Bloom’s Revised

Taxonomy o f Educational
Objectives
Bloom’s Taxonomy o f Educational
Objectives (Backgrounder)

▪ Taxonomy - a hierarchical model that describes classification

and sequencing procedures
▪ 1956 - The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: the Classification
of Educational Goals Handbook 1: Cognitive Domain was
published
▪ Benjamin Bloom - developed the most prominent methods
for categorizing differences in thinking skills
▪ 1964 - Bloom and his colleagues published Handbook II, The
Affective
Domain in 1964
Bloom’s Taxonomy o f
Ed u c a t ional Objectives
(Original)
▪ a model that described the different levels of learning outcomes
that target what skills and competencies the teachers aim to
develop in the learners
▪ includes six levels of cognition ranging from recall or knowledge to
evaluation of knowledge
▪ progress from simple to more complex levels of thinking
▪ HOTS (higher order thinking skills) : analysis, synthesis, evaluation
Bloom’s Taxonomy o f
Ed u c a t ional Objectives
(Original)
Evaluation

Synthesis

Analysi
s

Applicatio
n

Comprehension

Knowledge
Bloom’s Taxonomy o f
Ed u c a t ional Objectives
(Original)
Evaluation

Synthesi
s • facts, stating
Analysis
memorized rules,
principles or definitions
Application • includes memorizing,
recognizing or
Comprehension
recalling factual
information
Knowledg • Use: list, identify,
name, recite and
e define
Bloom’s Taxonomy o f
Ed u c a t ional Objectives
(Original)
Evaluation

Synthesis

• understanding
Analysi
s concepts, rules and
principles
Applicatio
n • organizing, describing
Comprehensio and interpreting
concepts
n • Use: describe,
interpret, explain,
Knowledge
illustrate, summarize,
restate and defend
Bloom’s Taxonomy o f
Ed u c a t ional Objectives
(Original)
Evaluation

Synthesis

Analysi
s • Using the concepts
Application and principles in real
life situation
Comprehension • Use: apply, classify,
demonstrate, discover,
Knowledge predict, show, solve
and compare
Bloom’s Taxonomy o f
Ed u c a t ional Objectives
(Original)
• requires higher level
Evaluation
thinking skills such as
finding underlying
Synthesis structures, separating the
whole into its
Analysis components, identifying
motives and recognizing
hidden meanings
Application
• Use: analyze, ascertain,
Comprehension
diagram, differentiate,
discriminate, examine,
determine, classify,
Knowledge
investigate, construct
and contrast
Bloom’s Taxonomy o f
Ed u c a t ional Objectives
(Original) • Students put together
elements of what had
Evaluation been learned in a new
way
Synthesis • expected to create an
original product based on
Analysi
s
the knowledge acquired,
combine the ideas
Applicatio presented into a new whole
n
or relate several ideas into a
Comprehension consistent concept.
• Use: combine, compile,
Knowledge create, design, develop,
expand, integrate, extend,
originate, synthesize and
formulate
Bloom’s Taxonomy o f
Ed u c a t ional Objectives
(Original)
Evalu • highest level of cognition
• students can now assess or
judge, based on a set of
ation standards, on what they
Synthesis learned
Analysi
s • expected to make thoughtful
value decisions with reference
Applicatio
n
to knowledge, resolve
differences and controversies
Comprehension and develop personal opinions,
judgments and decisions
Knowledge • Use: assess, critique, judge,
appraise, contrast,
evaluate, weigh and
recommend
Revised Taxonomy

▪Lorin Anderson (a former student of Bloom), David

Krathwohl and a group of cognitive psychologist,
updated the taxonomy
Revised Taxonomy

Creating

Evaluatin
g

Analyzing

Applyin
g

Understanding

Remembering
Revised Taxonomy
Creatin
g

Evaluating

• Can the student

Analyzin
g recall or remember
Applyin
the information?
g
• Use: define, duplicate,
Understanding list, memorize, recall,
repeat, reproduce,
Rememberin state

g
Revised Taxonomy
Creatin
g

Evaluating

• Can the student

Analyzin
g
explain ideas or
concepts?
Applyin
g
• Use: classify, describe,
discuss, explain,
Understanding identify, locate,
recognize, report,
Remembering select, translate, and
paraphrase
Revised Taxonomy
Creatin
g

Evaluating • Can the student use

the information in a
Analyzin
g
new way?
• Use: choose,
Applying demonstrate,
dramatize, employ,
Understanding
illustrate, interpret,
operate, schedule,
Remembering sketch, solve, use, and
write
Revised Taxonomy
Creatin
g

Evaluating • Can the student

distinguish between
Analyzing the different parts?
• Use: appraise, compare,
Applyin
g contrast, criticize,
differentiate,
Understanding
discriminate,
distinguish, examine,
Remembering experiment, question,
and test
Revised Taxonomy
Creatin
g

Evaluating

Analyzin • Can the student justify

g
a
Applyin stand or decision?
g
• Use: appraise,
Understanding
argue, defend,
judge, select,
Remembering
support, value, and
evaluate
Revised Taxonomy
Creating

Evaluating

Analyzin • Can the student create

g
a new product or point
Applyin of view?
g
• Use: construct, create,
Understanding
develop, formulate,
and write
Remembering
D i ffere nces between t he Old and the
Revised Taxonomies

