic requirements are able to provide a level of quantifying the progress, however, it does stop shy of promoting the environment that will produce the critical thinkers and academically driven. Where the implementation of the national assessment criteria does not promote such excellence, I do believe that an exceptional teacher, who is mindful of the need, can compliment the classroom with her educational design and personality to encourage logic, reasoning, creativity, analysis and application of the lessons taught.
Each day is new. Sarah
In order to fullfill Taxonomic requirements there are many aspects that need to be included. There should be more scientific assessments to be sure that all criteria's would be satisfied. There should be an entire process of analyzing a persons learning needs and abilities along with a variety of designs and instructional activities. Taxonomic needs to implement, evaluate, and facilitate all levels of complexity.
With Instructional Design you are able to start at any point of the process, once the process is completed, the designer can check to see that all aspects are in account and in a systematic fashion. But both Instructional Design and Taxonomic can be utilized in government, business, as well as schools.
I look forward to your feedback.
Brenda Anderson
Sarah,
I feel that a standard based education will help to reciprocate a student’s objective and ensure that they would learn what is important, rather than allow textbooks to dictate what is to be taught in the classrooms. Most textbooks have copyrights dating back to the 60’s,70’s, and 80's era. Bloom’s Taxonomic does not allow teachers the opportunity to use their creativity as a learning tool that could guarantee that every child will be given the opportunity to become an exceptional learner.
Ann,
I agree that Taxonomic standards are limited when it comes to accommodating the standards and goals that are required by schools as a whole. I also agree that Bloom’s model limits a teacher’s ability to utilize their own techniques for teaching students so that every student could reach their fullest potential when it comes to learning.
I look forward to your feedback
Brenda Anderson
Brenda,
I believe that Bloom's taxonomy actually empowers and prompts teachers to be more creative in order to accomplish advanced learning. A goal of Bloom's Taxonomy is to motivate educators to focus on three domains: Affective, Psychomotor, and Cognitive, creating a more holistic form of education. Like Piaget, Bloom acknowledged the importance of critical thinking as a necessity for survival in a rapidly changing world. Creative measures, such as exercises in comparison, classification, sequencing, cause/effect, patterning, webbing, analogies, deductive and inductive reasoning, forecasting, planning, hyphothesizing, and critiquing, are needed in the classroom and acknowledged by Bloom for synthesis.
Each day is new. Sarah
Brenda and Sarah,
Again I still go back to my original thoughts as I decided to re-certify.
I am have the knowledge base that I learned from my elementary degree, and the vast amount of knowledge that I have learned in the process of my life. Things that were taught in the classroom and only things that could be learned from "doing". I believe that these are the arguments for and against Blooms's design. Yes, his design involves the higher levels of learning that forces teacher to go past traditional designs that I experienced in school in the "old day's". There are also new and emerging patterns in education that will challenge teachers to teach "outside the box". There is a very significant place for both. It is an exciting time in education where these are merging to the advantage to why all designs are created-the student.
Bloom's Taxonomy is is simply a way to classify the levels mastered by a student. As you move up "levels" the degree to which a student masters a particular concept increases. I do not see this as a problem with standard based education. In fact, finding ways to increase the mastery level of the standards is exactly what each of us as teachers need to be doing. I believe the theory behind Bloom's Taxonomy is sound and I also believe standards based education is a sound practice.
The above comment was mine.
David Perry
In response to Brenda, I agree that taxonomy can be and is used in other areas of society to improve performance. Sound processes for learning do not only apply in an academic environment. You put that argument very well.
David Perry
I believe that standards based education has its place, after all we do need a way to track and compare progress of students. However, I worry that Bloom's process does not leave room for students that may be "exceptions to the rule" because all students learn differently and process information in various ways standardized test don't always correctly measure there understanding of s subject. I also wonder if everyone has to "master" one area to move to the next.
Susan Hutchens
Sarah,
You make an excellent point, children need to be encouraged to "think outside the box." Although it is a good method I don't think that it is an effective method fo all students.
Susan Hutchens
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