Anderson's Revised  Taxonomy

During the 1990's, Lorin Anderson (a former student of Benjamin Bloom) led a team of
cognitive psychologists in revisiting the taxonomy with the view to examining the
relevance of the taxonomy as we enter the twenty-first century.

As a result of the investigation a number of significant improvements were made to the

existing structure. Before turning to examples of how the newly revised Taxonomy may
be applied, it would be appropriate at this point to make both the revisions and reasons
for the changes explicit.Figure1 below describes both the ‘old' and the ‘new' taxonomies:

REMEMBERING

Recognise, list, describe, identify retrieve, name ….

Can the student RECALL information?

UNDERSTANDING

Interpret, exemplify, summarise, infer, paraphrase …..

Can the student EXPLAIN ideas or concepts?

APPLYING

Implement, carry out, use …

Can the student USE the new knowledge in another familiar situation?

ANALYSING

Compare, attribute, organise, deconstruct …

Can the student DIFFERENTIATE between constituent parts?

EVALUATING

Check, critique, judge hypothesise ...

Can the student JUSTIFY a decision or course of action?

CREATING

Design, construct, plan, produce ...

Can the student GENERATE new products, ideas or ways of viewing things ?

Bloom's Original Taxonomy Anderson's Revised

Taxonomy
 Knowledge Remembering

Comprehension Understanding

Application Applying

Analysis Analysing

Synthesis Evaluating

Evaluation Creating

Figure 1 – The original taxonomy and the revised taxonomy

Some of the more significant changes include changes in terminology, structure and
emphasis. Summarising each in turn –

Changes in Terminology

1. As depicted in the previous table, the names of six major categories were changed
from noun to verb forms. The reasoning behind this is that the taxonomy reflects
different forms of thinking and thinking is an active process. Verbs describe actions, not
nouns, hence the change.

2. The subcategories of the six major categories were also replaced by verbs and some
subcategories were reorganised.

3. The knowledge category was renamed. Knowledge is an outcome or product of

thinking not a form of thinking per se. Consequently, the word knowledge was
inappropriate to describe a category of thinking and was replaced with the word
remembering instead.

4. Comprehension and synthesis were retitled to understanding and creating

respectively, in order to better reflect the nature of the thinking defined in each
category.

Changes in Structure

1. The one- dimensional form of the original taxonomy becomes a two-dimensional table
with the addition of the products of thinking ( i.e. various forms of knowledge). Forms of
knowledge are listed in the revised taxonomy as factual, conceptual, procedural and
metacognitive. See Learning to think / Thinking to learn (Pohl, 2000) for further
information about this.

2 The major categories were ordered in terms of increased complexity. As a result, the
order of synthesis (create) and evaluation (evaluate) have been interchanged. This is in
deference to the popularly held notion that if one considers the taxonomy as a hierarchy
reflecting increasing complexity, then creative thinking (i.e. creating level of the revised
taxonomy) is a more complex form of thinking than critical thinking (i.e. evaluating level
of the new taxonomy).

Put quite simply, one can be critical without being creative (i.e. judge an idea and justify
choices) but creative production often requires critical thinking (i.e. accepting and
rejecting ideas on the path to creating a new idea, product or way of looking at things.)

Changes in emphasis

1. The revision's primary focus is on the taxonomy in use. Essentially, this means that
the revised taxonomy is a more authentic tool for curriculum planning, instructional
delivery and assessment.

2. The revision is aimed at a broader audience. Bloom's Taxonomy was traditionally

viewed as a tool best applied in the earlier years of schooling (i.e. primary and junior
primary years). The revised taxonomy is more universal and easily applicable at
elementary, secondary and even tertiary levels.

3. The revision emphasizes explanation and description of subcategories.

For example, sub-categories at the Remembering level of the taxonomy include :

Recognising / Identifying - Locating knowledge in memory that is consistent with

presented material.

Recalling / Retrieving / Naming – Retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term

memory.

The figure below gives a comprehensive overview of the sub-categories, along with some
suggested question starters that aim to evoke thinking specific to each level of the taxonomy.
Suggested potential activities and student products are also listed.

Category Sample sentence Potential activities and

starters products

REMEMBER   Make a list of the main

events of the story.
Recognising What happened after...?
Make a time line of
Locating knowledge in How many...? events.
memory that is consistent
with presented material.
Synonyms: Identifying... What is...? Make a facts chart .

