Hierarchical classification of learning objectives or goals set by teachers for theirs students is simply termed as bloom’s taxonomy. In this framework, he created three different domains like cognitive, affective, and sensory. Cognitive domain have six levels with growing difficulties. Each order is equally important to scale up next. All the six levels are conceptually different but completely interdependent. In this article, “Application of cognitive domain of bloom’s taxonomy” You will learn how to use bloom’s taxonomy in classroom teaching and learning.
Unquestionably, being a educational psychologist, Benjamin bloom has really addressed the learning as well as teaching bottlenecks facing teacher’s and student’s community. Let’s understand the practical application of cognitive domain of bloom’s taxonomy in the sequential manner.
A detailed account of application of cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy
1.Remember: recall retained and tranfer- first level of cognitive domain
This objective tests the retaintion, retrieval, and reproducing ability. Simply, it is the test of memory and basic level knowledge. Suppose, in a lecture, teacher has taught about climate and its types. At the end, he instructed to list down major climates in the different part of the world.
Here, what students will do? They will simply list down the major types without going in detail like tropical climate, subtropical, temperate, polar, British types, china types, monsoon etc.
In this level, students do not need to tell or describe the climate but just recognize them, identify them, list them down, recall them, tell them etc.
Some useful verbs for remember: Identify, recall, label, report, list down, reproduce, name, retrieve, match, state, outline, show, tell etc.
2. Understand: describe what and how, how much etc.
Second level demands more information about what has been recalled. It requires deeper level knowing. For better clarity, just recall the earlier example of climate. In this case, students need to classify, compare, contrast the types of climates. Compare and contrast between two different climatic regions.
Unlike earlier, “understand” requires more examples and explanations. Useful verbs for understand are like compare and contrast, differentiate and distinguish between tropical and british type of climate. Give examples of monsoonal climatic regions. Summarize natal type of climate, etc.
Predict, illustrate, interpret, reorder, sum up, rearrange, etc. Are example of understand levels.
3. Apply: answer how and why-application, implementation and execution level
After factual knowledge, once the conceptual knowledge is grasped, the student can feel comfortable in using the given knowledge as per requirement. Let’s continue with example of climate. If the student knows the components and mechanism of monsoonal climate, he will definitely goes on searching the geographical location in the different continents.
Actually, he has a yardstick to test. He can explain confidently how and why the particular climate is known as monsoonal and why there is so much difference between two different regions. Important key verbs for apply level are like:
Put in use, apply, carry out, complete, compute, demonstrate, employ, examine, execute, experiment, generalize, illustrate, implement, infer, manipulate, modify, operate, organize, predict, solve, show, and use, construct, change, choose, etc.
4. Analyse : Understanding whole by its constituent parts and theirs mechanism
Here as well, let’s begin with the previous example of climate. Learn what climatic elements are responsible for the origins of monsoonal climate. They are like temperature, wind, clouds, humidity, airmasses, etc. How do they produce monsoonal climate as whole? What are theirs role in formation? How do they affect the climate? etc.
Before this level, it is assumed that you are aware of factual, conceptual, and applicable knowledge of climate. In this level, you only need to do is to break down the monsoonal climate into separate components and understand the role and importance of each component in respect to others.
By doing so, you will get deeper insight of given concept, and you can address any bottlenecks effective manner. Important key verbs in this level are: analyze, break down, connect, deconstruct, detect, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, divide, integrate, inventory, order, organize, relate, separate, and structure, research, deduce, examine, etc.
5. Evaluate: judge why and how as well as why not and how not
Nothing is immune to fallacies and inconsistencies. If a system evolves over a period of time, it faces bottlenecks. “Evaluate” is a tools to judge and find out any fallacies in the given system against a standard benchmark. Evaluate involves three steps. First, given system is evaluated against itself. Next, it is evaluated against better one, and, finally, it is evaluated most ideal one.
Let me consider the earlier example of monsoonal climate. First of all, we need to find out that is it the same monsoonal climate as it was some decades ago? are there any changes? Is the mechanism same? If everything is okey, move to next level. Choose better one monsoonal climatic region and compare the earlier to better. Here, you will notice some problems. And, finally, create an ideal monsoonal system and see the difference after evaluation against it.
Important verbs of evaluate are: appraise, apprise, argue, assess, conclude, convince, criticize, critique, decide, determine, grade, judge, justify, measure, rank, rate, recommend, review, score, select, standardize, support, test, and validate, choose, estimate, value, measure, score,debate, etc.
6. Create or formulate: recorrect or design better one
So far, you have realised and understood five levels of cognitive domain. And you are aware about the strengths and weaknesses of the given system. In this level, you need to design or recorrect a workable, better system by putting all the necessary inputs. Simply, role is to form functional wholy with newer constituents.
You have already found the fallacies and inconsistencies of monsoonal climate. Now, you need to take rectifying action to make it functional. Take appropriate action to minimize climate change like green technology, afforestation etc. Proper verbs for this level are: build, combine, compile, compose, constitute, construct, create, design, develop, devise, formulate, generate, hypothesize, integrate, invent, make, manage, modify, organize, perform, plan, prepare, propose, rearrange, reconstruct, revise, rewrite, specify, synthesize, generate, rewrite, rewise etc.
At last words on application of Cognitive domain of bloom’s taxonomy
Really, after understanding the application of cognitive domain of bloom’s taxonomy, it is easier to conclude that no other tools are as effective as bloom’s taxonomy to build intellectual capabilities. It revolutionized human cognitive abilities, transformed assessment system in schools and colleges, and motivated for students for self learning. In the next article, I will explain how bloom’s taxonomy is useful in addressing UPSC main questions.