Bloom's Taxonomy for Online Learning: A Crash Course (+Template)

Bloom's Taxonomy is an established educational framework that can help teachers to meet the requirements of their students - but can course creators and entrepreneurs use the same framework to develop their business? Yes, we think so.

If you attended high school, which subject did you do well either with words or numbers? Were Maths and Science your favorite subjects, or did you wait eagerly for English class?

Did you stop to reflect on the process that led you to this point? You learned to count, then to add, then you were introduced into Physics and Calculus. You didn't arrive in Grade 1 with a volume of Shakespeare under your arm You were taught by someone about the alphabet and how they combine with the words you see that appear on the pages of the book you've always loved.

Our brains learn incrementally, layering concept onto concept in ever-growing complexity. From kindergarten to the Halls of the Ivy League, Educators rely upon the building block principle to spread knowledge. They rely on pedagogical approaches which are the theories and techniques of teaching - to systematically sow concepts into their students.

Outside of the school, knowing how people learn can aid course designers in creating better course. With a thorough knowledge of how the brain develops knowledge it is possible to design courses that are more efficient in deliver solutions to your students. They will be able to keep coming back for more, make them more likely to refer your course to others as well as help your company to grow.

What is Bloom's Taxonomy?

Benjamin Bloom originally published his taxonomy in the year 1956. The pedagogical method was developed by Bloom to gauge the level of cognition of his students. By creating a hierarchical structure to measure a student's degree of understanding, Bloom created a way to answer the question that each educator asks whether their lessons are effective?

Bloom's idea was that if you cannot remember a concept, you do not understand the concept; and if you do not understand something, you cannot apply it. There is no way to differentiate between the correct and incorrect answers or debate the advantages and downfalls; any expertise or depth of argument can be accomplished without establishing the fundamentals of understanding and remembering.

With that in mind, he devised an enumeration of cognition that split into six phases that were each tagged with nouns to define the skill or level of cognition a student should be able to master prior to moving onto the next stage.

This continuum is often depicted as a pyramid in order to show the different levels' dependency upon one another:

• a student cannot apply before they have a solid understanding of
• And they are unable to assess before they learn to analyze.

Bloom referred to this process as scaffolding, and the analogy is powerful: as builders construct a tall building then they build scaffolding to support their workspace beginning from the ground. In the same way, each level of the taxonomy is built upon the foundation of the previous level. In the event that there is cracks in the foundation , the cognitive ability was not utilized or not adequately reinforced, the next level up will be a bit unstable.

It is not the case that every student will begin with the basics and then work their way up. A few students may have established certain abilities, which allows them to begin at the middle, and then begin the climb from there.

What is the significance of the six levels in Bloom's Taxonomy?

Each stage of Bloom's Taxonomy includes a sequence of words that define what actions students must be able to perform at that point. Once someone masters the vocabulary at one stage, they move on to the next, and so up to.

These levels include also learning goals, which can be particularly useful when thinking about the best way to incorporate them into your outline for your course. As the modules of your course advance you may use greater and more advanced learning objectives because you'll get higher levels of expertise from your students.

We've also included software for creators of courses and teachers in a digital classroom. For those looking for exercises and tests to help flesh out different lessons and different levels of your course outline, this list is the perfect place to start.

Stage 1 : Remember

It's easy to remember: it is the simplest way of retaining of information. This is a game of memory, and it's the reason why that's the lowest point on this ladder - it's the easiest, the fundamental building block of learning, and also the most essential since nothing else will be accomplished until you are able to retain a substantial amount of facts in your working memory.

The students who have reached the basics of this subject are expected to be able recall the information they have learned, or to define crucial concepts. They are able to write an outline of key concepts, identify a diagram, and they understand enough about the subject matter that they are aware of the terms they can plug into Google to find more information.

Try it out to the test:

• Take students on an online scavenger hunt. Encourage them to create the bookmarks or favorite lists of websites relevant to their topic. They can also search for Facebook groups and social accounts where this topic is featured. You can add their insights in a list of resources to share with their peers.

Stage 2: Understand

At this level of Bloom's Taxonomy the students have advanced beyond simply remembering facts, and demonstrate a contextual knowledge of the information.

They show this in the ability they have to communicate facts to someone else; they can condense or paraphrase blogs, news articles or other sources of information in a precise manner. They can perform more advanced web searches now - using Boolean terminology and looking through journals of academic research - and use their new-found understanding to identify correctly and categorize numerous online sources that aid in the subject.

Put it to the test:

• Make a thread for the subject within your community website or Facebook group, and assign students the responsibility of contributing in a meaningful way to the group discussion. In discussing and explaining the topic together, students will deepen their understanding and assist one another in progressing to the next level.
• Students should compose a blog post, record a vlog, make a status update on social, or go live on social media to communicate this idea clearly and succinctly for others. The point is that it doesn't matter whether students live stream the event or create the content, and then submit private to the class It's all about making content using a straightforward explanation.
• Students are given a blog post or article for them to read. Then, request them to note the piece with notes and explain how it relates to the topic.

3rd Stage : Apply

Students who are at this point have acquired the capability to use information and apply it to various scenarios.

