Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains - Cognitive, Affective,

Psychomotor Domains - design and evaluation toolkit for training and

learning
Bloom's Taxonomy, (in full: 'Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains', or strictly speaking: Bloom's 'Taxonomy Of Educational
Objectives') was initially (the first part) published in 1956 under the leadership of American academic and educational expert
Dr Benjamin S Bloom. 'Bloom's Taxonomy' was originally created in and for an academic context, (the development
commencing in 1948), when Benjamin Bloom chaired a committee of educational psychologists, based in American
education, whose aim was to develop a system of categories of learning behaviour to assist in the design and assessment of
educational learning. Bloom's Taxonomy has since been expanded over many years by Bloom and other contributors
(notably Anderson and Krathwhol as recently as 2001, whose theories extend Bloom's work to far more complex levels than
are explained here, and which are more relevant to the field of academic education than to corporate training and
development).
Where indicated Bloom's Taxonomy tables are adapted and reproduced with permission from Allyn & Bacon, Boston USA,
being the publishers and copyright owners of 'Taxonomy Of Educational Objectives' (Bloom et al 1956).
Most corporate trainers and HR professionals, coaches and teachers, will benefit significantly by simply understanding the
basics of Bloom's Taxonomy, as featured below. (If you want to know more, there is a vast amount of related reading and
references, listed at the end of this summary explanation.)
Bloom's Taxonomy was primarily created for academic education, however it is relevant to all types of learning.
Interestingly, at the outset, Bloom education should focus on 'mastery' of subjects and the promotion of higher forms of
thinking, rather than a utilitarian approach to simply transferring facts. Bloom demonstrated decades ago that most teaching
tended to be focused on fact-transfer and information recall - the lowest level of training - rather than true meaningful
personal development, and this remains a central challenge for educators and trainers in modern times. Much corporate
training is also limited to non-participative, unfeeling knowledge-transfer, (all those stultifyingly boring powerpoint
presentations...), which is reason alone to consider the breadth and depth approach exemplified in Bloom's model.
As such 'Bloom's Taxonomy' describes the three-domain structure, within which the detail may vary, especially for the third
domain.
Bloom's Taxonomy has therefore since 1956 provided a basis for ideas which have been used (and developed) around the
world by academics, educators, teachers and trainers, for the preparation of learning evaluation materials, and also provided
the platform for the complete 'Bloom's Taxonomy' (including the detail for the third 'Psychomotor Domain') as we see it today.
Collectively these concepts which make up the whole Bloom Taxonomy continue to be useful and very relevant to the
planning and design of: school, college and university education, adult and corporate training courses, teaching and lesson
plans, and learning materials; they also serve as a template for the evaluation of: training, teaching, learning and
development, within every aspect of education and industry.
If you are involved in the design, delivery or evaluation of teaching, training, courses, learning and lesson plans, you should
find Bloom's Taxonomy useful, as a template, framework or simple checklist to ensure you are using the most appropriate
type of training or learning in order to develop the capabilities required or wanted.

Training or learning design and evaluation need not cover all aspects of the Taxonomy - just make sure there is
coverage of the aspects that are appropriate.
As such, if in doubt about your training aims - check what's possible, and perhaps required, by referring to Bloom's
Taxonomy.

explanation of bloom's taxonomy

First, don't be put off by the language or the apparent complexity of Bloom's Taxonomy - at this basic level it's a relatively
simple and logical model.
Taxonomy means 'a set of classification principles', or 'structure', and Domain simply means 'category'. Bloom and his
colleagues were academics, looking at learning as a behavioural science, and writing for other academics, which is why they
never called it 'Bloom's Learning Structure', which would perhaps have made more sense to people in the business world.
(Interestingly this example of the use of technical language provides a helpful lesson in learning itself, namely, if you want to
get an idea across to people, you should try to use language that your audience will easily recognise and understand.)
Bloom's Taxonomy underpins the classical 'Knowledge, Attitude, Skills' structure of learning method and evaluation, and
aside from the even simpler Kirkpatrick learning evaluation model, Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains remains the
most widely used system of its kind in education particularly, and also industry and corporate training. It's easy to see why,
because it is such a simple, clear and effective model, both for explanation and application of learning objectives, teaching
and training methods, and measurement of learning outcomes.
Bloom's Taxonomy provides an excellent structure for planning, designing, assessing and evaluating training and learning
effectiveness. The model also serves as a sort of checklist, by which you can ensure that training is planned to deliver all
the necessary development for students, trainees or learners, and a template by which you can assess the validity and
coverage of any existing training, be it a course, a curriculum, or an entire training and development programme for a large
organisation.
It is fascinating that Bloom's Taxonomy model (1956/64) and Kirkpatrick's learning evaluation model (1959) remain classical
reference models and tools into the 21st century. This is because concepts such as Bloom's Taxonomy, Kirkpatrick's
model,Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Mcgregor's XY Theory, The SWOT analysis model, and Berne's Transactional Analysis
theory, to name a few other examples, are timeless, and as such will always be relevant to the understanding and
development of people and organisations.

