Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

Bloom’ Benjamin’s has put forward a taxonomy of educational objectives, which provides a practical framework within which educational objectives could be organized and measured. In this taxonomy Bloom et al (1956) divided educational objectives into three domains. These are cognitive domain, Affective domain and psychomotor domain. In this section, we shall look at the cognitive domain in some details, later in other units we shall look at the others.

Cognitive domain

The cognitive domain involves those objectives that deal with the development of intellectual abilities and skills. These have to do with the mental abilities of the brain. The domain is categorized into six hierarchical levels: comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. These levels are of hierarchical and increasing operational difficulties that achievement of a higher level of skill assumes the achievement of the previous levels. This implies that a higher level of skill could be achieved only if a certain amount of ability called for by the previous level has been achieved. For instance, you cannot apply what you do not know or comprehend, can you now understand what it means to be hierarchical.

Now let us look at the components of the cognitive domain.

KNOWLEDGE (or Memory)

If you have studied the figure above, you would have noticed that knowledge or memory is the first, the lowest and the foundation for the development of higher order cognitive skills. It involves the recognition or recall of previous learned information. There is no demand for understanding or internalization of information. For measurement purposes, memory or knowledge involves bringing to mind the appropriate material.

This cognitive level emphasizes the psychological process of remembering. Action verbs which can serve as appropriate signals, cues and clues that can effectively bring out stored information in the mind include: define, name, list, tell, recall, identify, remember, who, which, where, when, what, recognize, how much, how many etc. You can now use these verbs to formulate instructional objectives.

Comprehension Level

You remember that we said that memory is concerned with the accumulation of a repertoire of facts, specifics, ways and means of dealing with specifics, universals, abstractions etc. it implies that memory involvers verbalization and role learning. Comprehension is all about internalization of knowledge. It involvers making memory out of what is stored in the brain file. It is on this basis that what is stored in the brain can be understood and translated, interpreted or extrapolated. It is only when you have known something that you can understand it. Again it is only when you know and understand that you can re-order or re-arrange. Action verbs here include explain, represent, restate, convert, interpret, re-arrange, re-order, translate, rephrase, transform etc.

Comprehension level is made up of the following:

1. Translation: which involves the ability to understand literal messages across communication forms, changing what is known from one form of communication to another e.g. from words to numbers, graphs, maps, charts, cartoons, pictures, formulas, symbols, models, equations etc.
2. Interpretation: which goes beyond mere literal translation to identification of inter-relationships among parts and components of communication and interpreting and relating these to the main components e.g. to interpret a chart or graph etc.
3. Extrapolation: which involves the ability to draw implications and ability to identify and continue a trend, isolate or detect consequences, suggest possible meaning and estimate possible effect.

Application Level

In the last section we noted that you can not understand what you have not known. It also means that you cannot apply what you do not understand. The use of abstractions in a concrete situation is called application. These abstractions can be in the form of general ideas, rules, or procedures or generalized methods, technical terms, principles, ideas and theories which must be remembered, understood and applied.

You must understand before correct application. Ability to apply what is learned is an indication of a more permanent acquisition of learning. Application skills are developed when the learner uses what he knows to solve a new problem, or in a new situation. Application involves the ability to the learner to grasp exactly what the problem is all about and what generalization or principles are relevant, useful, or pertinent for its solution. Some action verbs here include: apply, build, explain, calculate, classify, solve, specify, state, transfer demonstrate, determine, design, employ, predict, present, use which, restructure, relate, employ, organize etc. it involves the principles of transfer of learning.

Analysis Level

This is the breaking down of communication into its constituent parts or elements in order to establish the relationship or make the relations between ideas expressed to be clear or explicit. It means breaking a learnt material into parts, ideas and devices for clearer understanding.

It goes beyond application and involves such action verbs as analyse, detect, determine, establish, compare, why, discriminate, distinguish, check consistency, categories, establish evidence etc.

