This Tip looks at the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives which identifies the building blocks of learning.
The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives
The third model is the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, which Benjamin Bloom proposed in 1956. Bloom headed a group of cognitive psychologists at the University of Chicago. The group identified six progressive and inter-dependent levels, or building blocks, of learning. In 2001, the blocks were reordered and renamed.
Remember and Understand
Remember is the first level, which is the foundation for all higher thinking. Without remembering there cannot be a second level (Understanding). The only way we can determine whether we achieve understanding is if the learner has an opportunity to restate new learning in his or her own words. As Edgar Dale shows, saying increases the likelihood of retention to 70%.
Apply
Without the first and second levels, there cannot be the third level (Apply). Apply is the “doing”level, which increases the likelihood of retention to 90%. In other words, a learner needs to have information (remember) and understand what it means (understand) before s/he can use it to do something (apply). Apply is the launching pad for all higher level thinking: Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.
Goal of Skill-Building Training
The ultimate goal of skill-building training is for the learners to use the information or techniques they learned. As a result, the training must include learning activities that enable learners to:
- remember,
- check learner understanding, and
- give the learners the opportunity to apply the information or techniques.
All of these learning activities require the active participation of the learners.
