DEVELOPMENT OF THE TAXONOMY

He was an educational psychologist and the chair of the committee of educators at

the University of Chicago.
In the mid 1950s, Bloom worked in collaboration with Max Englehart, Edward
Furst, Walter Hill, and David Krathwohl to devise a system that classified levels of
cognitive functioning and provided a sense of structure for the various mental
processes we experience (Armstrong
 How Bloom’s Taxonomy Is Useful For Teachers?
 Educators often use Bloom's Taxonomy to create learning outcomes that target not
only subject matter but also the depth of learning they want students to achieve,
and to then create assessments that accurately report on students’ progress towards
these outcomes (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001).
 The framework can be used to used to create assessments, evaluate the
complexity of assignments, increase the rigor of a lesson, simplify an activity to
help personalize learning, design a summative assessment, plan project-based
learning, frame a group discussion, and more. Because it simply provides an
order for cognitive behaviors, it can be applied to almost anything
 Bloom's Taxonomy comprises three learning domains: the cognitive,
affective, and psychomotor, and assigns to each of these domains a hierarchy
that corresponds to different levels of learning.
 Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical model that categorizes learning objectives
into varying levels of complexity, from basic knowledge and comprehension to
advanced evaluation and creation.
 Bloom’s Taxonomy was originally published in 1956, and the Taxonomy was
modified each year for 16 years after it was first published.
 Bloom's Taxonomy comprises three learning domains: cognitive, affective, and
psychomotor. Within each domain, learning can take place at a number of levels
ranging from simple to complex.
 After the initial cognitive domain was created, which is primarily used in the
classroom setting, psychologists have devised additional taxonomies to explain
affective (emotional) and psychomotor (physical) learning.

Bloom's Taxonomy: Cognitive Domain

 The cognitive domain is focused on intellectual skills such as critical
thinking, problem solving, and creating a knowledge base

COGNITIVE HIERARCHY
Remember- : Recall previous learned information
• Sample learning outcome: Remember the names and relationships of a cast of
characters in a play.
• Sample assessment/activity: A multiple choice test designed to test the memory of
learners.
• Rationale: A multiple-choice test will allow educators to see whether students
have effectively memorized the given material.

Understand - Comprehending the meaning,

• Sample learning outcome: Understand and explain the main ideas of a play or piece
of literature.
• Sample assessment/activity: Write a short (1 page) paper summarizing the plot and
most important events in the play.
• Rationale: Writing a summary encourages learners to think about what the most
important parts of a piece of literature are, and to decide which aspects of the plot to
discard in favor of a concise summary. It allows educators to evaluate whether or not
they have understood the main idea of the play.

Apply - 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.
• Sample learning outcome: Apply the main ideas/themes in the play to another
context.
• Sample assessment/activity: Write an advice column responding to one of the
characters.
• Rationale: In doing this assignment, learners will consider the implications of a
character’s actions outside of the consequences shown in the play.

Analyze - Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its

organizational structure may be understood. Distinguishes between facts and
inferences.
• Sample learning outcome: Be able to analyze the relative roles of each character in
the play and their relationships to each other.
• Sample assessment/activity: Write an analytical paper comparing the
antagonists and protagonists of the play.
• Rationale: Through this assignment, as learners consider what makes each
character an antagonist or a protagonist, they need to use both their knowledge of the
play and critical thinking skills.

Evaluate - Make judgments about the value of ideas or materials

• Sample learning outcome: Evaluate the decisions of characters in the play, and
support your evaluation with textual evidence.
• Sample assessment/activity: Write a response to one of the events in the play, either
supporting or rejecting their actions on the basis of evidence from the play as well as
personal opinion and projected/actual
consequences of action.
• Rationale: Through this assignment, learners will consider the rationale and
consequences for actions in the play, leading them to
understand and make judgements about the validity of a character’s decision making.

Create - Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Put parts together to form
a whole, with emphasis on creating a new meaning or structure.
• Sample learning outcome: Create a new and unique piece of writing using similar
plot devices.
• Sample assessment/activity: Create a short story using similar plot devices in a new
time or setting.
• Rationale: Through this activity, learners must integrate the plot devices and writing
techniques into a new
setting, allowing them to practice their creative writing skills and showing their full
understanding of the writer's
techniques.