bloom's taxonomy definitions

Bloom's Taxonomy model is in three parts, or 'overlapping domains'. Again, Bloom used rather academic language, but the
meanings are simple to understand:
1.

Cognitive domain (intellectual capability, ie., knowledge, or 'think')

2.

Affective domain (feelings, emotions and behaviour, ie., attitude, or 'feel')

3.

Psychomotor domain (manual and physical skills, ie., skills, or 'do')

This has given rise to the obvious short-hand variations on the theme which summarise the three domains; for example,
Skills-Knowledge-Attitude, KAS, Do-Think-Feel, etc.
Various people have since built on Bloom's work, notably in the third domain, the 'psychomotor' or skills, which Bloom
originally identified in a broad sense, but which he never fully detailed. This was apparently because Bloom and his
colleagues felt that the academic environment held insufficient expertise to analyse and create a suitable reliable structure
for the physical ability 'Psychomotor' domain. While this might seem strange, such caution is not uncommon among expert
and highly specialised academics - they strive for accuracy as well as innovation. In Bloom's case it is as well that he left a
few gaps for others to complete the detail; the model seems to have benefited from having several different contributors fill in
the detail over the years, such as Anderson, Krathwhol, Masia, Simpson, Harrow and Dave (these last three having each
developed versions of the third 'Psychomotor' domain).
In each of the three domains Bloom's Taxonomy is based on the premise that the categories are ordered in degree of
difficulty. An important premise of Bloom's Taxonomy is that each category (or 'level') must be mastered before
progressing to the next. As such the categories within each domain are levels of learning development, and these levels
increase in difficulty.
The simple matrix structure enables a checklist or template to be constructed for the design of learning programmes, training
courses, lesson plans, etc. Effective learning - especially in organisations, where training is to be converted into
organisational results - should arguably cover all the levels of each of the domains, where relevant to the situation and the
learner.
The learner should benefit from development of knowledge and intellect (Cognitive Domain); attitude and beliefs (Affective
Domain); and the ability to put physical and bodily skills into effect - to act (Psychomotor Domain)

Bloom's Taxonomy: An Overview

Asking students to think at higher levels, beyond simple recall, is an excellent way to stimulate students' thought processes.
Different types of questions require us to use different kinds or levels of thinking.
See a list of verbs for use in lesson plans and discussion questions that correlates to Bloom's levels of thinking.
According to Blooms Taxonomy, human thinking skills can be broken down into the following six categories.
1.

Knowledge: remembering or recalling appropriate, previously learned information to draw out factual (usually right
or wrong) answers. Use words and phrases such as: how many, when, where, list, define, tell, describe, identify,
etc., to draw out factual answers, testing students' recall and recognition.

2.

Comprehension: grasping or understanding the meaning of informational materials. Use words such as: describe,
explain, estimate, predict, identify, differentiate, etc., to encourage students to translate, interpret, and extrapolate.

3.

Application: applying previously learned information (or knowledge) to new and unfamiliar situations. Use words
such as: demonstrate, apply, illustrate, show, solve, examine, classify, experiment, etc., to encourage students to
apply knowledge to situations that are new and unfamiliar.

4.

Analysis: breaking down information into parts, or examining (and trying to understand the organizational structure
of) information. Use words and phrases such as: what are the differences, analyze, explain, compare, separate,
classify, arrange, etc., to encourage students to break information down into parts.

5.

Synthesis: applying prior knowledge and skills to combine elements into a pattern not clearly there before. Use
words and phrases such as: combine, rearrange, substitute, create, design, invent, what if, etc., to encourage
students to combine elements into a pattern that's new.

6.

