This document discusses cognitive learning targets and Bloom's Taxonomy of educational objectives. It explains that learning targets need to be clearly stated and observable. Bloom's Taxonomy outlines six levels of cognitive skills - knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation - moving from simpler to more complex thinking. Each level involves different cognitive processes and can be identified by specific verbs. The levels form a hierarchy where mastery of lower levels is required before advancing to higher levels. Examples are provided to illustrate questions and verbs associated with each cognitive skill level in Bloom's Taxonomy.

1. COGNITIVE TARGETS

2. Assessment can be made precise, accurate, and
dependable only if what are to be achieved are
clearly stated and feasible.
Clarity of Learning Targets

3. Learning Targets
 involve knowledge, reasoning, skills, products
and effects
 need to be stated in behavioral terms or terms
which denote something which can be
observed through the behavior of the students

4. The Cognitive Domain
involves knowledge and the development of
intellectual skills
 includes the recall or recognition of specific
facts, procedural patterns, and concepts that
serve in the development of intellectual
abilities and skills
addresses development that is individual
rather than interpersonal, focuses on
content rather than context, and is
independent of emotion

5. The Cognitive Domain
Skills in the cognitive domain revolve around
knowledge, comprehension, and critical thinking
of a particular topic.
As proposed by Benjamin Bloom (1954),there are
6 major levels of educational objectives at the
cognitive level, starting from the simplest
behavior to the most complex. The categories can
be thought of as degrees of difficulties. That is,
the first ones must normally be mastered before
the next ones can take place.

6. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
1. KNOWLEDGE – refers to the acquisition of
facts, concepts, and theories.
- forms the foundation of all other cognitive
objectives for without it, it’s not possible to
move up to the next higher level of thinking in
the hierarchy of educational objectives.
KNOWLEDGE
This level require the students to remember.

7. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
Words typically used in the KNOWLEDGE level
are: define, recall, recognize, remember,
the question words who, what, where, and
when
example question: What are the health benefits
of eating apples?

8. Cognitive Domain

9. Cognitive Domain (KNOWLEDGE)
define list recall describe
match reciteidentify name
select label outline state
The student will recall the four major food
groups without error, by Friday.
From memory, the student will match each
senator with his/her bill passage, with 80%
accuracy.

10. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
2. COMPREHENSION – refers to the same
concept as “understanding”
- demonstrates that the student has
sufficient understanding to organize
and arrange material mentally
- a step higher than mere acquisition of facts
and involves a cognition or awareness
of the interrelationships of facts and
concept

11. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
Words typically used in the COMPREHENSION
level are: describe, compare, contrast,
rephrase, put in your own words, explain the
man idea
example question: Compare the health benefits
of eating apples vs. oranges.

12. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
3. APPLICATION - refers to the transfer of
knowledge from one field of study to
another or from one concept to another
concept in the same discipline
- a question that asks a student to apply
previously learned information to reach
an answer

13. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
Words typically used in the APPLICATION level:
apply, classify, use, choose, employ, write an
example, solve, compute, show
example question: Which kinds of apples are
best for baking a pie, and why?

14. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
4. ANALYSIS - refers to the breaking down of a
concept or idea in its components and
explaining the concept as a composition of
these concepts
- higher order questions that require
students to think critically and in-depth

15. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
Words typically used in the ANALYSIS level:
identify motives/causes, draw conclusions,
determine evidence, support, analyze, the
question word why, analyze
example question: List four ways of serving foods
made with apples and explain which ones
have the highest health benefits. Provide
references to support your statements.

16. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
5. SYNTHESIS – refers to the opposite of
analysis and entails putting together the
components in order to summarize the concept
- a higher order question that asks the student to
perform original and creative thinking

17. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
Words typically used in the SYNTHESIS level:
predict, produce, write, design, develop,
synthesize, construct, how can we improve,
what would happen if, can you devise, how can
we solve
example question: Convert an "unhealthy" recipe
for apple pie to a "healthy" recipe by
replacing your choice of ingredients. Explain the
health benefits of using the ingredients you
chose vs. the original ones.

18. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
6. EVALUATION AND REASONING – refers to
valuing and judgment or putting the
worth of a concept or principle
- requires the student to judge the merit of
an idea, a solution to a problem, or
an aesthetic work
- a higher level question that does not have a
single correct answer.

19. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
Words typically used in the EVALUATION level:
Appraise, Argue, Assess, Evaluate, Judge,
Justify, Prove, Rank, Rate
example question: Do you feel that serving apple
pie for an after school snack for children is
healthy? Why or why not?

20. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
©Lee Kolbert

21. The Six Levels in the Cognitive Domain
© Carol Kelly

22. References
De Guzman-Santos, Rosita. (2007). Assessment of Learning 1.
Quezon City, Philippines: Adriana Printing Co., Inc.
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom's_Taxonomy
http://cetl.matcmadison.edu/efgb/2/2_3_4.htm
http://weblogs.pbspaces.com/mrskolbert/2010/11/06/defined-
or-denied-21st-century-students-in-todays-classrooms/
http://nsuwptechnology.wikispaces.com/Bloom's+Verb+Wheel