Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy

From the late 1950s into the early 1970s, there were attempts to dissect and
classify the varied domains of human learning – cognitive (knowing, or head),
affective (emotions, feelings, or heart) and psychomotor (doing, or kinesthetic, tactile,
haptic or hand/body). The resulting efforts yielded a series of taxonomies for each
area. The aforementioned taxonomies deal with the varied aspects of human learning
and were arranged hierarchically, proceeding from the simplest functions to those that
are more complex. Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy had been a staple in teacher training
and professional preparation for almost 40 years before Anderson and Krathwohl
instituted an updated version.

In 1994, Lorin Anderson Krathwohl and psychologists of Cognitivism

improve the Bloom's taxonomy to match the progress of time. The improvement
results recently published in 2001 under the name Revised Bloom's Taxonomy.
Revision is only done on the cognitive. The revision includes:

a. Changes of the keyword, from a noun into a verb for each level of the
taxonomy.
The names of six major categories were changed from noun to verb forms. As
the taxonomy reflects different forms of thinking and thinking is an active
process verbs were used rather than nouns. The subcategories of the six major
categories were also replaced by verbs and some subcategories were
reorganized. The knowledge category was renamed. Knowledge is an outcome
or product of thinking not a form of thinking per se. Consequently, the word
knowledge was inappropriate to describe a category of thinking and was
replaced with the word remembering instead. Comprehension and synthesis
were retitled to understanding and creating respectively, in order to better
reflect the nature of the thinking defined in each category.
 b. Changes occur almost at all hierarchical levels, but the order is still the same
level, from the lowest to the highest. Fundamental change is located at level 5
and 6.

Primary differences are not in the listings or rewordings from nouns to verbs,
or in the renaming of some of the components, or even in the re-positioning of the last
two categories. The major differences lie in the more useful and comprehensive
additions of how the taxonomy intersects and acts upon different types and levels of
knowledge — factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive. This melding can be
charted to see how one is teaching at both knowledge and cognitive process levels.

A. The Cognitive Dimension Process

Level 1 - C1
Categories & Alternative Definition
Cognitive Processes Names
Remember Retrieve knowledge from long-
term memory
Recognizing Identifying Locating knowledge in long-term
memory that is consistent with
presented material
Recalling Retrieving Retrieving relevant knowledge from
long-term memory

Level 2 – C2
Categories & Alternative Definition
Cognitive Processes Names
Understand Construct meaning from
instructional messages, including
oral, written, and graphic
communication
Interpreting Clarifying Changing from one form of
Paraphrasing representation to another
Representing
Translating
Exemplifying Illustrating Finding a specific example or
Instantiating illustration of a concept or principle

Classifying Categorizing Determining that something

Subsuming belongs to a category
Summarizing Abstracting Abstracting a general theme or
Generalizing major point(s)
Inferring Concluding Drawing a logical conclusion from
Extrapolating presented information
Interpolating
Predicting
Comparing Contrasting Detecting correspondences between
Mapping two ideas, objects, and the like
Matching
Explaining Constructing Constructing a cause and effect
models model of a system

Level 3 – C3
Categories & Alternative Definition
Cognitive Processes Names
Apply Applying a procedure to a
familiar task
Executing Carrying out Applying a procedure to a familiar
task
Implementing Using Applying a procedure to an
unfamiliar task

Categories & Alternative Definition

Cognitive Processes Names
Analyze Break material into its
constituent parts and determine
how the parts relate to one
another and to an overall
structure or purpose
Differentiating Discriminating Distinguishing relevant from
Distinguishing irrelevant parts or important from
Focusing unimportant parts of presented
Selecting material
Organizing Finding Determining how elements fit or
coherence function within a structure
Integrating
Outlining
Parsing
Structuring
 Attributing Deconstructing Determine a point of view, bias,
values, or intent underlying
presented material

Categories & Alternative Definition

Cognitive Names
Processes
Evaluate Make judgments based on
criteria and standards
Checking Coordinating Detecting inconsistencies or
Detecting fallacies within a process or
Monitoring product; determining whether a
Testing process or product has internal
consistency; detecting the
effectiveness of a procedure as it is
being implemented
Critiquing Judging Detecting inconsistencies between a
product and external criteria;
determining whether a product has
external consistency; detecting the
appropriateness of a procedure for a
given problem

Categories & Alternative

Cognitive Names Definition
Processes
Create Put elements together to form a
coherent or functional whole;
reorganize elements into a new
pattern or structure
Generating Hypothesizing Coming up with alternative
hypotheses based on criteria
Planning Designing Devising a procedure for
accomplishing some task
Producing Constructing Inventing a product