Evaluation: judging or deciding according to some set of criteria, without real right or wrong answers. Use words
such as: assess, decide, measure, select, explain, conclude, compare, summarize, etc., to encourage students to
make judgements according to a set of criteria.

Bloom's Taxonomy of Education

Benjamin S. Bloom contributed to education policy and practice in the history of
education. Blooms research directed the advancement of many educational programs and provided tools for educator to help students
learn. His research on education was conducted from 1940 to 1959 and focused on the relationships between methods of instruction,
educational outcomes and measurement of those outcomes. Blooms wrote his first book in 1950 which led to the work , the Taxonomy
of Educational Objectives. His most distinguished contribution to teaching and learning was developing a theory for teachers to
provide correct instruction for their students. The revised Blooms Taxonomy is used as a framework for continuing education . The
purpose of continuing education is to improve nurses skills to provide quality patient care. Nurses need to transfer her knowledge from
continuing education to everyday practice. Educators can aid the process or transferring knowledge but not to acquire instructional outline.
The revised Blooms taxonomy incorporates instructional outline into the taxonomy plan to support transfer of knowledge and helps
educators to create correct instruction.
The application of the research conducted on Blooms taxonomy on nursing education provides guidelines to teach , organize lesson
plan, assess the strategies in teaching and to evaluate the strategies of teaching. The application of the research is also used to create
learning objectives and instructional outline for written educational materials; for example, when teaching a non-compliance diabetic
patient instructional material must outline the purpose of the teaching . Instructional outline also help educators to develop reasoning
skills when educator encounter problems in the clinical setting.
The three domains outlined in Blooms Taxonomy of education are cognitive domain,...

http://www.businessballs.com/bloomstaxonomyoflearningdomains.htm
https://www.google.com.ph/webhp?sourceid=chromeinstant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=bloom+original+taxonomy
https://www.teachervision.com/teaching-methods/curriculum-planning/2171.html
http://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/Bloom-s-Taxonomy-OfEducation/174390
http://thesecondprinciple.com/teaching-essentials/beyond-bloom-cognitivetaxonomy-revised/As you will see the primary differences are not in the listings or rewordings from nouns to
verbs, or in the renaming of some of the components, or even in the re-positioning of the last two categories. The
major differences lie in the more useful and comprehensive additions of how the taxonomy intersects and acts
upon different types and levels of knowledge factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive. This
melding can be charted to see how one is teaching at both knowledge and cognitive process levels. Please
remember the chart goes from simple to more complex and challenging types of thinking.

Taxonomies of the Cognitive Domain

Blooms Taxonomy 1956

1. Knowledge: Remembering or retrieving

Anderson and Krathwohls Taxonomy 2001

1. Remembering:

previously learned material. Examples of verbs

that relate to this function are:
know identify
relate list

define recall
memorize
repeat

record name
recognize
acquire

2. Comprehension: The ability to grasp or

construct meaning from material. Examples of
verbs that relate to this function are:
restate locate
report
recognize
explain express

identify discuss
describe
discuss review
infer

illustrate
interpret draw
represent
differentiate
conclude

3. Application: The ability to use learned

material, or to implement material in new and
concrete situations. Examples of verbs that
relate to this function are:
apply relate
develop
translate use
operate

organize employ
restructure
interpret
demonstrate
illustrate

practice
calculate show
exhibit
dramatize

4. Analysis: The ability to break down or

distinguish the parts of material into its
components so that its organizational structure
may be better understood. Examples of verbs
that relate to this function are:
analyze
compare probe
inquire
examine

differentiate
contrast
investigate
detect survey

experiment
scrutinize
discover
inspect dissect

Recognizing or recalling knowledge from memory.

Remembering is when memory is used to produce or
retrieve definitions, facts, or lists, or to recite previously
learned information.

2. Understanding:

Constructing meaning from different types of functions

be they written or graphic messages or activities like
interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing,
inferring, comparing, or explaining.

3. Applying:

Carrying out or using a procedure through executing,

or implementing. Applying relates to or refers to
situations where learned material is used through
products like models, presentations, interviews or
simulations.