The Affective Domain (1964)

Concerned with feeling and emotion The affective model came as a second handbook
(with the first being the cognitive model) and an extension of Bloom’s original work
(Krathwol et al., 1964).
Receiving
• Sample learning outcome: Listen to other students with respect.
• Sample assessment/activity: Be an audience member to another student’s presentation,
and then write a summary.
• Rationale: Through this assignment, learners will learn how to listen effectively to
others as well as
remember key details about their presentation (used in writing the summary).

Responding
• Sample learning outcome: Speak effectively in front of an audience and actively
respond to others.
• Sample assessment/activity: Present on a subject in front of the class, and answer
questions from peers about their presentation.
• Rationale: Through this, learners will become more comfortable with public
speaking as well as more comfortable
with contributing to a discussion in the form of answering questions.

Valuing
• Sample learning outcome: Demonstrate and explain own values regarding various
topics.
• Sample assessment/activity: Write an opinion piece on any issue, explaining one’s
own stance and reasons supporting that stance.
• Rationale: Through this, learners will explore not only their own values but why they
support their values, giving them a chance to understand more fully their own value
system.

Organization
• Sample learning outcome: Compare value systems and understand evidence behind
values.
• Sample assessment/activity: Organize and compare different cultural value systems,
evaluating the differences between them and why these differences may have arisen.
• Rationale: In doing this activity, learners will consider how value systems are put
into place and organized, as well as the evidence that supports different value systems
across the world.

Characterization
• Sample learning outcome: Work well in a team of peers.
• Sample assessment/activity: A group project, including group work on any
assignment.
• Rationale: By working in a group, learners must balance their own values with the
values of the team, as well as prioritize tasks and practice teamwork.

PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN
 The psychomotor domain encompasses the ability of learners to physically
accomplish tasks and perform movement and skills
 This model was first published by Robert Armstrong and colleagues in 1970 and
included five levels: 1) imitation; 2) manipulation; 3) precision; 4) articulation; 5)
naturalization. These tiers represent different degrees of performing a skill from
exposure to mastery.
 There are several different versions including different hierarchies – the examples
here fall into Harrow’s (1972) theory of the psychomotor domain. This hierarchy
ranges from reflexes and basic movement to non-discursive communication and
meaningfully expressive activity.

Reflex
• Sample learning outcome: Instinctively respond to a physical stimulus.
• Sample assessment/activity: A game of dodgeball.
• Rationale: Learners must react (dodge) the balls that are being thrown at them,
allowing them to develop their reflexive skills.

Basic fundamental movements

• Sample learning outcome: Perform a simple action (including running and
throwing).
• Sample assessment/activity: A game of dodgeball.
• Rationale: Learners must run and throw to actively engage the opposing team,
allowing them to develop these skills.
Perceptual abilities
• Sample learning outcome: Use more than one ability to integrate different sensory
perceptions.
• Sample assessment/activity: A game of catch or soccer (or other game involving
movement and passing).
• Rationale: Learners must integrate running, visual information about the position of
the ball, and predictive information about the future position of the ball.

Physical abilities
• Sample learning outcome: Sustain an activity for a set period of time.
• Sample assessment/activity: Run for 25 minutes steadily.
• Rationale: This activity is a measure of the learner’s stamina and physical fitness.

Skilled movements
• Sample learning outcome: Adapt one’s behaviour and movement to better achieve
goals.
• Sample assessment/activity: A soccer or other strategic game (football, hockey).
• Rationale: This activity allows teams to change their strategy and individuals to
change their physical behaviour depending on the response of the other team.

Non-discursive communication
• Sample learning outcome: Express oneself through purposeful movement and
activity. • Sample assessment/activity: A soccer or other strategic game (football,
hockey)
• Rationale: These games all involve teamwork, strategy, and integrative and
purposeful movement. Successful teams must integrate all of their senses, communicate
through movement, and use a variety of adaptive strategies.
ORDER the selected questions logically.
▪ Place simpler items at the beginning to ease students into the exam.
▪ Group item types together under common instructions.
▪ If desirable, order the questions logically from a content standpoint (e.g.
chronologically or by conceptual groups, etc.)

