Using Bloom’s Taxonomy we prepare blueprint for summative assessment. the task can be improved by adding other concepts of skills assessment and not just the basics that is normally used to prepare blueprint.
I did a Seminar presentation with a research report where the task given covers the Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating and Creating of the Bloom’s taxonomy. Students are asked to read a list of topics, understand them then choose one (Applying) and prepare a seminar presentation by reading and collecting their relevant information to the topic (Analyzing) and then they prepare their seminar presentation (Evaluating) and presented these then do a write-up on the presentation with recommendations (Creating).
The task given is for high level students and I see that for that level, it is important to align with the high level of Bloom’s taxonomy so students can be able to acquire skills to think creatively and be analytical.
- Using Blooms Taxonomy pedagogues in my blueprint.
- I believe a Create level should be implemented where students can create a Sprite program using Scratch instead of just Describing or Explaining in the Comprehension level.
- The assessment task I have selected is the Term End Assessment (Formative). Since I am teaching lower primary, I am focusing on remembering, understanding and application questions from Bloom’s Taxonomy because it matches the capabilities of my class level.
- How to improve the task?
Since Years1 - 3 do not have summative exams, blueprints are not prepared.
However, other parts of blooms taxonomy could be covered in the process of assessment as learning.
The assessment task that I have prepared for my students is Annual Examination. I have been using blueprint to compile my papers to have appropriate: Knowledge, Comprehension and Application type of questions. It is similar to the Blooms Taxonomy concept as it requires recalling, selecting, differentiating, sketching, discussing and remembering. To improve the task, as teachers we need to include Blooms Taxonomy concept to consider all range of students needs.
Before the exam, blueprint is must to be made so that the exam is balanced.
Here are assessment tasks aligned with different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy for secondary learners:
Remembering (Knowledge):
- Task: List three greenhouse gases and explain how they contribute to the greenhouse effect.
- Task: Recall the primary sources of carbon dioxide emissions and their impact on global warming.
- Task: Memorize the major effects of an enhanced greenhouse effect on climate and ecosystems.
Understanding (Comprehension): 4. Task: Explain the greenhouse effect in your own words and describe its role in regulating Earth’s temperature.
- Task: Describe how human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, influence the greenhouse effect.
- Task: Summarize the consequences of a heightened greenhouse effect on weather patterns and sea levels.
Applying (Application): 7. Task: Calculate the potential impact of a certain reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on global temperature using climate models.
- Task: Create an illustrated diagram or infographic to visually represent the greenhouse effect and its mechanisms.
- Task: Propose a set of practical actions individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprint and mitigate the greenhouse effect.
Analyzing (Analysis): 10. Task: Analyze historical temperature data and greenhouse gas concentrations to identify correlations and trends.
- Task: Compare and contrast the greenhouse effect on Earth with its occurrence on another planet, highlighting the differences and similarities.
- Task: Examine various human activities and natural processes contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and rank them in terms of impact.
Evaluating (Synthesis): 13. Task: Debate the effectiveness of different government policies and international agreements aimed at addressing the greenhouse effect, such as the Paris Agreement.
- Task: Evaluate the ethical and moral considerations surrounding climate change and the greenhouse effect, considering the responsibilities of individuals and governments.
- Task: Develop a comprehensive plan to promote awareness and action on the greenhouse effect within a school or local community.
Creating (Evaluation): 16. Task: Design and present a multimedia educational campaign about the greenhouse effect for the school or local community, incorporating visuals, videos, and real-life examples.
- Task: Write a research paper proposing an innovative solution to mitigate the greenhouse effect, providing scientific evidence and societal benefits.
These assessment tasks encourage secondary school learners to move from basic knowledge and understanding to higher-order thinking skills, including analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of solutions to the challenges posed by the greenhouse effect. A task can be changed to suit the students’ interest and finding on thos topic.
If I can refer back to the assessment task that I have design for my H/economic students, the use of the matrix in table 1 is mostly applied for the analysis of the assessment.
However on the same note, I need to improve on the “create” level of assessment.
As for secondary schools in Fiji we use 40 knowledge, 30 comprehension and 30 application for a full length balanced paper. One example given below:
However this can be improved by analyzing the duration of coverage for each sub strand and sticking to the required percentage in accordance with blooms taxonomy.
Improvement in assessment is a critical aspect of modern education, as it plays a pivotal role in enhancing teaching and learning outcomes. Some of the ways to improve the most recent assessment carried out include:
- Ensure that assessments align with the learning objectives and outcomes of the curriculum.
- Use a variety of assessment methods, including traditional and alternative assessments, to accommodate different learning styles and assess a broader range of skills.
- Integrate formative assessments into the teaching process to provide ongoing feedback and help students improve throughout the learning journey
- Utilize educational technology for assessments, such as online quizzes, automated grading, and data analytics to gain insights into student performance.
- Provide timely and constructive feedback to students to help them understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
Rigour of assessment- learning activity 5
- Choose any one of the assessment tasks that you have designed before for your learners. Use the matrix in Table 5 to analyse the assessment task.
- On the basis of your analysis, think about how you can improve the task.
The blooms taxonomy contains six 6 levels.
Remember - Recall facts and basic concepts
Understand - Explain ideas or concepts
Apply - use information in new situations
Analyse - Draw connections among ideas
Evaluate - Justify a stand or decision
Create - produce new or original work
When we design our assessment we use only 3 levels and the weighting per are 40:30:30 percent.
Recall Remember 40%
Comprehension Understand / Apply 30%
Analysis Analyse 30%
While we do not use evaluate and create in our blueprints, we can ensure that use the correct verbs in the questions and our mark allocations are correct in the assessments that we plan.
