Evaluation and testing in nursing education - Springer Publishing

14 EVALUATION AND TESTING IN NURSING EDUCATION
TAXONOMIES OF OBJECTIVES
The need for clearly stated objectives becomes evident when the teacher translates
them into test items and other evaluation methods. Test items need to
adequately measure the behavior in the objective, for instance, identify, describe,
apply, and analyze, as it relates to the content area. Objectives may be written
to reflect three domains of learning, each with its own classification or taxonomic
system: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. A taxonomy is a classification
system that places an objective within a broader system or scheme. While learning
in nursing ultimately represents an integration of these domains, it is valuable
in planning instruction and particularly in developing evaluation measures, for
the domains to be considered separately.
Cognitive Taxonomy
The cognitive domain deals with knowledge and intellectual skills. Learning
within this domain includes the acquisition of facts and specific information
underlying the practice of nursing; concepts, theories, and principles about
nursing; and cognitive skills such as decision making, problem solving, and
critical thinking. The most widely used cognitive taxonomy was developed years
ago, in 1956, by Bloom and associates. It provides for six levels of cognitive
learning, increasing in complexity: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation. This hierarchy suggests that knowledge, such as
recall of specific facts, is less complex and demanding intellectually than the
higher levels of learning. Evaluation, the most complex level, requires judgments
based on varied criteria. For each of the levels, except for application, Bloom,
Englehart, Furst, Hill, and Krathwohl (1956) identified sublevels.
One advantage in considering this taxonomy when writing objectives and
test items is that it encourages the teacher to think about higher levels of learning
expected as a result of the instruction. If the course goals reflect application of
concepts in clinical practice, use of theories in patient care, and critical thinking
outcomes, these higher levels of learning should be reflected in the objectives and
evaluation rather than focusing only on the recall of facts and other information.
In using the taxonomy, the teacher decides first on the level of cognitive
learning intended and then develops objectives and evaluation methods for that
particular level. Decisions about the taxonomic level at which to gear instruction
and evaluation depend on the teacher’s judgment in considering the background
of the learner; placement of the course and learning experiences within the
curriculum to provide for the progressive development of knowledge, skills, and
values; and complexity of the behavior and content in relation to the time