Joan Middendorf's revision of Bloom's Typology applies Bloom's Taxonomy to Decoding the Disciplines in order to classify different types of mental moves.[1] “What kind of thinking is this in regards to Bloom’s typology? Is it remembering, paraphrasing, applying, analyzing, evaluating, or creating? Bloom’s typology differentiate the functions of various mental moves (MIddendorf & Mondelli, in press).
Creating
Combining elements to form a new, original entity.
- Verbs to Use: synthesize, create, combine, plan, design, produce, compile, develop, compose, modify, organize, reconstruct
- Hospital Analogy: Designing a new hospital for our city.
- Analogy: “Imagine you wake up to find you are a sponge. Describe visually your adventures during the day.” - Roy Ascott’s Groundcourse
Evaluating
Making judgments based on criteria or standards.
- Verbs to Use: judge, evaluate, conclude, contrast, develop criteria, appraise, criticize, support, decide, compare
- Hospital Analogy: Judging the quality of my care in the hospital.
- Analogy: Judging a Olympic skiing events, downhill race versus freestyle.
Analyzing
Breaking material into constituent parts and determine how parts relate to one another and to an overall structure.
- Verbs to Use: analyze, debate, differentiate, generalize, conclude, organize, breakdown, dissect, diagram, relate
- Hospital Analogy: Investigating charges on my hospital bill.
- Analogy: Taking apart a computer and examining the insides down to the microchips.
Applying
Using procedures to perform tasks or solve problems in new, but similar situations.
- Verbs to Use: demonstrate, apply, use, solve, choose appropriate procedures, modify, produce, construct
- Hospital Analogy: Using procedures for admittance, blood draws, etc.
- Analogy: Filling out one’s tax forms.
Understanding
Integrating new materials into existing schema and explaining it in own words.
- Verbs to Use: explain, interpret, illustrate, describe, summarize, expand, convert, measure, defend, paraphrase, rewrite, comprehend
- Hospital Analogy: Explaining directions to the local hospital.
- Analogy: Describing how to make an elevator pitch in your own words.
Remembering
Recalling or recognizing information from memory.
- Verbs to Use: list, tell, define, identify, label, locate, recognize, describe, match, name, outline, reproduce, state
- Hospital Analogy: Memorizing the local hospital’s address.
- Analogy: Memorizing a phone number.
References
- ↑ Middendorf, J., & Shopkow, L. (2017). Overcoming student learning bottlenecks: Decode the critical thinking of your discipline. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Middendorf, J., & Mondelli, V. (in press.) “Flash Decoding with analogies and game mechanics: Alternatives to the Decoding interview.” Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal.
Hall, C. & Johnson, A. (1994) Module A5: Planning a Test or Examination. In B. Imrie & C. Hall, Assessment of Student Performance. Wellington, New Zealand: University Teaching Development Centre, Victoria University of Wellington.
