What Should We Teach? Expanding Bloom's Knowledge Dimension

John R. Walkup, Ph.D.

The Knowledge Dimension of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy is often overlooked because of the notoriety of its sibling, the Cognitive Process Dimension (often called the “six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy”). Despite its low visibility, the Knowledge Dimension can serve an important role in lesson planning.

The Knowledge Dimension [1] comprises four categories:

1. Factual Knowledge
2. Conceptual Knowledge
3. Procedural Knowledge
4. Metacognitive Knowledge

I consider the above four categories inadequate to develop quality lessons, so I supplemented the original list with three categories of my own.

Expanding the Model

Consider the following categories of knowledge:

5. Relevance Knowledge
6. Deep Knowledge
7. Communicative Knowledge

Can we justify their inclusion into the original Bloom’s Knowledge Dimension? I think so.

First, students learn more when they appreciate what they learn. Although the concept of relevance development was originally absorbed into the Metacognitive Knowledge category, I think a separate Relevance Knowledge category can help boost student engagement and “buy-in.”

In two previous statewide studies of student work [2, 3], my company uncovered scant evidence of higher Depth of Knowledge activities. We therefore need to extend learning beyond the basic understanding addressed in Bloom’s Knowledge Dimension, hence the Deep Knowledge category.

Finally, the ability to communicate to one’s peers is so crucial to postsecondary success that communication skill also deserves its own category. Communicative Knowledge addresses vocabulary development, presentation skills, writing skills, and collaboration.

So how do all seven Knowledge Dimensions help prepare lessons? Consider an example that we can all appreciate.

Money

Original Model

For second-graders, the Common Core math standards ask students to:

Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies...

Let's focus on pennies and nickels for now. A good DOK-3 culminating activity could look like the following:

How many different ways can you I use pennies and nickels to buy a candy bar?

First, what facts should our students always remember?

• Coins have value.
• The value of a coin is not based on size or color.
• A penny is worth 1¢ and a nickel is worth 5¢.

The primary concept is not coins, but rather its more generalized concept: Value. What does value mean and what can we do with it? The answers point to Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge:

• A coin has value means that I can buy things with it.
• A nickel has the same value as five pennies.
• I can find the value of a pile of pennies and nickels.
• I know how to pick pennies and nickels to buy something.

The last item forms the most rigorous part of this lesson and, as such, will likely require student work groups.

Unlike other forms of knowledge, Metacognitive Knowledge is highly personal, so the following will vary among students:

• I sometimes think that bigger coins have more value, but I know that’s wrong.
• I don’t know how to buy things that cost more than one dollar. 
• I know how to learn more about coins and value.

Expanded Model

From the student's standpoint, why is this lesson important? The answer establishes Relevance Knowledge:

• If I know how to use coins, I can buy things I want.

Let’s not forget Communicative Knowledge:

• I know how to say, read, and spell penny, nickel, value, coin, and cents. 
• I can use these words correctly when I talk.
• I can work well with my friends to help select the right amount of coins to buy something.

Finally, we need to ask ourselves: Is there deeper meaning beyond that we have already identified? I think so:

• The store owner can use the coins I give him to buy things for himself. 

Although obvious to us, this property of legal tender (transference) is not obvious to young children, but is the critical feature of currency.

So what did they gain?

Once taught the breadth of the modified Knowledge Dimension, students can explain what coins mean in terms of value, that a penny is worth 1¢ and a nickel is worth 5¢, and how to use combinations of these coins to buy things. They know why they are learning the lesson and they know how to learn even more about the lesson. They can talk about the lesson using words like value, coin, and cents, just like adults.

With such a broad and deep understanding of coins and their value, they have learned a great deal indeed.

Bibliography

1. L. W. Anderson, D. R. Krathwohl, P. W. Airasian, K. A. Cruikshank, R. E. Mayer, P. R. Pintrich, J. Raths and M. C. Wittrock, A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives, New York City, NY: Longman, Inc., 2001.

2. The Standards Company LLC, "Analysis of the enacted curriculum for the Oklahoma State Department of Education for the collection period February – March, 2008," Clovis, CA, 2008.

3. The Standards Company LLC, "Study of the Alignment of Student Assignments to the Academic Standards in the State of Nevada (Senate Bill 184, Chapter 420, Statutes of Nevada 2007): Full Report," 2008.

---

Seeking training at your school or district centered on Cognitive Rigor or Depth of Knowledge?  Call me at (559) 903-4014 or email me at jwalkup@standardsco.com. 

We will discuss ways in which I can help boost student engagement and deep thinking in your classrooms. I offer workshops, follow-up classroom observation/coaching, and curriculum analysis to anywhere in the country (and even internationally).