History and Development of Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a model that describes the cognitive processes of learning and developing mastery of a subject through actions (verbs). The model is named after Benjamin Bloom, the man who headed up the original committee of researchers and educators who developed the original taxonomy throughout the 1950s and 60s. Bloom is also the editor of the book that revised the model in 2001, Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals. Bloom’s Taxonomy has since become a standard tool for developing educational objectives, assessments, and activities. This taxonomy remains important today for Experience API (xAPI). Documenting progressively more independent actions by transferring statements about these actions to the Learning Record Store (LRS) is an important factor in evaluating Team Members, Managers, Directors, etc. over time when this information is pulled out of the LRS for analysis.

As part of the Computer-Human Vocabulary Project here at RandyStewartMiller.com, the history of Bloom’s Taxonomy is an important foundation as we create and utilize URI (Uniform Resource Identifiers) to build the system of the future on an industry by industry basis.

DefinitionsRemembering IUnderstanding IIApplying IIIAnalyzing IVEvaluating VCreating
VI
Bloom’s
Definition
Exhibit memory
of previously
learned material
by recalling facts,
terms, basic
concepts, and
answers.
Demonstrate
understanding of
facts and ideas by
organizing,
comparing,
translating,
interpreting, giving
descriptions, and
stating main ideas.
Solve problems to
new situations by
applying acquired
knowledge, facts,
techniques and
rules in a different
way.
Examine and break
information into
parts by identifying
motives or causes.
Make inferences
and find evidence
to support
generalizations.
Present and
defend opinions
by making
judgments about
information,
validity of ideas,
or quality of work
based on a set of
criteria.
Compile
information
together in a
different way by
combining
elements in a
new pattern or
proposing
alternative
solutions.
Verbs• Choose
• Define
• Find
• How
• Label
• List
• Match
• Name
• Omit
• Recall
• Relate
• Select
• Show
• Spell
• Tell
• What
• When
• Where
• Which
• Who
• Why
Classify
• Compare
• Contrast
• Demonstrate
• Explain
• Extend
• Illustrate
• Infer
• Interpret
• Outline
• Relate
• Rephrase
• Show
• Summarize
• Translate
Apply
• Build
• Choose
• Construct
• Develop
• Experiment with
• Identify
• Interview
• Make use of
• Model
• Organize
• Plan
• Select
• Solve
• Utilize
Analyze
• Assume
• Categorize
• Classify
• Compare
• Conclusion
• Contrast
• Discover
• Dissect
• Distinguish
• Divide
• Examine
• Function
• Inference
• Inspect
• List
• Motive
• Relationships
• Simplify
• Survey
• Take part in
• Test for
• Theme
Agree
• Appraise
• Assess
• Award
• Choose
• Compare
• Conclude
• Criteria
• Criticize
• Decide
• Deduct
• Defend
• Determine
• Disprove
• Estimate
• Evaluate
• Explain
• Importance
• Influence
• Interpret
• Judge
• Justify
• Mark
• Measure
• Opinion
• Perceive
• Prioritize
• Prove
• Rate
• Recommend
• Rule on
• Select
• Support
• Value
Adapt
• Build
• Change
• Choose
• Combine
• Compile
• Compose
• Construct
• Create
• Delete
• Design
• Develop
• Discuss
• Elaborate
• Estimate
• Formulate
• Happen
• Imagine
• Improve
• Invent
• Make up
• Maximize
• Minimize
• Modify
• Original
• Originate
• Plan
• Predict
• Propose
• Solution
• Solve
• Suppose
• Test
• Theory
• Maximi

Randy’s bank of xAPI based verbs that make up the core of JSON statements sent to the LRS by the xAPILMS. As I progress on this project, I will annotate the verbs according to their Bloom’s Taxonomy hierarchy since the object is to move the participant toward the higher cognitive skill sets. Click Here for the current table of xAPI verbs.