Test
• PUT the questions away for one or two days before rereading them or have someone
else review them for clarity.
• TEST the questions by actually taking the test.

ANALYZE the items to give you an idea whether the questions were well-written or
poorly written as well as if there were problems in understanding instruction.

General Rules in Writing Test Questions

 Number test questions continuously.
 Keep your test question in each test group uniform.
 Make your layout presentable.
 Do not put too many test questions in one test group.
■ T or F: 10 – 15 questions
■ Multiple Choice: max. of 30 questions
■ Matching type: 5 questions per test group
■ Others: 5 – 10 questionsGeneral Rules in Writing Test Questions
 Write the questions appropriate to the examinee’s age and ability level as well as
the purpose of the test.
 Write the item as clearly as possible.
 There should be only one correct answer
 Avoid negative questions whenever possible

Some additional guidelines to consider when writing items are described below:
1. Avoid humorous items. Classroom testing is very important and humorous items
may cause students to either not take the exam seriously or become confused or
anxious.
2. Items should measure only the construct of interest, not one’s knowledge of the item
context.
3. Write items to measure what students know, not what they do not know. (Cohen &
Wallack)
 Guidelines for Writing Multiple-Choice Test Items
Multiple Choice Test
A multiple – choice item is characterized by the following components:
 The stem is the initial part of the item in which the task is defined.
 The options refer to the entire set of labeled response choices presented under
the stem.
 The key is the correct response option.
 The distracters are the incorrect response

What to Look for on Multiple Choice Tests

When checking the stems for correctness:
 Ensure that the stem asks a clear question.
 Reading level is appropriate to the students
 The stem is grammatically correct.
 Negatively stated stems are
 discouraged.
Example:
What is the effect of releasing a ball in positive gravity?
a) It will fall “down.” correct
b) It will retain its mass. true but unrelated c) It will rise. false but related
d) Its shape will change. false and unrelated

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Use negatively stated stems sparingly and when using negatives such as
NOT,
2. underline or bold the print.
3. Use none of the above and all of the above sparingly, and when you do use
them, don't always make them the right answer.
4. Only one option should be correct or clearly best.
5. All options should be homogenous and nearly equal in length.
6. The stem (question) should contain only one main idea.
7. Keep all options either singular or plural. 7. Have four response options,
labelled A-D per stem (question).
8. When using incomplete statements place the blank space at the end of the
stem versus the beginning.
9. When possible organize the responses.
10. Reduce wordiness.
11. When writing distracters, think of incorrect responses that students might
make.
 Constructing/ Improving the Main Stem
The main stem of the test may be constructed in question form, completion forms or
direction form.
Question Form
Which is the same as four hundred seventy?
a.
b.
c.
Completion Form
Four hundred seventy is the same as ___.
a.
b.
c.
d
Direction Form
Add: 22 + 43
a.
b.
c.
d

The question should not be trivial. There should be a consensus on its answer.
Ex. of a trivial question
What time does the sun rise in the morning?
a. 4 o’clock
b. 5 o’clock
c. 6 o’clock
d. 7 o’clock
Each question should have only one answer, not several possible answers.

Vague
What are the differences between invertebrates and vertebrates? (There are many
differences between them: according to structure, etc.)

Poor
Which is the correct way of protecting ourselves from mosquitoes and flies which are
disease-carriers?
a. Stagnant places to be covered
b. Leaving garbage cans open
c. Leave empty cans around

Improved
Which is the correct way of protecting ourselves from mosquitoes and flies which are
disease-carriers?
a. Cover stagnant places
b. Leave garbage cans open
c. Leave empty cans around

B. Constructing/ Improving Alternatives

Alternatives should be as closely related to each other as possible.

Poor alternatives
74 + 43 = ____
a. 87
b. 97
c. 100
Note: Students’ mistakes should be anticipated. Such possible mistakes should be given
among the alternatives.

Alternatives should be arranged in natural order.

