what is Bloom's Taxonomy ? Benjamin Bloom | domains of blooms taxonomy | annual assessment PEC

Bloom's Taxonomy is a hierarchical framework that classifies educational objectives into different levels of cognitive complexity. It was created by Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues in 1956 and has since been revised several times. The taxonomy is often used by educators to categorize and assess learning objectives, instructional activities, and assessment tasks. The original Bloom's Taxonomy consisted of six levels, arranged from lower-order thinking skills to higher-order thinking skills:

1: Knowledge: This level involves recalling facts, concepts, or information. It is the foundational level of learning.

2: Comprehension: At this level, learners demonstrate their understanding of the material by explaining ideas or concepts in their own words, summarizing information, or interpreting data. This is also called Cognitive Domain of learning.

3: Application: Learners apply their knowledge and understanding to solve problems, carry out tasks, or use information in new situations.

4: Analysis: This level involves breaking down information into its component parts, identifying patterns, relationships, or underlying principles.

5: Synthesis: Synthesis requires the integration of ideas or information from multiple sources to create a new whole, formulate hypotheses, or design solutions to complex problems.

6: Evaluation: At the highest level, learners make judgments or assessments based on criteria and evidence, and they can defend their opinions or decisions.

In 2001, a revised version of Bloom's Taxonomy was introduced, which redefined the categories as follows:

1: Remembering: Similar to the Knowledge level in the original taxonomy, it involves recalling facts and basic concepts.

2: Understanding: This corresponds to the Comprehension level in the original taxonomy and focuses on grasping the meaning and significance of concepts.

3: Applying: This level aligns with the Application level in the original taxonomy, where learners use their knowledge and understanding in practical situations.

4: Analyzing: Analyzing remains similar to the Analysis level in the original taxonomy, involving the examination of information and identifying patterns or relationships.

5: Evaluating: This level combines aspects of both the Synthesis and Evaluation levels from the original taxonomy, requiring learners to make judgments and assessments based on criteria.

6: Creating: Creating is akin to the Synthesis level in the original taxonomy, where learners generate new ideas, designs, or products by combining existing knowledge and concepts.

Educators use Bloom's Taxonomy to design effective learning objectives, assessments, and instructional strategies that promote higher-order thinking and deeper understanding among students. It provides a valuable framework for structuring educational experiences and measuring learning outcomes.

USE in Pakistan: Bloom's Taxonomy is being extensively applied in Punjab. Annual examinations for students from grades one to eight are being prepared in accordance with it. The Punjab Examination Commission (PEC) plays a significant role in this regard. Standardized questions are being crafted for students' annual exams, and these questions incorporate the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.