Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains

A committee of colleges, led by Benjamin Bloom (1956), identified three domains of educational activities:

     - Cognitive: mental skills (knowledge)

     - Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (attitude)

     - Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (skills)

 

Cognitive Domain (Bloom 1956): Involves knowledge & the development of intellectual skills. This includes specific facts, procedral patterns & concepts that serve in the development of intellectual abilities & skills. There are six major categories that fall under this domain. Here they are:

     - Knowledge: Recall data of information.

                              Examples: Recite a policy or Knows the safety rules.

                              Key Words: Defines, Describes, Identifies, Names, Recalls, States

    - Comprehension: Understand the meaning, translation, interpolation & interpretaion of instructions &

                                      problems. State a problems in one's own words.

                                      Examples: Explain in one's own words the steps for performing a complex task or

                                                          Translates an equation into a computer

                                                          spreadsheet.

                                      Key Words: Comprehends, Explains, Summarizes, Translates & Infers

     - Application: Use a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an abstraction. Applies what was

                               learned in the classroom into novel situations in the work place.

                               Examples: Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the reliability of a written test

                               Key Words: Applies, Changes, Conputes, Discovers, Solves, Uses & Shows

     - Analysis: Seperates material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be

                         understood. Distinguishes between facts & inferences.

                         Examples: Gathers information from a department & selects the required tasks for training or

                                             Recognize logical fallacies in reasoning.

                         Key Words: Analyzes, Breaks Down, Illustrates, Relates, Compares & Contrast

     - Synthesis: Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Put parts together to from a whole, with

                            emphasis on creating a new meaning or structure.

                            Examples: Write a company operations or process manual or Design a machine to perform a

                                                 specific task.

                            Key Words: Categorizes, Creates, Designs, Relates, Explains & Plans

     - Evaluation: Make judgements about the value of ideas or materials.

                              Examples: Select the most effective solution or Hire the most qualified candidate.

                              Key Words: Compares, Concludes, Evaluates, Describes & Supports

 

Affective Domain (Krathwohl, Bloom, Masia 1973): Includes the manner in which we deal with things emotionally, such as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiams, motivations & attitudes. There are five major catergories that fall under this domain,. Here they are:

     - Recieving Phenomena: Awareness, willingness to hear  & selected attention.

                                                  Examples: Listen to others with respect or Listen for & remember the name of

                                                                      newly introduced people.

                                                  Key Words: Aks, Chooses, Describes, Follows, Gives, Holds, Names & Replies

     - Responding to Phenomena: Active participation on the part of the learners. Attends & reacts to a

                                                           particular phenomenan. Learning outcomes may emphasize compliance in

                                                           responding, willingness to respond or satisfaction in responding (motivation).

                                                           Examples: Participates in class discussions or Gives a presentation.

                                                           Key Words: Answers, Aids, Reads, Presents, Tells, Writes, Reports & Helps

     - Valuing: The worth or value a person attaches to a particular object, phenomenon or behavior. This ranges

                        from simple acceptance to the more complex state of commitment. Valuing is based on the

                        internalization of a set of specified values, while clues to these values are expressed in the leaner's

                        overt behavior & are often identifiable.

                        Examples: Shows the ability to solve problems or Informs management on matters that one feels
                                            strongly about.
                        Key Words: Completes, Demonstrates, Explains, Follows, Reads, Studies, Works, Shares & Selects
     - Organization: Organizes values into priorities by contrasting different values, resolving conflicts between
                                  them & creating a unique value system. The emphasis is on comparing, relating &
                                  synthesizing values.
                                  Examples: Recognizes the need for balance between freedom & responsible behavior or
                                                      Creates a life plan in harmony with abilities, interests & beliefs.
                                  Key Words: Arranges, Completes, Explains, Organizes, Orders, Formulates & Generalizes
     - Internalizing Values (characterization): Has a value system that controls their behavior. The behavior is
                                                                                pervasive, consistent, predictable & most importantly,
                                                                                characteristic of the learner. Istructional objectives are concerned
                                                                                with the student's general patterns.
                                                                                Examples: Uses an objective approach in problem solving or
                                                                                                    values people for what they are, not how they look.
                                                                                Key Words: Acts, Displays, Listens, Modifies, Performs & Proposes