The components here include:

1. Analysis of Elements: which is concerned with the ability to identify the underlying elements such as assumptions, hypothesis, conclusions, views, values, arguments, statements etc and to determine the nature and functions of such elements?
2. Analysis of Relationship: which involves trying to determine how the elements identified are related to each other? For instance, how does the evidence relate to the conclusion?
3. Analysis of Organizational principles: which involves determining the principles or system of organization which holds the different elements and parts together? It involves finding the pattern, the structure, systematic arrangements, point of view, etc.

Synthesis Level

Notice that analysis involves breaking down of materials, communication, object etc. but in synthesis you build up or put together elements. Parts, pieces and components in order to form a unique whole or to constitute a new form, plan, pattern or structure. In other words, synthesis is concerned with the ability to put parts of knowledge together to form a new knowledge.

It involves categorizing of items, composing of poems, and songs, writing etc. it involves divergent thinking. It calls for imaginative, original and creative thinking. You will note that creative – though process results in discovery of knowledge that is new or something that is tangible. It calls for creative answers to problems and for the development of questioning mind, spirit of inquiry or inquisitive mind.

It requires fluency of novel ideas and flexible mind. It allows students great freedom at looking for solutions, using many possible approaches to problem solving. Action verbs includes: plan, develop, devise, write, tell, make, assemble, classify, express, illustrate, produce, propose, specify, suggest, document, formulate, modify, organize, derive, design, derive, create, combine, construct, put together, constituted, etc. synthetic can be sub divided into:

• Production of unique communication: which is concerned with the ability to put together in a unique organizational form a piece of written or oral communication to convey a novel idea, feeling or experience to others?
• Production of a plan or proposed set of operations: this is concerned with the ability to develop a plan or to propose procedures for solving problem or dealing with others.
• Derivation of a set of Abstract Relation: this is based on the result of the analysis of an experimental data, observation or other specific. It is the ability to form concepts generalizations, deduce propositions, predictions or relationship based on classification of experiences or observations.

Evaluation Level

Your knowledge of the meaning of evaluation is not very different from this level of cognitive domain. It is the highest in the hierarchy. It involves making a quantitative or qualitative judgment about a piece of communication, a procedure, a method, a proposal, a plan etc. Based on certain internal or external criteria alternatives abound, choice depends on the result of judgment which we make consciously or unconsciously based on values we held. Every day, we make judgments such as good or bad, right or wrong, agree or disagree, fast or slow etc.

These are simple evaluations. They may not base on logical or rational judgment. In education, evaluation as a cognitive objective involves the learners’ ability to organize his thought and knowledge to reach a logical and rational decision which is defendable.

Evaluation is the most complex of human cognitive behaviour. It embodies elements of the other five categories. What are the other categories? Can you name them? They are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis and synthesis. Action verbs here include: agree, assess, compare, appraise, choose, evaluate, why, validate, judge, select, conclude, consider, decide, contract etc. evaluation can be subdivided into (a) judgment in terms of internal criteria and (b) judgment in terms of external criteria.

Taxonomy of educational Objectives

The taxonomy of educational objectives from the work or Professor B.S. Bloom and his colleagues has given us a sound base for the formulation of our objectives. A sound system of education should be able to produce graduates who have a wealth of knowledge and are able to comprehend much of it, and are also able to apply their knowledge and engage in those mental activities variously referred to as critical thinking, reflective thinking, divergent thinking, inductive-deductive processes, problem solving etc. these activities are concerned with the higher categories of the cognitive domain. These areas should form the bulk of the objectives because they are the ones from where we expect the highest educational dividends.

A test is designed to measure the level of the attainment of the specified instructional objectives. The intention of an achievement test is to translate well defined subject matter content into test questions that will elicit the types of behaviour we intend the learners to develop. Such behaviours are spelt out or implied in our course or instructional objectives. These objectives are operational translations of the goals of education and they provide guides to ensure desirable changes in the learners behaviour in a given subject mater area. The realization of these objectives will contribute towards the achievement of the ultimate goal.