Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives/ Bloom's Revised ...

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives/ Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
“The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, developed by Benjamin Bloom in the 1950s, is a framework for
classifying educational goals, objectives, and standards. The taxonomy was used as a means of expressing
qualitatively different kinds of thinking. The six taxonomy categories are used to organize thinking skills from the
most basic (lower) to the more complex (higher) levels of thinking. The hierarchical nature of the taxonomy meant
that mastery of the simpler category was prerequisite to mastery of the next more complex one.”
In the 1990s, a former student of Bloom’s named Lorin Anderson revisited and revised the taxonomy. The two
taxonomy categories are listed below 1 :
Original Categories
Revised Categories
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
Create
Evaluate
Analyze
Apply
Understand
Remember

Knowledge Processes
• Factual Knowledge – The basic elements that students must know to be acquainted with a discipline or solve
problems in it.
• Conceptual Knowledge – The interrelationships among the basic elements within a larger structure that
enable them to function together.
• Procedural Knowledge – How to do something; methods of inquiry, and criteria for using skills, algorithms,
techniques, and methods.
• Meta-cognitive Knowledge – Knowledge of cognition in general as well as awareness and knowledge of one’s
own cognition
Cognitive Processes
• Remember – Retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory.
o Recognizing, Recalling
• Understand – Determining the meaning of instructional messages, including oral, written, and graphic
communication.
o Interpreting, Exemplifying, Classifying, Inferring, Comparing, Explaining
• Apply – Carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation.
o Executing, Implementing
• Analyze – Breaking material into its constituent parts and detecting how the parts relate to one another and
to an overall structure or purpose.
o Differentiating, Organizing, Attributing
• Evaluate – Making judgments based on criteria and standards.
o Checking, Critiquing
• Create – Putting elements together to form a novel, coherent whole or make an original product.
o Generating, Planning, Producing

Verbs/Verb Phrases
The verb or verb phrase of a learning objective describes the students’ expected performance (what they are being
asked to do with the discipline’s content). Learning objectives should include verbs at higher levels of the taxonomy
to elicit student performance that is more complex than mere recall of information. The following table lists
examples of verbs that can be used at the six levels.
Remember
Arrange, Count, Define, Describe, Draw, Duplicate,
Identify, Label, List, Match, Name, Order, Point, Quote,
Read, Recall, Recite, Recognize, Record, Repeat,
Reproduce, Select, State, Write
Apply
Add, Apply, Calculate, Change, Choose, Classify,
Complete, Compute, Demonstrate, Determine,
Develop, Discover, Divide, Dramatize, Employ,
Examine, Formulate, Graph, Illustrate, Interpret,
Manipulate, Modify, Multiply, Operate, Organize,
Perform, Practice, Predict, Prepare, Produce, Relate,
Schedule, Shop, Show, Sketch, Solve, Subtract,
Translate, Use
Understand
Associate, Classify, Compare, Compute, Contrast,
Convert, Describe, Differentiate, Discuss, Distinguish,
Explain, Express, Extend, Generalize, Give Examples,
Identify, Indicate, Locate, Listing, Matching, Paraphrase,
Predict, Recognize, Report, Restate, Review, Rewrite,
Select, Sort, Summarize, Tell, Translate
Analyze
Analyze, Appraise, Arrange, Breakdown, Calculate,
Combine, Compare, Contrast, Criticize, Design, Detect,
Determine, Develop, Diagram, Differentiate,
Discriminate, Distinguish, Estimate, Examine,
Experiment, Extrapolate, Formulate, Identify, Illustrate,
Infer, Inspect, Inventory, Outline, Point Out, Question,
Relate, Select, Separate, Subdivide, Test, Utilize

