Bloom’s Taxonomy: Approach to Facilitate Effective Learning

 

Teachers spend a considerable amount of time preparing lesson plans and ensuring effective teaching delivery. Therefore, seeing students responding enthusiastically in class during question-and-answer sessions or other activities is quite satisfying. Unfortunately, that is not the case with all of them; you might find several students zoning out in the middle of the class. 

However, that is hardly surprising given the fact that different pupils have varying attention spans, understanding levels, and analytical abilities. So, naturally, sometimes, it becomes challenging for the faculty to cater to individual needs; a teaching and learning mechanism like Bloom’s taxonomy is an appropriate solution for teachers to facilitate a wholesome learning environment. 

What is Bloom’s Taxonomy? 

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a framework of teaching and learning systems that classify and distinguishes different levels of human cognition (thinking, learning and understanding). Moreover, the framework provides a systematic procedure that helps teachers evaluate different levels of cognitive learning as learners progress through the course material. 

On the other hand, students benefit from this framework immensely because it enables them to follow a specific learning method; instead of memorizing information, they understand and retain them for a long period. Furthermore, there are different levels in the framework that consists of ‘’action verbs’’, enabling teachers to implement various activities and track associated learning outcomes. 

How Does Bloom’s Taxonomy Facilitate Effective Learning? 

In 1956, Benjamin Bloom published the framework by collaborating with Max Englehart, Edward Furst, Walter Hill, and David Krathwohl. The framework included six major categories: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. Meanwhile, after subsequent revisions, the framework developed into its modern form, which has a more dynamic concept classification. 

Therefore, let us look at how it facilitates effective learning. 

Remembering and Knowledge Level

The remembering or knowledge level is at the bottom of the framework and it is the initial component wherein students recall any critical information. The application of this level occurs when teachers asks questions to determine their existing knowledge; it helps them to identify what the remember and doubts that they have regarding the same. 

So, teachers can employ various activities such as fill-in-the-blanks, impromptu quizzes, multiple choice questions (MCQs), etc. Consequently, this will enable them to determine students’ ability to recall or remember important events, formulas, significant dates in the history, etc. Besides, one can ask excellent questions such as Who were the main culprit behind the disaster? What led to the downfall of the emprire? And suitable learning outcome or action verbs include: cite, define, describe, identify, label, list, match, name, outline, quote, recall, report, reproduce, retrieve, show, state, tabulate, and tell.
 

Comprehension Level 

Comprehension level relates to understanding the information that has been relayed to them; at this level students must comprehend or make sense of questions or tasks. They need to interpret something at the best of their capability and indicate their understanding of any topic at different contexts. 

Instructors can use short answer and question sessions or brief explanation of particular topics to determine students’ understanding abilities. For instance, students can write an essay or summary explaining an event or describe an occasion in detail. 

Also, they can use action verbs such as abstract, arrange, articulate, associate, categorize, clarify, classify, compare, compute, conclude, contrast, defend, diagram, differentiate, discuss, distinguish, estimate, exemplify, explain, extend, extrapolate, generalize, give examples of, illustrate, infer, interpolate, interpret, match, outline, paraphrase, predict, rearrange, etc. 

Application Level 

Effective learning is complete without applying what one has learned in a practical situation, therefore, this framework of bloom’s taxonomy highlights application level as one of the most significant levels. This level specifies students to implement whatever knowledge and understanding they have gained in different situations. 

Furthermore, students can prepare a strategy for building a sustainable generator that saves water and electricity. And common actions verbs that fall under this level include, apply, calculate, carry out, classify, complete, compute, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, examine, execute, experiment, generalize, illustrate, implement, infer, interpret, manipulate, modify, operate, organize, outline, predict, solve, transfer, translate, and use.

Analyzing Level 

Is this the correct formula to do the sum? What is the best way to answer this question? What are major roadblocks to complete the assignment? These are the type of questions students will be able to ask themselves when they reach the stage to analyze their learning habits. In fact, students will develop the aptitude to cross examine an event, research papers, and text materials. 

Also, this is a crucial point when the teachers must employ a student-centric pedagogy to help students get clarity and polish their analytical skills. For instance, they can ask questions like analyze the difference between public and private educational institutes. And the action verbs that comes in this category include, analyze, arrange, break down, categorize, classify, compare, connect, contrast, deconstruct, detect, diagram, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, divide, explain, identify, integrate, inventory, order, organize, relate, separate, and structure. 

Evaluating level 

What is the point of education if it does not help students broaden their horizons and elevate their thinking? This question is as relevant as the topic of better learning habits which could be incorporated with the help of Bloom’s Taxonomy. In fact, at the evaluating level, students will become capable of forming judgements and opinions based on logic and reasoning. 

So, naturally they will no longer rely on rote memorization; instead they will gather necessary information and make appropriate decisions. Besides, this is the highest thinking level especially useful while solving a problem; and the action verbs that one can use include, appraise, apprise, argue, assess, compare, conclude, consider, contrast, convince, criticize, critique, decide, determine, discriminate, evaluate, grade, judge, justify, measure, rank, rate, recommend, review, score, select, standardize, support, test, and validate. 

Creating or Synthesis Level 

This is perhaps the most interesting level in the hierarchy of the Bloom’s Taxonomy because at this level students create something new. Students will study and evaluate different elements and combine them to create something new. Moreover, they will learn to identify and highlight common themes and draw appropriate solutions. 

And common action verbs under this level are arrange, assemble, build, collect, combine, compile, compose, constitute, construct, create, design, develop, devise, formulate, generate, hypothesize, integrate, invent, make, manage, modify, organize, perform, plan, prepare, produce, propose,etc. 

In Conclusion 

Student learning habits are prone to become ineffective and monotonous leading to disinterest and fear. However, teachers play a vital role in guiding them towards better learning techniques; bloom’s taxonomy helps to draft modern and productive instructional methods. In addition, it helps to boost student learning outcomes with the help of various activities guided by the framework.