I have just prepared Year 12 Biology paper for Annual Examination. When preparing any assessment task we need to prepare a blueprint. Using the blueprint, the question paper is designed.
To improve assessment tasks using Bloom’s Taxonomy, we can:
- Incorporate higher order thinking: design tasks that require students to analyze, evaluate, and create, going beyond simple recall or comprehension.
- Provide clear instruction: clearly communicate the expectations and criteria for each level of Bloom’s Taxonomy to guide students in their responses.
- Scaffold the learning process: provide support and guidance as students progress through the different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy to help them build their skills.
- Provide timely feedback: offer constructive feedback that aligns with the specific level of Bloom’s Taxonomy to help students understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
- Offer multiple assessment methods: use a variety of assessment methods, such as projects, presentations, or discussions to allow students to demonstrate their understanding in different ways.
By implementing these strategies, assessments using Bloom’s Taxonomy can become more engaging, meaningful. and effective in promoting deep learning
Based on my analysis, I have found that preparing for summative assessments, especially major exams at secondary school level, is very similar to preparing blueprints. When preparing for an assessment, a teacher must consider the six concepts and skills of Bloom’s Taxonomy (remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create) and the class level and capabilities of the learners. Higher class levels and learner capabilities require more questions that address creativity, evaluation, and analysis, which means that these last three concepts and skills will be awarded more points or marks than the first three (remember, understand, and apply).
Therefore, it is important to prepare students to master all six concepts and skills of Bloom’s Taxonomy during the course of teaching and learning
For any exams that you take in class, blueprints are a must. Preparing blueprints will allow you to assess the topics that you have covered. It will enable you to have a fair idea of how all the questions are distributed evenly.
One of the assessment tasks that i would recommend be used is the new literacy diagnostic tool and the numeracy pre- and post-assessment. As for the literacy, it starts with the basics, and as the number of questions increases, the level of the questions increases. As for numeracy, topics are being covered properly.
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A summative form of assessment I used was analyzed by the use of the matrix in table 5 and basing my evaluation with the 6 core concept and skills of the blooms taxonomy, which is;
**Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate and Create
Table 5 Matrix for analysing the cognitive levels in an assessment test.pdf -
Improvement suggestions;
- incorporate a diversity of methodologies
- increase complexity as the levels gets higher
- time management
- timely feedbacks
- introduction to more assessment methods
I have prepare blueprints for any assessment carried out for 100 marks. The blueprint consists of knowledge based questions, followed by comprehension and finally application. The blueprint is similar to the table supplied.
I have chosen an assessment task that requires students to analyze a historical event and write a report on its significance. Using the matrix in Table 5, I can analyze the cognitive levels required for this task.
Research problem/ Hypothesis: The students need to understand the historical event and formulate a research problem or hypothesis related to its significance. This aligns with Level 1 in the matrix.
Research Topic: The students need to provide a rationale for the chosen historical event and its significance. This also aligns with Level 1 in the matrix.
Research methodology: While there may not be a specific research methodology involved in this task, the students need to understand the different sources of information and their importance in analyzing the historical event. This aligns with Level 1 in the matrix.
Data instruments: In this task, the students need to understand and apply different sources of data such as primary and secondary sources, artifacts, and documents related to the historical event. This aligns with Level 1 in the matrix.
Data analysis: The students need to apply critical thinking and analysis skills to interpret the significance of the historical event based on the data they have collected. This aligns with Level 2 in the matrix.
Report writing: The students need to understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create a report on the significance of the historical event. This aligns with Level 1 and Level 4 in the matrix.
Based on this analysis, I can see that the assessment task covers a good balance across different cognitive levels. However, to improve the task, I could consider adding a component that requires students to create their own hypothesis about the historical event and support it with evidence from their research. This would align with Level 2 in the matrix and provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate higher-order thinking skills. Additionally, I could also incorporate a peer review component to the report writing, allowing students to evaluate and analyze each other’s work, aligning with Level 4 in the matrix.
With the summative assessments the design and create taxonomy cannot be accomodated in my subject area,but it can be accomodated in sibjects like Technical Drawing where they are required to create a design as a part of their answer.
With regards to Common Assessment Tasks in the TEST subjects all six levels of the taxonomy can be achidved.
To analyze the assessment task using the matrix, I need to categorize the questions in the Economics paper according to the cognitive levels outlined in the matrix. The levels include knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Once I have categorized the questions, then evaluate the distribution of the questions across the cognitive levels. For a well-balanced assessment, it’s important to have a mix of questions that assess different cognitive levels, rather than focusing solely on lower-level or higher-level skills.
For example, a good assessment should include questions that not only test students’ recall of economic concepts (knowledge) but also their ability to apply economic principles to new situations (application), analyze economic data and trends (analysis), and evaluate economic policies or decisions (evaluation).
Based on this analysis, if I find that the assessment is skewed toward lower-level cognitive skills (e.g., recall and comprehension), I want to consider adding more questions that require higher-level thinking skills such as application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Additionally, I need to ensure that the assessment tasks are aligned with the learning outcomes and the depth of understanding you expect from your learners. This can involve revising questions, adding real-world scenarios, or incorporating open-ended questions that require critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Bula,
- An assessment task i had designed would be on the topic of parts of a leaf. The level I would use to analyze the assessment will be Level 2 - Understanding because students have to identify the parts of the leaf.
- I would improve the task by including self-assessment to hear what students had to say about the task and the Bloom’s level used and whether it is suitable for the class level.
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