Evaluate
Appraise, Argue, Assess, Attack, Choose, Compare,
Conclude, Contrast, Criticize, Critique, Defend,
Determine, Estimate, Evaluate, Grade, Interpret,
Judge, Justify, Measure, Predict, Rank, Rate, Revise,
Score, Select, Support, Test, Value, Weigh
Create
Arrange, Assemble, Categorize, Collect, Combine,
Compile, Compose, Construct, Create, Debate, Derive,
Design, Devise, Explain, Formulate, Generate, Group,
Integrate, Manage, Modify, Order, Organize, Plan,
Prepare, Prescribe, Produce, Propose, Rearrange,
Reconstruct, Relate, Reorganize, Revise, Rewrite,
Specify, Summarize, Synthesize, Tell, Transform
Question Stems
“Questioning should be used purposefully to achieve well-defines goals. Since Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification
of thinking organized by level of complexity, it gives instructors and students an opportunity to learn and practice a
range of thinking and provides a simple structure for many different kinds of questions and thinking. The taxonomy
involves all categories of questions, and typically an instructor will vary the level of questions within a single
lesson 2 .”
Questions that fall in the lower level of the taxonomy (at the remembering, understanding and lower level
application levels) are appropriate for 3 :
• Evaluating students’ preparation and comprehension
• Diagnosing students’ strengths and weaknesses
• Reviewing and/or summarizing content
Questions that fall in the higher level of the taxonomy (those requiring complex application, analysis, evaluation or
creation skills) are appropriate for 4 :
• Encouraging students to think more deeply and critically
• Problem solving
• Encouraging discussions
• Stimulating students to seek information on their own

Sample Questions by Level 5
Remember
• What happened after...?
• How many...?
• What is...?
• Who was it that...?
• Can you name ...?
• Find the meaning of…
• Describe what happened after…
• Who spoke to...?
• Which is true or false...?
Apply
• Do you know of another instance where…?
• Can you group by characteristics such as…?
• Which factors would you change if…?
• What questions would you ask of…?
• From the information given, can you
develop a set of instructions about…?
Evaluate
• Is there a better solution to...?
• Judge the value of... What do you think
about...?
Understand
• Can you write in your own words?
• How would you explain…?
• Can you write a brief outline...?
• What do you think could have happened next...?
• Who do you think...?
• What was the main idea...?
• Can you clarify…?
• Can you illustrate…?
Analyze
• Which events could not have happened?
• If. ..happened, what might the ending have been?
• How is...similar to...?
• What do you see as other possible outcomes?
• Why did...changes occur?
• Can you explain what must have happened when...?
• What are some or the problems of...?
• Can you distinguish between...?
• What were some of the motives behind..?
• What was the turning point?
• What was the problem with...?
Create
• Can you design a...to...?
• Can you see a possible solution to...?
• If you had access to all resources, how would you

• Can you defend your position about...?
• Do you think...is a good or bad thing?
• How would you have handled...?
• What changes to.. would you recommend?
• Do you believe...? How would you feel if. ..?
• How effective are. ..?
• What are the consequences..?
• What influence will....have on our lives?
• What are the pros and cons of....?
• Why is ....of value?
• What are the alternatives?
• Who will gain & who will lose?
deal with...?
• Why don't you devise your own way to...?
• What would happen if ...?
• How many ways can you...?
• Can you create new and unusual uses for...?
• Can you develop a proposal which would...?

