Bloom’s taxonomy is an effective tool in the learning process that has revolutionized both teaching as well as learning methods. In this article, I’m going to provide a systematic explanation of cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy.
Who was Benjamin Bloom?
Bloom was a renowned scholar and an educator. Born in 1913, and came up with his taxonomy in 1956. Later he went on to refine it once. He strongly believed in meaningful learning instead to upload dead facts on young minds. Simply, he opposed the one way traffic of transferring facts for unquestioning mind.
What does taxonomy mean?
In layman’s term, It is a hierarchic arrangements of orders begins with from basic level difficulty to higher level complexities. For example, Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyse, Evaluate, Create etc. In this manner, difficulty level goes increasing.
In short, Benjamin Bloom designed a holistic plan to empower student to withstand in any situation in his or her journey of life or in the process of true human development.
Impact of Bloom’s taxonomy on education system
Precisely, debates and discussions over the pros and cons of rote learning Vs meaningful learning was the direct outcome of Bloom’s contribution. Its vital contribution to develop higher order thinking as well as assessment method is undeniable.
Consequently, most of the nations were drifted away from rote learning methods and began to incorporate objectives of meaningful learning. The move is still continue. Recent initiative by China is the best example of Bloom’s ideas.
A detailed explanation of cognitive domain of bloom’s taxonomy
Benjamin Bloom was the leading figure among educators who was assigned to design learning goals or objectives. In 1956, committee came up with a framework in the form of taxonomy or hierarchical structure of learning goals with three domains. Domain of blooms taxonomy are Cognitive, Affective, and Sensory or psychomotor domain
Levels of Cognitive domain
It is a hierarchy of six important learning tasks or exercise that begins with mere remembering and ends with higher level creation.
The aim of cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy is to present a roadmap of systematic learning to cultivate students intellectual abilities right from the elementary level.
Researchers thoughtfully designed the hierarchy of objectives with growing difficulty. Following are the six levels of learning tasks in the growing level of difficulty. Let’s understand one by one in detail.
Objectives of cognitive domain
It includes six objectives that are presented in the level of rising difficulty. These are Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyse, Evaluate, Create.
1.Remember — basic level
Simply, education means to “Retain and transfer” whatever you read, learn etc. Retain implies recalling or reproducing information you stored in your memory whether it is short or long-term memory. And, “Transfer” means application of knowledge or information you retained in need you feel.
Important keywords belong to”Remember” are,
List, outline, recall, reproduce, know, selects, names, labels, etc.
2.Understand — begin to know what and why
In the revised version, he has just renamed it as the earlier “Comprehend” objective or task. In the first level, it was the test of retrieval or recalling whatever you retained. But, in the second level, you need to go deeper to know more about the thing in question.
Here, it is not enough to answer what but why as well. Simply, knowing details of given thing is necessary. Related keywords for understand are
Summarise,rewrite, translate, paraphrase, interpret, give an example, infer, generalize etc.
3.Applying — theory –to–practical
Third level of cognitive domain of blooms taxonomy is about to experience practical of knowledge you gained, retained, understood in the classroom. Let it be, formula, theorem, theory, or any concept. Applying means testing the relevancy, effectivity, and usefulness in the practical situation.
Vital keywords for applying level are — construct, discover, demonstrate, manipulate, modify, prepare, produce, apply, use, etc.
4.Analyse — know the mechanism of components that forms whole
Understanding each element in detail in terms of properties, roles, functions etc. For example, if you are a bike mechanic, it is essential to know the details of each component so as to ensure proper functioning. For that to happen, it is your duty to know each characteristic including composition, role, function etc. More specifically, it helps to know how one component affect another and vice versa.
Related keywords for analysing are — compare, break down, differentiate, distinguish, identify, separate etc.
5.Evaluate — assessing values of something
Evaluation means making unbiased judgement of thing in question to make it more effective, relevant and useful in the course of time. It includes evaluation against itself, against better’one, and evaluate against ideal that is not exist.
Justify, criticize, contrast, conclude, judge etc. are the related keywords for evaluate.
6.Create — formulate policies, plans, etc.
The last and most difficult level or objectives included in the revised version of cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy is “Create or formulate” it means making complete new thing from available resources as a best alternative to available one. The purpose of this level is to empower students to find effective solutions to the formidable challenges that have hardly solution.
Compile, compose, make, formulate, attempt, generate, rewrite, etc. are relevant keywords for create. This is all about the cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy.
Last words on cognitive domain of bloom’s taxonomy
Cognitive domain of blooms taxonomy is nothing but six levels of learnings with growing difficulties. All the six levels are different yet interdependent and have different purposes.
As I mentioned earlier that these levels are so useful in developing learning outcomes. It is like ladder of building. If you want to reach on the top, you have to climb each of them equally. For further detailed application of cognitive domain of bloom’s taxonomy, stay with classroomidea platform. In the next article, I’m going to demonstrate the application of this domain.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380814622_Blooms_taxonomy