Bloom’s Taxonomy in the digital age

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Developing Formative Assessments for eLearning As trainers, how do we ensure that we are assessing for higher levels of learning in the e-Learning environment? Formativeassessmentsaretestsorevaluationsthattakeplacethroughoutacourseandprovidefeedbacktothestudentinanongoingloop,allowingthemtobuildontheirknowledgeandimprove.Examplesarequizzes,assignments,orresearchpapers. TherearethreedevelopmentsincognitionthatareimportanttoconsiderwhenlookingatdevelopingFormativeAssessmentsforeLearning. 1. B.S.Bloom’sTaxonomy(1956) 2. AndrewChurchesRevised

Bloom’sDigitalTaxonomy(2007)

3. J.P.Guilford’sConvergentandDivergentCognitions(1969)

Bloom’s Taxonomy BenjaminBloomwasaneducationalpsychologistwhoisbestknownforhis1956book,TaxonomyofEducationalObjectives,Handbook1:CognitiveDomain.Thebookbecamethedefinitiveguideforassessmentineducationbecauseitprovidedawaytoassessastudent’sabilitytomeeteducationalobjectives.ItbecameknownasBloom’sTaxonomy.Bloomfeltthataperson’slearningfellintothreedomains:Affective(emotional),Psychomotor(physical)andCognitive(thinking).Hedividedeachofthesedomainsintoskillslevelsfromlowerordertohigherorderprocesseswhereeachlevelwasdependentonfirstachievingtheskillsfromthelevelbelowit.ThefocusofthispaperisontheCognitiveDomain.

Skills Level Description of Level

Knowledge Recall,orrecognitionofterms,ideas,procedure,theories,etc.

ComprehensionTranslate,interpret,extrapolate,butnotseefullimplicationsortransfertoothersituations,closertoliteraltranslation.

Application Applyabstractions,generalprinciples,ormethodstospecificconcretesituations.

Analysis

Separationofacomplexideaintoitsconstituentpartsandanunderstandingoforganizationandrelationshipbetweentheparts.Includesrealizingthedistinctionbetweenhypothesisandfactaswellasbetweenrelevantandextraneousvariables.

Synthesis

Creative,mentalconstructionofideasandconceptsfrommultiplesourcestoformcomplexideasintoanew,integrated,andmeaningfulpatternsubjecttogivenconstraints.

Evaluation

Tomakeajudgmentofideasormethodsusingexternalevidenceorself-selectedcriteriasubstantiatedbyobservationsorinformedrationalizations.

From:Bloom,B.S.;Engelhart,M.D.;Furst,E.J.;Hill,W.H.;Krathwohl,D.R.(1956).

Bloom’s Taxonomy in the digital age Despitequicklybecomingthedefinitivereferencetoolforeducatorsandtrainers,Bloom’sTaxonomywasnotwithoutcriticism.Somedebatedtheorderingofthehierarchy,suggestingEvaluatingshouldcomebeforeAnalyzing.Asthedecadeswenton,othersquestionedifitwasstillrelevantandupdateswereproposed.WiththeincreaseindigitaltechnologiesandtheadventofeLearning,themostrecentrevisionhasbeenofferedbyAndrewChurches,whoupdatedthetaxonomyin2007toreflectthesefundamentalshiftsinthelearningenvironment.HecalleditBloom’sDigitalTaxonomy.

RememberingDescribe

SocialNetworkingGoogling

UnderstandingParaphrasingBlogjournalingTweeting

ApplyingImplementingPlayingEditing

AnalyzingComparingLinkingTagging

EvaluatingCritiquingPosting

Moderating

CreatingPlanningMixingBlogging

Convergent and Divergent Cognition AnotherimportantconceptthatcanenrichourunderstandingofthetypesofthinkinginBloom’sTaxonomy(andwhatweneedtoassessfor)isConvergentandDivergentCognition(J.P.Guilford,1969). Convergentthinkingapplieswhentherearepre-existingcorrectanswers.Thepersonisworkingwithknowledgeandconceptsthathavebeencoveredinthecoursematerialoraregenerallyknowntoexist.Forexample,a‘remembering’questiontonamethepartsofatrumpet. Ontheotherhand,divergentthinkingiscognitionthathappenswhentherearenopre-existingcorrectanswers.Thethinkingcreatesnewknowledgefromexistingknowledge.Forexample,a‘creating’questiontocomposeaTrumpetPreludefromtheirknowledgeoftrumpetmusic.

IfweweretocombinethiswiththerevisedBloom’sTaxonomy,itlookslikethis:

Convergent

RememberingUnderstandingApplyingAnalyzing

EvaluatingCreating

Divergent

Developing eLearning Formative AssessmentsHowdoweusetheseconceptstocreateeffectiveassessmentsintheeLearningenvironment?ThefollowingdiagramshowstheblueprintofaneLearningcourseandtherelationshipof“Objectives”to“DemonstrationofLearning”.

