Glossary

What is Bloom's Taxonomy?

Learn about the six stages of Bloom's Taxonomy, how it can be used to improve learning and productivity outcomes, and how to apply it to your personal learning goals and development objectives.

Table of Contents

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework for organizing and categorizing learning objectives and assessments. It was first developed by Benjamin Bloom and a team of educators in the 1950s to improve the quality of educational assessment.

Today, Bloom's Taxonomy is significantly used in education, training, and development programs to design effective learning experiences and evaluate student or employee learning outcomes.

Bloom's Taxonomy

What does it include?

Bloom's Taxonomy includes six stages of learning objectives. Ranging from lower-level objectives, such as, remembering and understanding to higher-level objectives like analyzing, evaluating, and creating. These stages also provide a roadmap for teachers and trainers to design lessons and assessments that support learners as they progress from basic knowledge to more complex and critical thinking skills.

6 stages of Bloom's Taxonomy

The six stages of Bloom's Taxonomy are:

  • Remembering: Recalling information from memory
  • Understanding: Comprehending the meaning of information
  • Applying: Using the information in a practical context
  • Analyzing: Breaking information down into parts to understand the relationship between them
  • Evaluating: Making judgments about the value of information based on criteria and standards
  • Creating: Combining information to form a new whole

Principle of Bloom's Taxonomy

The principle of Bloom's Taxonomy is that learning and assessment should be designed to support students as they unquestionably progress through each stage of the framework. This also means that learning objectives and assessments should gradually increase in complexity and challenge. Subsequently, giving learners opportunities to practice and develop their skills at each stage.

How can Bloom's Taxonomy be used in the classroom or workplace to improve learning and productivity outcomes?

Using Bloom's Taxonomy in the classroom or workplace can also improve learning and productivity outcomes.

  • Design learning objectives aligned with Bloom's Taxonomy stages to provide opportunities for learners to practice and develop their skills.
  • Creating assessments that evaluate student or employee learning at each stage of the framework
  • Using instructional strategies that support learners as they progress through the stages of Bloom's Taxonomy
  • Equally providing feedback that helps learners understand their strengths and areas for improvement

What are some of the criticisms of Bloom's Taxonomy, and how might these be addressed?

Some criticisms of Bloom's Taxonomy include that it is too rigid, oversimplifies the learning process, and does not consider how learners process and retain information simultaneously.

Subsequently, it is important to use Bloom's Taxonomy as a flexible and adaptive framework to address these criticisms and recognize that different learners may have different learning styles and needs.

How can you apply Bloom's Taxonomy to learning goals and development objectives?

To apply Bloom's Taxonomy to your own learning goals and development objectives, you can:

  • Identify your learning goals and objectives.
  • Determine which stage of Bloom's Taxonomy your goals and objectives align with.
  • Use instructional strategies and assessments that support your learning at each stage of Bloom's Taxonomy.
  • Continuously evaluate your progress and make adjustments as needed

Conclusion

In conclusion, Bloom's Taxonomy is a valuable framework for understanding and organizing learning objectives. Using the framework in the classroom, workplace, or personal learning environment, you can also ensure that you make the most of your learning experiences and achieve the best possible outcomes and results.

Whether you are a student, teacher, trainer, or simply seeking to improve your personal and professional development, Bloom's Taxonomy can help you achieve your goals and realize your full potential.

Learn more: Cohort-Based Learning vs. Traditional e-Learning: Which is better?

Related learning terms
What is Cognitive Load?

Learn how to create effective and efficient lesson plans that make learning less of a struggle for students by keeping it simple, breaking it down, using visuals and more.

What is Education Technology?

Explore the benefits of education technology, including personalized learning experiences, increased efficiency, flexible and remote learning opportunities, improved student outcomes, and more.

HR Analytics: Transforming Human Resource Management with Data

Explore the transformative impact of HR Analytics on HR management with our in-depth analysis. Learn how data-driven insights can enhance hiring, boost retention, and optimize performance for strategic business success.

Rapid Content Development (RCD): Benefits and Best Practices

Rapid content development (RCD) is a methodology for agile learning design. This instructional learning can be used in all organizations.

Learning Terms