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Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy for Creating Learning Objectives
Category Verbs Instructional Strategies/Products
Remember
Recognizing, Recalling
Understand
Interpreting,
Exemplifying,
Classifying, Inferring,
Comparing, Explaining
Apply
Executing,
Implementing
Analyze
Differentiating,
Organizing, Attributing
Evaluate
Checking, Critiquing
Create
Generating, Planning,
Producing
Arrange, Count, Define, Describe, Draw, Duplicate, Identify,
Label, List, Match, Name, Order, Point, Quote, Read, Recall,
Recite, Recognize, Record, Repeat, Reproduce, Select, State,
Write
Associate, Classify, Compare, Compute, Contrast, Convert,
Describe, Differentiate, Discuss, Distinguish, Explain, Express,
Extend, Generalize, Give Examples, Identify, Indicate, Locate,
Listing, Matching, Paraphrase, Predict, Recognize, Report,
Restate, Review, Rewrite, Select, Sort, Summarize, Tell,
Translate
Add, Apply, Calculate, Change, Choose, Classify, Complete,
Compute, Demonstrate, Determine, Develop, Discover, Divide,
Dramatize, Employ, Examine, Formulate, Graph, Illustrate,
Interpret, Manipulate, Modify, Multiply, Operate, Organize,
Perform, Practice, Predict, Prepare, Produce, Relate, Schedule,
Shop, Show, Sketch, Solve, Subtract, Translate, Use
Analyze, Appraise, Arrange, Breakdown, Calculate, Combine,
Compare, Contrast, Criticize, Design, Detect, Determine,
Develop, Diagram, Differentiate, Discriminate, Distinguish,
Estimate, Examine, Experiment, Extrapolate, Formulate,
Identify, Illustrate, Infer, Inspect, Inventory, Outline, Point
Out, Question, Relate, Select, Separate, Subdivide, Test, Utilize
Appraise, Argue, Assess, Attack, Choose, Compare, Conclude,
Contrast, Criticize, Critique, Defend, Determine, Estimate,
Evaluate, Grade, Interpret, Judge, Justify, Measure, Predict,
Rank, Rate, Revise, Score, Select, Support, Test, Value, Weigh
Arrange, Assemble, Categorize, Collect, Combine, Compile,
Compose, Construct, Create, Debate, Derive, Design, Devise,
Explain, Formulate, Generate, Group, Integrate, Manage,
Modify, Order, Organize, Plan, Prepare, Prescribe, Produce,
Propose, Rearrange, Reconstruct, Relate, Reorganize, Revise,
Rewrite, Specify, Summarize, Synthesize, Tell, Transform
Analogies, Audio, Charts, Examples,
Illustrations, Lecture, Timelines, Video, Visuals
Quiz, Definition, Fact, Worksheet, Test, Label,
List, Workbook, Reproduction, Vocabulary
Discussion, Learner Presentations, Questions
and Answers, Reports, Summaries, Recitation,
Summary
Collection, Explanation, Show and tell,
Example, Quiz, List, Label, Outline
Demonstrations, Exercises, Microteach,
Practice, Projects, Role Play, Simulations,
Sketches
Photograph, Illustration, Sculpture,
Presentation, Interview, Performance, Diary,
Journal
Case Studies, Critical Incidents, Discussion,
Problems
Graph, Spreadsheet, Checklist, Chart, Outline,
Survey, Database, Mobile, Abstract, Report
Appraisals, Case Studies, Critiques, Exercises,
Projects, Simulations
Debate, Panel, Report, Evaluation,
Investigation, Verdict, Conclusion, Persuasive
speech
Case Studies, Constructs, Creative Exercises,
Develop Plans, Problems, Projects, Simulations
Film, Story, Plan, New game, Newspaper,
Media product, Advertisement, Painting, Song

Resources for More Information 6 :
Bloom's (1956) Revised Taxonomy
• An excellent introduction and explanation of the revised Taxonomy by
Michael Pole on the oz-TeacherNet site written for the QSITE Higher order
Thinking Skills Online Course 2000. Pohl explains the terms and provides a
comprehensive overview of the sub-categories, along with some suggested
question starters that aim to evoke thinking specific to each level of the
taxonomy. Suggested potential activities and student products are also
listed.
http://rite.ed.qut.edu.au/oz-teachernet/training/bloom.html
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
• Another useful site for teachers with useful explanations and examples of
questions from the College of Education at San Diego State University.
http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/bloomrev/index.htm
Taxonomy of Technology Integration
• This site compiled by the Berglund Center for Internet Studies at Pacific
University, makes a valiant effort towards linking ICT (information and
communication technologies) to learning via Bloom's Revised Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives (Anderson, et. al., 2001). The taxonomy presented on
this site is designed to represent the varying cognitive processes that can be
facilitated by the integration of ICT into the teaching and learning process.
http://education.ed.pacificu.edu/aacu/workshop/reconcept2B.html
Critical and Creative Thinking - Bloom's Taxonomy
• Part of Eduscape.com, this site includes a definitive overview of critical and
creative thinking as well as how Bloom’s domains of learning can be reflected
in technology-rich projects. Many other links to Internet resources to
support Bloom’s Taxonomy, as well as research and papers on Thinking
Skills. Well worth a look.
http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic69.htm

1 Denise Margaret Tarlintonv. Available at
http://www.kurwongbss.qld.edu.au/thinking/Bloom/bloomspres.ppt#256,1,Slide 1
2 Denise Margaret Tarlintonv. Available at
http://www.kurwongbss.qld.edu.au/thinking/Bloom/bloomspres.ppt#256,1,Slide 1
3 Available: http://www.oir.uiuc.edu/Did/docs/QUESTION/quest1.htm
4 Available: http://www.oir.uiuc.edu/Did/docs/QUESTION/quest1.htm
5 Pohl (2000). Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, pp. 7-8; 12-14
6 Denise Margaret Tarlintonv. Available at
http://www.kurwongbss.qld.edu.au/thinking/Bloom/bloomspres.ppt#256,1,Slide 1