4. Analyzing:

Breaking materials or concepts into parts, determining

how the parts relate to one another or how they
interrelate, or how the parts relate to an overall
structure or purpose. Mental actions included in this
function aredifferentiating, organizing, and
attributing, as well as being able to distinguish
between the components or parts. When one is
analyzing, he/she can illustrate this mental function by

contrast
categorize

classify deduce

discriminate
separate

5. Synthesis: The ability to put parts together

to form a coherent or unique new whole.
Examples of verbs that relate to this function
are:
compose
produce design
assemble
create prepare
predict modify
tell

plan invent
formulate
collect set up
generalize
document
combine relate

propose
develop
arrange
construct
organize
originate derive
write propose

6. Evaluation: The ability to judge, check, and

even critique the value of material for a given
purpose. Examples of verbs that relate to this
function are:
judge assess
compare
evaluate
conclude
measure
deduce

argue decide
choose rate
select estimate

validate
consider
appraise value
criticize infer

creating spreadsheets, surveys, charts, or diagrams, or

graphic representations.
5. Evaluating:

Making judgments based on criteria and standards

through checking and critiquing. Critiques,
recommendations, and reports are some of the products
that can be created to demonstrate the processes of
evaluation. In the newer taxonomy, evaluating comes
before creating as it is often a necessary part of the
precursory behavior before one creates something.

6. Creating:

Putting elements together to form a coherent or

functional whole; reorganizing elements into a new
pattern or structure through generating, planning, or
producing. Creating requires users to put parts
together in a new way, or synthesize parts into
something new and different creating a new form or
product. This process is the most difficult mental
function in the new taxonomy.

Table 1.1 Bloom vs. Anderson/Krathwohl

______________________________________________________________________________

(Diagram 1.1, Wilson,

Leslie O. 2001)
Note: After creating the cognitive taxonomy one of the weaknesses noted by Bloom himself was that there is was a
fundamental difference between his knowledge category and the other 5 levels of his model as those levels dealt
with intellectual abilities and skills in relation to interactions with types of knowledge. Bloom was very aware that
there was an acute difference between knowledge and the mental and intellectual operations performed on, or with,
that knowledge. He identified specific types of knowledge as:

Terminology

Specific facts

Conventions

Trends and sequences

Classifications and categories

Criteria

Methodology

Principles and generalizations

Theories and structures

Levels of Knowledge The first three of these levels were identified in the original work, but rarely discussed or
introduced when initially discussing uses for the taxonomy. Metacognition was added in the revised version.

Factual Knowledge The basic elements students must know to be acquainted with a discipline or solve
problems.

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.

Metacognitive Knowledge Knowledge of cognition in general, as well as awareness and knowledge of

ones own cognition. (29)

(Summarized from: Anderson, L. W. & Krathwohl, D.R., et al (2001) A taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing:
A revision of Blooms taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.)
One of the things that clearly differentiates the new model from that of the 1956 original is that it lays out components
nicely so they can be considered and used. Cognitive processes, as related to chosen instructional tasks, can be
easily documented and tracked. This feature has the potential to make teacher assessment, teacher selfassessment, and student assessment easier or clearer as usage patterns emerge. (See PDF link below for a
sample.)
As stated before, perhaps surprisingly, these levels of knowledge were indicated in Blooms original work factual,
conceptual, and procedural but these were never fully understood or used by teachers because most of what
educators were given in training consisted of a simple chart with the listing of levels and related accompanying verbs.
The full breadth of Handbook I, and its recommendations on types of knowledge, were rarely discussed in any
instructive or useful way. Another rather gross lapse in common teacher training over the past 50+ years is teachersin-training are rarely made aware of any of the criticisms leveled against Blooms original model.
Please note that in the updated version the term metacognitive has been added to the array of knowledge types.
For readers not familiar with this term, it means thinking about ones thinking in a purposeful way so that one knows
about cognition and also knows how to regulate ones cognition.

Knowledge Dimensions Defined:

Factual Knowledge is knowledge that is basic to specific disciplines. This dimension refers to essential facts,
terminology, details or elements students must know or be familiar with in order to understand a discipline or solve a
problem in it.
Conceptual Knowledge is knowledge of classifications, principles, generalizations, theories, models, or structures
pertinent to a particular disciplinary area.
Procedural Knowledge refers to information or knowledge that helps students to do something specific to a
discipline, subject, or area of study. It also refers to methods of inquiry, very specific or finite skills, algorithms,
techniques, and particular methodologies.
Metacognitive Knowledge is the awareness of ones own cognition and particular cognitive processes. It is strategic
or reflective knowledge about how to go about solving problems, cognitive tasks, to include contextual and conditional
knowledge and knowledge of self.