It is possible that they can use their newly acquired expertise to resolve a challenge. When presented with a hypothetical blockage, they may use their information to plan the most basic solution. It is possible test their knowledge through a short work or project. At this stage, these assignments are similar to fill-in-the-blank activities, where the students will be provided with a simple structure and must utilize their skills to understand the big picture; but they're beginning to develop their knowledge about the matter and they're well on their way to being able to use these skills to think more abstractly.

Put it to the test:

• Give students basic questions and require students to develop solutions using the subject matter
• Give students a diagram or writing piece that has some missing terms. Then, have them fill in the blanks with the correct terms
• Students are already able explain the concept. Now ask them to come up with a hypothetical assignment or practice exercise you could offer an individual to check their comprehension.

Stage 4  4. Analyze

As we move through the Bloom's Taxonomy students are able to divide information into small pieces to investigate connections between complicated concepts. This also represents the point when students are able to make judgment decisions about their subject. They will be able to assess information as well as compare and contrast ideas, and find evidence to support their assertions.

Put it to the test:

• Students are given a listing of facts or terms then ask them to classify the data. You can assign it a rank according to significance, or divide into groups, or make contrast lists and explanations.
• Have students create an outline of the pros and cons, based upon their knowledge of the subject and how to use it in a specific challenge or issue.
• Students are given an open-ended thesis , and then ask them to express the reasoning behind it or provide a answer. The key here: you must provide proof for their solution, to prove that they can examine the issue critically.

Stage 5 : Evaluate

The stage at this point is at which students are able to attain a new level of independence regarding the subject. They not only know how to present, explain and arrange information given to them but also are able to apply what they've learned and rearrange the pieces to create new concepts which can be evaluated as well as debated and evaluated.

As of now, you can expect students to be able engage in debate over some thesis issue. They can come up with innovative ideas, or even suggestions, and design tests to measure their effectiveness. At this point, students have such a firm grasp of the subject matter, that they should be able to draw on it on the spot to engage in spontaneous conversations as well as solve ad hoc problems.

Put it to the test:

• Students should be divided into groups to have a discussion over a thesis statement chosen by you.
• Ask students to design a detailed project to tackle a specific issue. You could create slideshows, a webpage or other type of content to showcase their work.
• Ask students to contribute to thread discussions within your group or on a community site. The group exercise will be to actively participate in discussions, moderate one another's discussion as well as critically examine information presented in comments
• Students are presented with a challenge and request students to create an assessment to determine or solve that problem. The students can then present their solution in a group, as if giving presentations before a board. The ability of students to communicate arguments, defend, and justify their solution will define the level of understanding of the subject matter.

Stage 6  to Design

This is it - the training wheels have come off The cord is cut and your job has been completed. You've taught your pupils such that they're able to use the knowledge to a variety of different situations. They can also make up brand new materials to inspire and delight other students. They've climbed to the top of the Bloom's Taxonomy ladder and are ready to succeed and grow in their own way. Are you proud? It's a good thing!

Try it out to the test:

• Ask students to produce a video or blog post where they use a creative technique of their own to explain the topic with a captivating way
• Put students in groups to design and create a series of podcast episodes on the topic. They can work as a class to decide what subjects should be included throughout the series. each episode may build on the one before.
• Ask students to design, edit, and add to a wiki about the subject

How do you apply Bloom's Taxonomy

Be aware of the students you teach. What types of questions do they engage with? What activities and projects will they be responding to? Are they motivated enough to take part in classroom discussions?

Early in a lesson unit begin by asking questions from a variety of the Bloom's taxonomy levels to determine a basic level of knowledge for your pupils. Pay attention to their answers as well as their level of engagement. students will engage less as you ascend through the areas they're not familiar to, which will reveal the depths of their understanding. You can now develop an approach to aid them to move up to upper levels.

Define the objectives of cognitive learning for your course. Is this course designed to give students an introduction? Revision of previous ideas? Is there a skill they're required to master or a level of theory they need to attain? There are many Bloom's taxonomies that are not made equal. The application of each taxonomy will differ according to your subject matter as well as the level of proficiency you're aiming for.

Plan an assessment plan that helps students move through the levels of your course taxonomy. After you've decided on where you want to end at, you'll need to determine the stops along your journey, using Bloom's Taxonomy to help you ensure you hit every point.

In a single unit in a single unit, you should move from the lower-order to higher-order thinking questions. These levels of questioning are a part of the lessons and can be scattered strategically throughout the lesson, moving between lower-order and higher-order questions in the beginning of the lesson and ending with higher-order questions nearer the end of the lesson. So, you'll have the ability to determine if your students are staying up with the content and can address the obstacles that hinder them or support students who are struggling before moving to the next step.

Results of learning for online course success

Now that you have the keys to pedagogical success, you're all set to design a curriculum outline with a punch. No matter whether you're teaching someone perform a piano or create a new business idea; our brains learn exactly the same way and follow the same pattern, regardless of the subject matter. The ability to harness this is crucial to building a course that is successful and keeps your students returning for further.

      The article was originally published September 2020, and was updated in March 2023 to be even more useful.