FormativeassessmentsaremappedtotheEnablingObjectivesorDemonstrationofLearningsectionsofaneLearningprogram.Bydoingso,theinstructorensuresthatthestudentislearningtheconceptssetoutintheplanningofthatmoduleorcourse.Whenthestudentsuccessfullycompletestheassessment,itprovidesboththelearnerandtrainerwithfeedback,showingknowledgetheyhavegained,skillsdeveloped,andanyareasthatneedtobefurtherdevelopedinthatlearningobjective.Eachsuccessfuldemonstrationoflearningbuildstowardtheoveralllearningforthatstudent. Formativeassessmentmusttakeintoconsiderationthelevelofproficiencythatneedstobedemonstrated.Forexample,ifstudentsarerequiredtodemonstrateknowledge-levelproficiencyof,forexample,thecapitalcitiesintheEuropeanUnion,anappropriateassessmentmightbeaquickquizaskingthemtolistthecapitals.Ontheotherhand,ifstudentsneedtodemonstratesynthesislevelproficiencyofidentifyingtheriskoffoodborneillnessinarestaurant,theassessmentwouldrequirestudentstoaccessanumberofsourcesofinformationtocompletetheassignment.

eLearning Course

Blueprint

CourseDescription

Goal #1

AAssignment

Assignment

Personal Project

Assignment

Assignment

Group Project

Group Project

Assignment

Podcast

Assignment

Group Presentation

Wikipedia Entry

Essay

B

C

D

E

F

G

Goal #2

Goal #3

Objectives Demonstration of Learning

Convergent Cognition (when there is a pre-existing correct answer)

REMEMBERINGRetrieving:Learnersdemonstrateknowledgefrommemorybyfindingtheanswer

inreferencematerial.

Example

Instructor Led

Openbookquiz,identifyingitemsonmap/visualreference.

eLearning

Bookmarkingsitesininternetsearches,searchinginternet,searchingGoogletofindconcepts.

Example

Instructor Led

Fill-in-the-blank,shortanswer,essay,oraltest,crosswordpuzzle.

eLearning

Socialnetworking,visualidentification,fill-in-the-blank,crosswordpuzzle,videofollowedbyquestions.

Example

Instructor Led

Multiplechoice,trueorfalse,matching,highlightinganswers,sorting.

eLearning

Bookmarking,drag&drop,matching,multiplechoice,trueorfalse,sortinggame.

Recall:Learnersdemonstrateknowledgefrommemorybyrememberingtheknowledge.

Recognition: Learnerdemonstratesknowledgefrommemorythroughidentifyingananswer.

Examples of eLearning Formative AssessmentsThefollowingexamplesshowhowwecanassessforproficiencyatalllevelsofcognition.

UNDERSTANDINGContextual: Learnerscannotonlyrecallknowledge,butcanexplainit-incontext

-tosomeoneelse.

Example

Instructor Led

Fill-in-the-blank,shortanswer,essay,oraltest,computationalquestions,answerandreason,ordering.

eLearning

Blogjournaling,commentingonsocialmedia,videopresentation.

APPLYINGTraining: Learnersarestartingtopracticetasks,applynewskills,andcorrect

mistakes

ANALYZINGDifferentiating: Learnersdistinguishrelevantmaterialfromirrelevantmaterial/

importantinformationfromunimportantinformation.

Example

Instructor Led

Problemsolvingquestions.

eLearning

Uploadingtheirowncontent,editingothers’content,problemsolving.

Example

Instructor Led

Compareandcontrast,summarizingtexts.

eLearning

Participatinginsimulations,linking,tagging,validating.

Example

Instructor Led

Organizinglists/items,outlining,solvingproblems.

eLearning

Gaming,participatinginsimulations.

Example

Instructor Led

Criticalresponse,factvs.opinion,shortanswer,essay.

eLearning

Linkingandtagging.

Organizing: Learnersdeterminehowelementsfitorfunctionwithinastructure.

Attributing: Learnersdetermineapointofview,bias,values,orunderlyingintentwithinpresentedmaterial.

Divergent Cognition (when there ARE NO pre-existing correct answers)

EVALUATINGChecking: Learnersdetectinconsistencieswithinaprocess;detectthe

effectivenessofaprocedure.

CREATINGGenerating: Learnerscomeupwithalternativehypothesesbasedoncriteria.

Example

Instructor Led

Experimenting,testing,findingtheerror.

eLearning

Moderatingdiscussions,testingideas/createdwork.

Example

Instructor Led

Critiquing,judging.

eLearning

Researchandrecommendations,participatingindiscussionboards,blogs/vlogs.

Example

Instructor Led

Projectplanning,proposalwriting.

eLearning

Planningvideos,wikis,podcasts,blogsandvlogs.

Example

Instructor Led

Constructing,inventing.

eLearning

Creatingvideos,wikis,podcasts,blogsandvlogs.

Example

Instructor Led

Designing,filming

eLearning

Creatingvideos,wikis,podcasts,blogsandvlogs,directing,producing.

Critiquing: Learnersdetecttheappropriatenessofaprocedureforagivenproblem.

Planning: Learnersdeviseaprocedureforaccomplishingatask.

Producing: Learnersinventaproduct.

Adaptedfrom:Anderson,L.W.&Krathwohl,D.R.(2001).

Using Interactive Technology to Complement Your Assessment ProgramGamesareagreatwaytoenhanceanddeepenlearning.Theycanbeconfiguredinmanywaysandusedasassessmentsatalllevelsoflearning.

Gameo(www.gameo.io)isafreesitethatallowsyoutocustomizeSCORM-complianteLearninginteractionstoincreaselearnerengagement.ItwasdevelopedbyVelsofttohelpyoudelivertrainingthatachievesyourobjectivesforyourlearners.

References

Bloom,B.S.;Engelhart,M.D.;Furst,E.J.;Hill,W.H.;Krathwohl,D.R.(1956).Taxonomyofeducationalobjectives:Theclassificationofeducationalgoals.HandbookI:Cognitivedomain.NewYork:DavidMcKayCompany.

Guilford,J.P.(1967).TheNatureofHumanIntelligence.NewYork:McGraw-Hill.

Churches,A.2007,EducationalOrigami,Bloom’sandICTTools(http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy)