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Bloom's Taxonomy: A Quick Overview

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What is Bloom's Taxonomy?

When we read a text, we apply different levels and forms of understanding to comprehend. We show different analyzing skills while reading the whole text. Bloom's taxonomy considers such higher and lower order understanding and analytical skills. Let us study Bloom's taxonomy examples, along with its details.


Bloom's taxonomy is considered a three-rank hierarchical model. It talks about the skills of thinking and analyzing by following a particular order. Such a model helps in putting the intellectual skills in different categories so that some orders of specificity and complexity can be covered. For instance, the author does not follow a single order for writing a passage. It contains different layers of understanding and emotions. To understand these different layers, we resort to applying Bloom's taxonomy. The three levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy are discussed below.


Cognitive Domain

The cognitive domain of Bloom's taxonomy includes knowledge and intellectual skill development. In terms of complexity levels, there are six sub-heads of the cognitive domain. 


Knowledge - It involves the study of facts, figures, and basic concepts.


Comprehension - It involves understanding the facts gathered during the knowledge stage in a productive manner. 


Application - It involves using the knowledge and the concepts in a novel and productive manner.


Analysis - It involves analyzing the application, drawing conclusions, and establishing a relation between the different aspects of the application.


Evaluation - It involves the process of making judgements and defending opinions about the information generated from the application.


Creation - It involves the production of new results by the process of planning, designing, developing, and the actual application. 


Bloom’s taxonomy examples can be studied to know about these points, which will enable the student to understand and develop all these skills in the passage composition.


Affective Domain

The affective domain of Bloom's taxonomy considers the feelings and the emotions associated with the passage. It can include complex ideas and phenomena, conscience, and characters. The essential aspects of the affective domain used while applying Bloom's taxonomy are as follows.


  • Reception
  • Response
  • Values
  • Organization
  • Characterization


Psychomotor Domain

If you study the revised Bloom's taxonomy examples, you will understand the aspect and need of the psychomotor domain in Bloom's taxonomy examples. This domain considers coordination, sensory organ movement, and the physical movement of the body as a whole. To be a pro at such skills, great practice is necessary. Bloom’s taxonomy examples consider the act of driving, playing keyboard, guitar, etc. as prime examples of the psychomotor domain.


A better understanding of each of these domains can be obtained by studying Bloom's taxonomy examples at each level.


Bloom's Taxonomy Application

We often get an unseen passage and we are required to comprehend it. We have to answer the given questions by reading the passage. We analyze the topic, questions, and recall the facts by applying Bloom's taxonomy protocols. Bloom's taxonomy can be used in the following ways.


Obtaining the meaning of the phrases, words, idioms used in the passage by using Bloom's taxonomy concepts of understanding and application.


Concluding the points mentioned in the passage by using Bloom's taxonomy concepts of evaluation and analysis.


Obtaining the details mentioned in the passage by using Bloom's taxonomy concepts of understanding and remembering.


Identifying the author's tone by using Bloom's taxonomy concepts of evaluation.


Consider a proper title for the passage by using Bloom's taxonomy concepts of evaluation and understanding.


What are the Different Means of Refining the Reading Speed?

The major problem in reading a long passage is to remember all the salient points mentioned in the passage. We need to read it multiple times, which will be both time and energy-consuming. The following points can help to deal with such a scenario better.

Practice reading.


However, do not just continue reading. Ensure that you understand what you read.


Consider reading in a calm and quiet environment so that you can be more attentive.


There is a misconception that reading aloud facilitates understanding. It hampers the speed.


Follow a particular space and have a time limit for reading.  Go for a lesser time limit when you hit the time mark.


Do not go for continuous reading. Take intermittent breaks so that your eyes can relax.


Consider referring to a dictionary whenever you encounter a new word. It will help you in understanding and pronunciation.


The Levels of The Bloom's Taxonomy 

Before we look at some of Bloom's taxonomy examples, let's review the six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy which can be described as follows. 


Knowledge 

It entails employing memorizing skills to retain previous information as well as collect and organize new data. As we'll see in Bloom's taxonomy examples below, these are the building blocks of cognition.


Comprehension 

It entails a thorough grasp of the information gathered earlier from various perspectives.


Application 

It entails adapting information to a specific context or circumstance, which will become clearer as you experience real-life Bloom's taxonomy instances.


Analysis 

Examining a subject, theme, or topic of study for patterns, embedded meanings, and analogies with other items.


Synthesis 

It entails synthesizing many ideas to produce something unique—a product of critical thought.


Evaluation 

It entails making judgments about the values and learning methods of a certain programme.


Levels of Updated Version of Bloom's Taxonomy 

Bloom's model of Taxonomy was upgraded in 2001, with a few tweaks. The conceptual domain's "Synthesis" stage was replaced by "Create," Bloom's taxonomy's greatest level of learning. The nouns were replaced with verbs there in the second alteration. The following are the levels in Bloom's updated taxonomy:


Remember 

You need to use the new information and the data that is already saved in your memory to draft a list of a variety of communications that are needed daily


Understand 

Recognize how each of these methods of communication fits into a specific strategy or style, such as frank communication, remote communication, or spontaneous communication.