B. The Knowledge Dimension

Dimension Definition
Factual Knowledge The basic elements students must know to be
acquainted with a discipline or solve problems in
it
Conceptual Knowledge The interrelationships among the basic elements
within a larger structure that enable them to
function together
Procedural Knowledge How to do something, methods of inquiry, and
criteria for using skills, algorithms, techniques,
and methods
Metacognitive Knowledge of cognition in general as well as
Knowledge awareness and knowledge of one’s own cognition
C. Potential Activities and Products
Remembering
 Make a list of the main events of the story.
 Make a time line of events.
 Write a list of any pieces of information you can remember.
 Make a chart showing
 Recite a poem.

Understanding

• Cut out, or draw pictures to show a particular event.

• Illustrate what you think the main idea may have been.
• Write and perform a play based on the story.
• Retell the story in your own words.
• Write a summary report of the event
• Prepare a flow chart to illustrate the sequence of events.
• Cut out, or draw pictures to show a particular event.
Illustrate what you think the main 
idea was.
• Make a cartoon strip showing the sequence of events.

Applying

• Construct a model to demonstrate how it works

• Make a diorama to illustrate an event
• Make a scrapbook about the areas of study.
• Make up a puzzle or a game about the topic.
• Write a textbook about this topic for others.
• Dress a doll in national costume.
• Make a clay model.
• Paint a mural using the same materials.

Analyzing
• Design a questionnaire to gather information.
• Write a commercial to sell a new product
• Make a flow chart to show the critical stages.
• Construct a graph to illustrate selected information.
• Make a family tree showing relationships.
• Devise a play about the study area.
• Write a biography of a person studied.
• Prepare a report about the area of study.
• Conduct an investigation to produce information to support a view.
• Review a work of art in terms of form, color and texture.

Evaluating
• Prepare a list of criteria to judge...
• Conduct a debate about an issue of special interest.
• Make a booklet about five rules you see as important. Convince others.
• Form a panel to discuss views.
 • Write a letter to. ..advising on changes needed.
• Write a half-yearly report.
• Prepare a case to present your view about…

Creating
• Invent a machine to do a specific task.
• Design a building to house your study.
• Create a new product. Give it a name and plan a marketing campaign.
• Write about your feelings in relation to...
• Write a TV show play, puppet show, role play, song or pantomime about..
• Design a record, book or magazine cover for...
• Sell an idea
• Devise a way to...
• Make up a new language and use it in an example.

D. Assessment
Remembering
• What happened after...?
• How many...?
• What is...?
• Can you name ...?
• Find the meaning of...
• Describe what happened after...
• Who spoke to...?
• Which is true or false...?

(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 12)

Understanding
• Can you write in your own words?
• How would you explain...?

• Can you write a brief outline...?
• What do you think could have happened next...?
• Who do you think...?
• What was the main idea...?
• Can you clarify...? 

• Can you illustrate...?
• Does everyone act in the way that........does?
(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 12)

Applying
• Do you know of another instance where...?
• Can you group by characteristics such as...?
• Which factors would you change if...?
• What questions would you ask of...?
• From the information given, can you develop a set of instructions about...?


(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 13)
 Analyzing
• Which events could not have happened?
• If. ..happened, what might the ending have been?
• How is...similar to...?
• What do you see as other possible outcomes?
• Why did...changes occur?
• Can you explain what must have happened when...?
• What are some or the problems of...?
• Can you distinguish between...?
• What were some of the motives behind..?
• What was the turning point?
• What was the problem with...?

(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 13)

Evaluating
• Is there a better solution to...?
• Judge the value of... What do you think about...?
• Can you defend your position about...?
• Do you think...is a good or bad thing?
• How would you have handled...?
• What changes to.. would you recommend?
• Do you believe...? How would you feel if. ..?
• How effective are. ..?
• What are the consequences..?
• What influence will....have on our lives?
• What are the pros and cons of....?
• Why is ....of value?
• What are the alternatives?
• Who will gain & who will loose? 

(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 14)

Creating
• Can you design a... to ...?
• Can you see a possible solution to...?
• If you had access to all resources, how would you deal with...?
• Why don't you devise your own way to...?
• What would happen if...?
• How many ways can you...?
• Can you create new and unusual uses for...?
• Can you develop a proposal which would...? 

(Pohl, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 14)

Retrieved from: http://www.kurwongbss.qld.edu.au/thinking/Bloom/blooms.htm