Poor
Pedro is ten years old. How many trips has the earth around the sun since he was
born?
a. 365
b. 12
c. 10
d. 30

Improved
Pedro is ten years old. How many trips has the earth around the sun since he was
born?
a. 10
b. 12
c. 30
d. 365
Or
a. 365
b. 30
c. 12
d. 10
 Alternatives should be arranged according to length: from shortest to longest or vice
versa.

a. ___ a. __________
b. _____ b. _______
c. _______ c. _____
d. __________ d. ___
Note: When alternatives are of the same length, they should be arranged alphabetically.

Alternatives should have grammatical parallelism.

Poor
Clay can be used for:
a. Making hollow blocks
b. Making pots
c. Garden soil

Improved
Clay can be used for:
a. Making hollow block
b. Growing vegetables
c. Making pots

Note: Arrangement of correct answers should not follow any pattern.

True or False
What to Look for on True/False Tests
 Each statement is clearly true or clearly false.
 Trivial details should not make a statement false.
 Statements are written concisely without more elaboration than necessary.
 Statements are NOT quoted exactly from text.
Tips in Making True/False Tests
 Give emphasis on the use of quantitative terms than qualitative terms.
 Avoid using of specific determiners which usually gives a clue to the
answer.
■ False = all, always, never, every, none, only
■ True = generally, sometimes, usually, maybe, often
 Discourage the use of negative statements.
 Whenever a controversial statement is used, the authority should be quoted.
 Discourage the use of pattern for answers.
Examples: Find the errors, and/or problems with the following true-false tests.
____ 1. Repetition always strengthens the tendency for a response to occur.
(Using "always" usually means the answer is false.)
_____ 2. The process of extinction is seldom immediate but extends over a number of
trials.
(Words like "seldom" usually indicate a true statement.)
_____ 3. The mean, median, and mode are measures of central tendency, whereas the
standard deviation and range are measures of variability.
(Express a single idea in each statement.) e.g.“The mean and standard deviation are
measures of central tendency.”

Guidelines for Constructing Alternative-Response Items

C. Constructing Alternative-Response Items
1. Avoid specific determiners.
2. Avoid a disproportionate number of either true or false statements.
3. Avoid the exact from the textbook.
4. Avoid trick statements.
Poor: “The Raven” was written by Edgar Allen Poe.
Better: “The Raven” was written by Edgar Allan Poe.
5. Avoid double negatives.
6. Avoid ambiguous statements. 7. Avoid unfamiliar, figurative or literary language.
8. Avoid long statements, especially those involving complex sentence structure.
C. Constructing Alternative-Response Items
9. Avoid qualitative language wherever possible.
Poor: Many people voted for Juan Dela Cruz in the recent election.
Better: Juan Dela Cruz received the majority of votes cast in the recent election.
10. Avoid indefinite statements.
Poor Jose Rizal was born in ____.
Better Jose Rizal was born in the year
11. If the statement is to test for the truth or falsity of a reason, the main clause should
be true and the reason either true or false.
Poor: As it ages, pure copper turns brown (false) because it oxidizes (true).
Better: As it ages, pure copper turns green (true) because it oxidizes (true).
As it ages, pure copper turns (green) because it attracts green algae
(false)
12. Omit key words and phrases, rather than trivial details.
Poor: Jose Rizal was born on June ____, 1861.
Better: Jose Rizal was born on ____.
13. Make the blanks of uniform length.
Poor: The second president of the United States of America was ___________
from the state of _____.
 Better: The second president of the United States of America was ___________
from the state of ___________.
14. Whenever the indefinite article is required before a blank, write it in the form a(n).
Poor: Madeline picked an ____ off the tree and ate it.
Better: Madeline picked a(n) ____ off the tree and ate it.

15. Make the blanks of uniform length.

Poor: The second president of the United States of America was ___________
from the state of _____.
Better: The second president of the United States of America was ___________
from the state of ___________.
16. Avoid grammatical clues to the correct answer.
Poor: The authors of the first performance test of intelligence were ____.
Better: The first performance test of intelligence was prepared by ____.
17. Avoid unordered series within an item.
The three colors of the Philippine flag are (1), (2) and (3). Write them in alphabetical
order.
1. ______
2.______
3.______