Instructional Design Taxonomies
  • Bloom's Cognitive Taxonomy
    • evaluation - judge value of ideas, appraise, predict, assess, select, rate, choose
    • synthesis - put together parts, compose, construct, formulate, manage, prepare, design, plan
    • analysis - dissect parts, detect relationships, diagram, compare, differentiate, criticize, debate
    • application - use methods, concepts, principles, apply, practice, demonstrate, illustrate, operate
    • comprehension - understand information, discuss, explain, restate, report, tell, locate, express, recognize
    • knowledge - recall information, define, repeat, list, name, label, memorize

  • Krathwohl's Affective Taxonomy
    • characterizing - incorporate ideas completely into practice, recognized by the use of them
    • organizing - commits to using ideas, incorporates them into activity
    • valuing - thinks about how to take advantage of ideas, able to explain them well
    • responding - answers questions about ideas
    • receiving - listens to ideas

VERBS that reflect the various levels of cognitive thinking in
BLOOM'S TAXONOMY

KNOWLEDGE (literal-level thinking)

cite

 label name define list quote pronounce reproduce

identify

 match recite state tell recall remember repeat

recognize

 describe memorize locate draw write select

COMPREHENSION (literal-level thinking)

alter

 discover manage relate summarize explain rephrase restate

give

 convert substitute match represent change depict translate

vary

 describe illustrate reword distinguish interpret paraphrase transform

infer

 review generalize extend examples express predict compare

APPLICATION (critical thinking)

apply

 make manage relate classify employ predict show

use

 evidence prepare solve demonstrate manifest present utilize

direct

 practice compute report illustrate change choose interpret

draw

 model modify sketch dramatize paint collect produce

ANALYSIS (critical thinking)

ascertain

 diagram outline diagnose reduce contrast survey differentiate

associate

 conclude examine designate determine organize research investigate

separate

 compare point out dissect categorize infer subdivide distinguish

construct

 classify separate analyze divide find discriminate

SYNTHESIS (critical thinking)

combine

devise integrate revise conceive propose generalize originate

compose

 extend construct organize design add to rearrange synthesize

create

pose project produce expand rewrite develop role play

modify

plan imagine compile invent theorize formulate hypothesize

EVALUATION (critical thinking)

judge

 conclude appraise evaluate select defend weigh recommend

decide

 criticize compare consider contrast deduce verify summarize

relate

 solve critique assess justify debate
Source: St. Edwards University, Center for Teaching Excellence


Hari Srinivas - hsrinivas@gdrc.org
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