Evaluation Creating

Synthesis Evaluatin
g

Analysis Analyzin
Application g
Comprehension Applying
Understanding

Knowledge Remembering

1. The levels/categories of thinking in the old taxonomy were

nouns,
while in the revised taxonomy they are verbs.
D i fferences between t he Old and
t he Revised Taxonomies

2. While the revised taxonomy remains to be in hierarchical levels of

increasing complexity, it is intended to be more flexible, allowing the
categories to overlap.
D i ffere nces between t he Old and the
Revised Taxonomies

Evaluation Creating

Synthesis Evaluatin
g

Analysi Analyzing
s

Application Applyin
g

Comprehension Understanding

Knowledge Remembering

3. The knowledge level was changed to

remember.
D i ffere nces between t he Old and the
Revised Taxonomies

Evaluation Creating

Synthesis Evaluatin
g

Analysi Analyzing
s

Application Applyin
g

Comprehension Understandin
Knowledge
g Remembering

4. The comprehension level was changed to

understand.
D i ffere nces between t he Old and the
Revised Taxonomies

Evaluation Creating

Synthesis Evaluatin
g

Analysi Analyzing
s

Applicatio Applyin
n g

Comprehension Understanding

Knowledge Remembering

5. Synthesis was changed to create and was placed at the highest

level.
D i fferences between t he Old and
t he Revised Taxonomies

6. The cognitive domain now includes two dimensions: the cognitive

dimension and the knowledge dimension. The knowledge dimension
of the revised taxonomy was based on the subcategories of
knowledge in the old taxonomy (factual, conceptual, procedural,
metacognitive).
Two Di mensions of the
Revised Taxonomy

Cognitive Dimension
▪ includes the hierarchical or ordered levels of thinking. It
represents a continuum of increasing cognitive complexity – from
remember to create.
▪ remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create
Cognitive
Dimension
Two Di mensions of the
Revised Taxonomy

Knowledge Dimension
▪ includes four knowledge categories: factual, conceptual,
procedural and metacognitive.
▪ The knowledge ranges from concrete (factual) to
abstract (metacognitive).
Knowledge
Dimension
Form u l a t ing a Learnin g Objec t i v e

▪ consider what level of thinking (cognitive) should be achieved

and what type of knowledge should be taught.
▪ The level of thinking is always represented by the verb, while
the knowledge dimension is always represented by the noun.
P r a c t i c a l Gui d e i n Using the Revised
Taxonomy

Cognitive Dimension Sample Action Words Suggested Activities,

Levels Outputs or Outcomes

Recall, name, list, state, Recitations, worksheets,

Remember
tell, reproduce, describe, definitions, fact charts, lists
(recalling information)
locate, write, find,
underline, define, define,
duplicate, list,
memorize, recall,
repeat, reproduce, state
P r a c t i c a l Gui d e i n Using the Revised
Taxonomy

Cognitive Dimension Levels Sample Action Words Suggested Activities,

Outputs or Outcomes

Explain, translate, interpret, Story problems, drawing,

Understand
discuss, describe, define, show and tell, summary,
(explaining information
report, predict, classify, paraphrasing
and concepts)
describe, discuss, explain,
identify, locate, recognize,
report, select, translate,
and paraphrase
P r a c t i c a l Gui d e i n Using the Revised
Taxonomy

Cognitive Dimension Levels Sample Action Words Suggested Activities,

Outputs or Outcomes

Use, solve, implement, Presentation, role-playing,

Apply
construct, practice, execute, simulation, collection,
(using information in a
demonstrate, dramatize, model, scrapbook,
new way)
product choose, demonstrate,
dramatize, employ,
illustrate, interpret, operate,
schedule, sketch, solve,
use, and write
 P r a c t i c a l Gui d e i n Using the Revised
Taxonomy

Cognitive Dimension Levels Sample Action Words Suggested Activities, Outputs

or Outcomes
Compare, distinguish, Chart, plan, questionnaire,
Analyze
investigate, infer, contrast, spreadsheet, summary, survey
(distinguishing different
separate, differentiate,
parts of a whole)
sequence, appraise, compare,
contrast, criticize,
differentiate, discriminate,
distinguish, examine,
experiment, question, and
test
P r a c t i c a l Gui d e i n Using the Revised
Taxonomy

Cognitive Dimension Levels Sample Action Words Suggested Activities,

Outputs or Outcomes

Assess, debate, defend, Opinion, judgement,

Evaluate
dispute, judge, appraise, recommendation, report,
(defending a concept or
idea) check, decide, justify, rate, self- evaluation, position
appraise, argue, defend, paper, critique
judge, select, support,
value, and evaluate
P r a c t i c a l Gui d e i n Using the Revised
Taxonomy

Cognitive Dimension Levels Sample Action Words Suggested Activities,

Outputs or Outcomes

Change, design, formulate, Framework, model, story,

Create
improve, plan, propose, multimedia
(creating something new)
invent, devise, generate, presentation, poem,
compose, combine, haiku, song, essay
assemble, construct, create,
develop, formulate, and
write
Uses of the Revised Taxonomy

▪ It provides educators with a common set of terms and levels

about learning outcomes that help in planning across subject
matter and grade levels.
▪ It helps in the drafting of learning standards across levels.
▪ It serves as a guide in evaluating the school’s curriculum
objectives, activities and assessments.
▪ It guides the teacher in formulating learning outcomes that tap
higher order thinking skills.