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JAMES CASTLE: Hi, everyone.
This is James Castle with UGA Online.
In this video, we're going to talk about cognitive skills
and learning objectives.
To describe these skills, we're going to use a
classification scheme called Bloom's Taxonomy.
Bloom's Taxonomy is often represented as a triangle, or
a pyramid, with the foundation being comprised of the
knowledge domain.
For example, the recall of facts,
terms, and basic concepts.
A learning objective tied to the knowledge domain might be
identify three ways that people can save money for
retirement.
Next is comprehension.
In the comprehension domain, students might be asked to
compare, translate, or organize information.
A learning objective tied to comprehension might be,
compare the benefits of a 403(b) plan as opposed to a
401(k) plan for retirement.
One more step up the triangle is application.
Students engaging at this level are expected to solve
problems by applying acquired knowledge to a new problem.
A learning objective tied to the application domain might
be, calculate the amount of money an individual would need
to save in his or her retirement plan in order to
retire at age 55, given the individual's present age and
desired retirement income.
Next is analysis, which involves having students make
inferences and support generalizations.
For example, we might ask a student to explain three
methods of saving for retirement, and describe the
circumstances that would be appropriate for each method.
Nearing the peak is synthesis.
Here, students assemble knowledge to create something
new, a product, a plan, or the solution to
some complex problem.
A learning objective for the synthesis domain might be to
transform a family budget from an unsustainable model into a
responsible, well-planned budget.
Justify the changes you would make to the budget using
evidence from class readings.
At the top of Bloom's Taxonomy is evaluation, where students
are asked to make judgments regarding the validity of
information while presenting and defending their own ideas.
Also, they might be asked to review and critique of the
work of other students, or participate in a debate where
they must provide evidence to support a position.
An example of a learning objective from the evaluation
domain might be predict the success or failure of a
financial plan based on a predetermined set of criteria.
So how do we factor these ideas into
the design of a course?
First, decide at what level you expect
your students to operate.
You might consider the percentages of each domain you
would like to represent in your course.
Do you want it to be a majority of knowledge?
Or would you like students to be creating and evaluating
more often?
You should consider if you would like to have most of the
activities focused on a particular cognitive area, or
if you'd like to disperse them amongst all
the cognitive areas.
The mix is up to you.
The key is keeping your cognitive goals in mind as you
write your learning objectives.
This will ensure you align your student's actual
performance with your intended outcomes.
So that's a little bit about Bloom's Taxonomy and learning
objectives.
Thanks for watching.