Apply 

To test the application concerning the communication style of any person, you can take any academically credible communication theory.


Analyze 

See how they change their communication style when they are exposed to different audiences or situations.


Evaluate

Discuss the various challenges faced by the process of communication when perceived from a macro level.


Bloom's Taxonomy Model Benefits

Bloom's Taxonomy paradigm has a lot of benefits. It provides a simple learning process layout structure and has a wide range of applications in the corporate world, particularly in the field of training and development. It can also be used for even the tiniest learning process, such as a kindergarten student's learning process.


Bloom's Taxonomy Model's Drawbacks

Here are some of the model's flaws. Many firms may reject you since there is no method in place to measure how successful your learning is. For others, it may be too easy to follow.

FAQs on Bloom's Taxonomy: A Quick Overview

1. What is Bloom's Taxonomy?

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework that classifies different levels of intellectual behaviour and thinking skills required for learning. Developed by Benjamin Bloom, it provides a hierarchical structure, moving from simpler cognitive skills like remembering facts to more complex ones like creating new ideas. It helps educators set clear learning objectives and challenges students to engage in higher-order thinking rather than just memorising information.

2. Why is Bloom's Taxonomy important for a Commerce student?

For a Commerce student, Bloom's Taxonomy is crucial because it provides a path for deeper understanding of subjects like Business Studies, Accountancy, and Economics. Instead of only remembering definitions, the taxonomy encourages you to:

  • Understand economic theories.
  • Apply accounting principles to solve problems.
  • Analyse business case studies.
  • Evaluate the success of a marketing strategy.
  • Create a new business plan.
This structured approach helps in developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for a career in commerce.

3. What are the six levels of the revised Bloom's Taxonomy?

The revised Bloom's Taxonomy organises cognitive skills into six hierarchical levels, from simplest to most complex. These are:

  • Remembering: Recalling facts and basic concepts.
  • Understanding: Explaining ideas or concepts in your own words.
  • Applying: Using information in new situations or to solve problems.
  • Analysing: Drawing connections among ideas; differentiating and organising information.
  • Evaluating: Justifying a stand or decision; critiquing information.
  • Creating: Generating new ideas, products, or points of view.

4. What are the three main domains of learning described in Bloom's Taxonomy?

Bloom's Taxonomy outlines three distinct domains of learning:

  • Cognitive Domain: This involves intellectual skills and the ability to process information. It is the most widely used domain and includes the six levels of thinking (Remembering to Creating).
  • Affective Domain: This focuses on emotional growth, attitudes, values, and feelings. It deals with how we handle things emotionally, such as motivation and appreciation.
  • Psychomotor Domain: This relates to physical skills and the ability to use motor skills to perform actions. It involves using the body to create or do something, like operating machinery or conducting an experiment.

5. How does the revised Bloom's Taxonomy differ from the original version?

The revised taxonomy, updated in the 1990s, introduced a few key changes from the original 1956 version. The most significant difference is in its terminology and structure:

  • From Nouns to Verbs: The levels were changed from nouns to verbs to reflect the active nature of thinking (e.g., 'Knowledge' became 'Remembering', 'Comprehension' became 'Understanding').
  • Reordering of Top Levels: In the original version, the pinnacle was 'Evaluation'. In the revised version, 'Creating' (formerly 'Synthesis') is placed at the highest level, making it the most complex cognitive skill, just above 'Evaluating'.

6. Can you give examples of how a Commerce student might use each level of Bloom's Taxonomy to study the 'Functions of Management'?

Certainly. Applying the taxonomy to the 'Functions of Management' would look like this:

  • Remembering: List the five functions of management: Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, and Controlling.
  • Understanding: Explain the purpose of the 'Planning' function in your own words.
  • Applying: Show how a manager would use the 'Organising' function to set up a new department.
  • Analysing: Compare the 'Directing' and 'Controlling' functions, highlighting their key differences and relationship.
  • Evaluating: Judge the effectiveness of a company's staffing strategy and justify your assessment with evidence.
  • Creating: Design a new controlling system for a small business to monitor its financial performance.

7. What are some keywords or verbs associated with each level of the taxonomy?

Each level is associated with specific action verbs that help in framing questions and learning objectives. Key examples include:

  • Remembering: define, list, name, recall, repeat.
  • Understanding: classify, describe, discuss, explain, summarise.
  • Applying: demonstrate, implement, solve, use, interpret.
  • Analysing: compare, contrast, differentiate, organise, examine.
  • Evaluating: appraise, argue, defend, judge, critique, support.
  • Creating: design, assemble, construct, develop, formulate, invent.