In 1956, Benjamin Bloom headed a group of educational psychologists who developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important in learning. During the 1990s, a new group of cognitive psychologists, led by Lorin Anderson (a former student of Bloom), updated the taxonomy to reflect relevance to 21st-century work. The two graphics below show the revised and original taxonomy. "Creating" is now at the top of the pyramid. In the "New Definitions" section below, note the change from nouns to verbs associated with each level.
Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (left) vs. Original Bloom's Taxonomy
New Definitions of Levels of Intellectual Behavior
Creating: Can the student create new product or point of view?
- assemble
- construct
- create
- design
- develop
- formulate
- write
Evaluating: Can the student justify a stand or decision?
- appraise
- argue
- defend
- judge
- select
- support
- value
- evaluate
Analyzing: Can the student distinguish between the different parts?
- appraise
- compare
- contrast
- criticize
- differentiate
- discriminate
- distinguish
- examine
- experiment
- question
- test
Applying: Can the student use the information in a new way?
- choose
- demonstrate
- dramatize
- employ
- illustrate
- interpret
- operate
- schedule
- sketch
- solve
- use
- write
Understanding: Can the student explain ideas or concepts?
- classify
- describe
- discuss
- explain
- identify
- locate
- recognize
- report
- select
- translate
- paraphrase
Remembering: Can the student recall or remember the information?
- define
- duplicate
- list
- memorize
- recall
- repeat
- reproduce
- state