Where do we begin in seeking to improve human thinking? One place to begin is in defining the nature of thinking. Before we can make it better, we need to know more of what it is. Bloom's taxonomy serves as the basis for what are now called higher order thinking skills. The cognitive domain taxonomy helps to create a standard around which further work could be done with the concepts of higher and lower order thinking. This model included six levels of thinking: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Each level not only asks more of our thinking skills but includes the previous levels as subsets of the new level. The collection provides educators with a structure which can be used to build curriculum materials that take learners more deeply into any area of study. The taxonomy takes on renewed importance in the information or knowledge age.

Through this cognitive lens one can more easily discern the mentally magnifying values of computer networks and a multitude of computer applications, the intellectual power tools within cyberspace. One can also recognize ways to use the taxonomy to improve computer use and recognize where computer technology cannot reach, and where the power of mind must be ready to use its full capability.

For example, without the ability to recall an inter-related range of basic information such as terms or words, it is impossible to effectively use a search system. That is, without skills at the knowledge level the user does not know what term to type in when needing information on the continent of Africa nor what synonyms might be helpful if nothing is retrieved from use of the first term. At the other end of this thinking continuum, effectively evaluating collected data in a spreadsheet to determine the best choice of among competing plans requires skills with each of the earlier levels.

Since the work on this taxonomy in 1956, it has been reinterpreted in different ways that both condense and expand the original work. The Northwest Regional Lab is one example of a condensation, a compression to five levels. Marzano's model expands the original taxonomy to eight. Both the Northwest and the Marzano alternatives are considered in some detail in other think branches of this site.

One of the more frustrating aspects of this taxonomy is its forgotten attribution to the rest of the team. Bloom was the first name listed in alphabetical order of multiple editors, so many that they became the ubiquitous "and others" of a taxonomy that was developed by a very large committee of people. This typical reference found in an online card catalog makes this point: "Taxonomy of educational objectives : the classification of educational goals ; / by a committee of college and university examiners ; Benjamin S. Bloom, editor [and others] IMPRINT New York : D. McKay Co., Inc., c1956-1964 (1971-72 printing) DESCRIPT. 2 v. in 1 : ill. ; 22 cm. NOTE Vol.2 by D.R. Krathwohl and others." The volume on the much cited Cognitive Domain is authored by David Krathwohl. History could have just have easily settled on this being Krathwohl's taxonomy.

Selected Bibliography

 As the following references indicate, there are many ways of expressing and applying "Bloom's taxonomy." The references represent a continuum from tight overviews to expanded explanations, actual curriculum uses of the taxonomy and non-online works of a more extensive and critical perspective.

Silicon Resources (the web)

• Levels and types of questions includes sample questions for each level, Office of Instructional Resources, University of Illinois
• Bloom et al's taxonomy, includes question cue terms, University of Victoria
• Overview of the taxonomy, includes key terms and phrases, University of Texas Learning Center, John Maynard
• Bloom's Taxonomy, definitions, verbs for stating behavioral objectives, verb-task construction wheel, New York Institute of Technology
• trigger questions for Bloom's taxonomy, University of Hawaii
• the taxonomy in the context of learner and teacher roles, by the learning leaders at Mt. Edgecumbe High School, Todd Bergman, Quality Coordinator, Mt. Edgecumbe High School, Sitka, Alaska and Harvey Stewart, Director and learning leader of Ecumenical Theological Education by Extension, Billings, Montana.
• Questions by level in the Study of Rivers, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.
• Use the taxonomy to write multiple choice questions, Title III Institute

• Explanation plus sample questions for each level, though questions in the multiple choice format.
• Teaching Thinking Skills with Databases, Activities for each of Bloom's Taxonomy Levels, a student project for Dr. Houghton's course at Western Carolina University, North Carolina.

Cellulose Resources (the library)

• Jonassen, D., W. Hannum, and M. Tessmer. 1989. "Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives." Chapt. 12 of Handbook of Task Analysis Procedures. New York: Praeger.
• Reeves, M. Francis. 1990. An Application of Bloom's Taxonomy to the Teaching of Business Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 9, pp 609-616.