Instructional Goals and Objectives

Bloom describes several categories of cognitive learning:

Starting with basic factual knowledge, the categories progress through comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

• Knowledge - Remembering or recalling information.
• Comprehension - The ability to obtain meaning from information.
• Application - The ability to use information.
• Analysis - The ability to break information into parts to understand it better.
• Synthesis - The ability to put materials together to create something new.
• Evaluation - The ability to check, judge, and critique materials.

In the 1990's, Lorin Anderson, a former student of Bloom, along with David Krathwohl, one of Boom's original partners, worked to revise the original taxonomy. The Anderson and Krathwohl Taxonomy was published in 2001 in the book "A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives."

Note that in the revised taxonomy, synthesis and evaluation are switched. Also, verbs are used in place of nouns to imply the action one takes in each level.

• Remember - Using memory to recall facts and definitions.
• Understand - Constructing meaning from information.
• Apply - Using procedures to carry out a task.
• Analyze - Breaking materials into parts to determine structures and relationships.
• Evaluate - Making jugements based on checking against given criteria.
• Create - Putting materials together to form a unique product.

Whether you like the original or revised taxonomy, there are key verbs for each level you can use when writing cognitive objectives.

Key Action Verbs for the Cognitive Domain

Remember	Understand	Apply	Analyze	Evaluate	Create
Define Identify List Name Recall Recognize Record Relate Repeat Underline/Circle	Cite examples of Demonstrate use of Describe Determine Differentiate between Discriminate Discuss Explain Express Give in own words Identify Interpret Locate Pick Report Restate Review Recognize Select Tell Translate Respond Practice Simulates	Apply Demonstrate Dramatize Employ Generalize Illustrate Interpret Operate Operationalize Practice Relate Schedule Shop Use Utilize Initiate	Analyze Appraise Calculate Categorize Compare Conclude Contrast Correlate Criticize Deduce Debate Detect Determine Develop Diagram Differentiate Distinguish Draw conclusions Estimate Examine Experiment Identify Infer Inspect Inventory Predict Relate Solve Test Diagnose	Appraise Assess Choose Compare Critique Estimate Evaluate Judge Measure Rate Score Select Validate Value Test	Arrange Assemble Collect Compose Construct Create Design Develop Formulate Manage Modify Organize Plan Prepare Produce Propose Predict Reconstruct Set-up Synthesize Systematize Devise

Examples for Questions for Each Level

Remember

• Who? What? Where? When? How?
• Describe X:
• What is X?

Understand

• Re-tell X.
• What is the main idea of X?
• What differences exist between X AND Y?
• Write a brief outline.

Apply

• How is X an example of Y?
• How is X related to Y?
• Why is X significant?
• Describe an example of when X happens.

Analyze

• What are the parts of X?
• Classify this according to X.
• Create an outline/concept map of X.
• Provide evidence that X is correct.

Evaluate

• Compare and contrast X to Y.
• Select the best product.
• Critique the play.
• Judge the following in these merits: X, Y, Z.

Create

• Organize the following: X,A,Q.
• Predict what will happen next.
• What solutions would you suggest for X?
• How would you design a new X?

Additional Links

• Major Categories in the Taxonomy of Learning Objectives
• Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain
• Learning Objective Verbs for Specific Disciplines
• Anderson and Krathwohl – Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised

Offline References

Anderson, L.W., & Krathwohl (Eds.). (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York: Longman.

Bloom, B.S. and Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals, by a committee of college and university examiners. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. NY, NY: Longmans, Green.