Psychomotor Domain (Simpson 1972): Includes physical movement, coordination & se of the motor-skill areas. Development of these skills requires practice & is measures in terms of speed, precision,
distance, procedures or techniques in execution. There are seven major categories that fall under this domain.
Here they are:
     - Perception: The ability to use sensory cues to guide motor activity. This ranges from sensory stimulation,
                              through cue selection, to translation.
                              Examples: Detects non-verbal communication cues or Estimate where a ball will land after it is
                                                  thrown & then moving to the correct location to cacth the ball.
                              Key Words: Chooses, Detects, Differentiates, Identifies, Relates, Selects, Isolates & Describes
     - Set: Readiness to act. It includes mental, physical & emotional sets. These three sets are dispositions that
                predetermine a person's response to different situations (sometimes called mindsets).
                Examples: Knows & acts upon a sequence of steps in a manufactoring process or Recognizes one's
                                    abilities & limitations.
                Key Words: Begins, Displays, Explains, Moves, Proceeds, Reacts, Shows, States & Volunteers
     - Guided Response: The early stages in learning a comlex skill that includes imitation & trial & error.
                                          Adequacy of perfomance is achieved by practicing.
                                          Examples: Performs a mathematical equation as demonstrated or Follows instructions
                                                              to build a model.
                                          Key Words: Copies, Traces, Follows, Reacts, Reproduce & Responds
     - Mechanism: This is the intermediate stage in learning a complex skill. Learned repsonses have become
                                habitual & the movements can be performed with some confidence & proficiency.
                                Examples: Use a personal computer or Repair a leaking faucet.
                                Key Words: Assembles, Fastens, Mixes, Sketches, Manipulates, Heats, Constructs & Grinds
     - Complex Overt Response: The skillful perfromance of motor acts that invlove complex movement patterns.
                                                        Proficiency is indicated by a quick, accurate & highly coordinated performance,
                                                        requiring a minimum of energy. This category includes performing without
                                                        hesitation & automatic performance.
                                                        Examples: Maneuvers a car into a tight parking spot or Operates a computer
                                                                            quickly & accurately.
                                                        Key Words: = Same as Mechanism, but will have adverbs or adjectives that
                                                                              idicate that the performance is quicker, better, more accurate, etc.
     - Adaptation: Skills are well developed & the individual can modify movement patterns to fit special
                              requirements.
                              Examples: Responds effectively to unexpected experience or Modifies instruction to meet the
                                                  needs of the learners.
                              Key Words: Adapts, Alters, Changes, Rearranges, Reorganizes, Revises & Varies
     - Origination: Creating new movement patterns to fit a particular situation or specific problem. Learning
                               outcomes emphasize creativity based upon highly developed skills.
                               Examples: Constructs a new theory or Developes a new & comprehensive training
                                                   programming.
                               Key Words: Arranges, Builds, Combines, Contructs, Creates, Designs, Makes & Originates

Other Psychomotor Domain Taxanomies: There are two other versions for this domain. Here they are:
     - Dave's Taxonomy (1975)  - Imitation: Observing & patterning behavior after someone else.
                                                                             Example: Copying a work of art.
                                                      - Manipulation: Being able to perform certain actions by following instructions
                                                                                    & practicing.
                                                                                    Example: Creating something after reading about it.
                                                      - Precision: Refining, becoming more exact after a few errors.
                                                                            Example: Working on something for so many times till you get it.
                                                      - Articulation: Coordinating a series of actions, achieving harmony & internal
                                                                                 consistency.
                                                                                 Example: Producing a video with lots of effects in it.
                                                      - Naturalization: Having a high level performance become natural, without
                                                                                     needing to think much about it.
                                                                                     Example: Michael Jordan playing basketball.
     - Harrow's (1972)  - Reflex Movements: Reactions that are not learned.
                                       - Fundamental Movements: Basic movements such as walking or grasping.
                                       - Perception: Response to stimuli such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic or tactical
                                                                discrimination.
                                       - Physical Abilities: Stamina that must be developed for further development such as
                                                                           strength.
                                       - Skilled Movements: Advanced learned movements as one would find in sports.
                                       - No Discursive Communication: Effective body language.

Bloom;s Revised Taxonomy: He made two changes to his Taxonomy. 1) Changing the names in the six categories from noun to verb forms & 2) Slightly rearranging them.
     - Evaluation-Evaluating
     - Synthesis-Creating
     - Analysis-Analyzing
     - Application-Applying
     - Comprehension-Understanding
     - Knowledge-Remembering