Recalling Who was it that...? Write a list of any

pieces of information
Retrieving relevant Can you name ...? you can remember.
knowledge from long-term
memory. Find the meaning of… What animals were in
the story.
Synonyms : Retrieving…. Describe what happened
after… Make a chart showing…
Naming…...
Who spoke to...? Make an acrostic.
REMEMBER
Which is true or false...? Recite a poem.
Recognising
Identify who….  
Locating knowledge in
memory that is consistent Name all the…..  
with presented material.

Synonyms: Identifying...

Recalling

Retrieving relevant
knowledge from long-term
memory.

Synonyms : Retrieving….

Naming…...
UNDERSTAND Can you write in your Cut out, or draw
own words? pictures to show a
Interpreting
How would you particular event.
Changing from one form of explain…?
representation to another Illustrate what you
Can you write a brief think the main idea may
Synonyms: outline...? have been.

Paraphrasing… What do you think could Make a cartoon strip

Translating,...Representing,… have happened next...? showing the sequence
Clarifying...
Who do you think...? of events.
Exemplifying
What was the main Write and perform a
Finding a specific example or idea...? play based on the story.
illustration of a concept or
principle Clarify why…. Retell the story in your
own words.
Synonyms : Illustrate the ………
Write a summary report
Instantiating… Illustrating... Does everyone act in the of the event
way that …….. does?
Classifying Prepare a flow chart to
Draw a story map. illustrate the
Determining that something
belongs to a category (e.g., Explain why a character sequence of events.
concept or principle). acted in the way that
they did. Make a colouring book.
Synonyms :
  Cut out, or draw
Categorising...Subsuming... pictures to show a
  particular event.
Summarising Illustrate what you
think the main idea
  was.
Drawing a logical conclusion
from presented information.
Make a cartoon strip
Synonyms : showing the sequence
of events.
Abstracting… Generalising...
Write and perform a
play based on the story.
Inferring

Retell the story in your

Abstracting a general theme
own words.
or major point

Write a summary report

Synonyms :
of the event
Extrapolating…
Prepare a flow chart to
Interpolating.. Predicting…
illustrate the sequence
Concluding….
of events.
Comparing
Cut out, or draw
pictures to show a
Detecting correspondences particular event.
between two ideas, objects, Illustrate what you
etc think the main idea
was.
Synonyms :
Make a cartoon strip
Contrasting… Matching showing the sequence
...Mapping... of events.

Explaining Write and perform a

play based on the story.
Constructing a cause-and-
effect model of a system.  
Synonyms :

Constructing models...
APPLY   Construct a model to
demonstrate how it
Executing Can you write in your works
own words?
Applying knowledge (often Make a diorama to
procedural) to a routine task. How would you illustrate an event
explain…?
Synonyms : Carrying out…. Make a scrapbook about
Can you write a brief the areas of study.
Implementing outline...?
Make a papier-mâché
What do you think could map / clay model to
Applying knowledge (often
have happened next...? include relevant
procedural) to a non-routine
information about an
task.
Who do you think...? event.

Synonyms : Using…..
What was the main Take a collection of
idea...? photographs to
demonstrate a
Clarify why…. particular point.

Make up a puzzle game.

Illustrate the ………

Does everyone act in the Write a textbook about

this topic for others.
way that …….. does?

Draw a story map.

Explain why a character

acted in the way that
they did.
ANALYSE Which events could not Design a questionnaire
have happened? to gather information.
Differentiating
If. ..happened, what Write a commercial to
Distinguishing relevant from might the ending have sell a new product
irrelevant parts or important been?
from unimportant parts of Make flow chart to
presented material. How is...similar to...? show the critical stages.

Synonyms : Discriminating, What do you see as Construct a graph to

Selecting, Focusing, other possible illustrate selected
Distinguishing, outcomes? information.

Organising Why did...changes Make a family tree

occur? showing relationships.
Determining how elements fit
or function within a Can you explain what Devise a play about the
structure. must have happened study area.
when...?
Synonyms : Outlining, Write a biography of a
Structuring, Integrating, What are some or the person studied.
Finding coherence
 Prepare a report about
Attributing problems of...? the area of study.

Determining the point of Can you distinguish

view, bias, values, or intent between...?
underlying presented
material. Synonyms : What were some of the
Deconstructing motives behind..?

What was the turning

point?

What was the problem

with...?
EVALUATE    

Is there a better Conduct a debate about

Checking
solution to...? an issue of special
interest.
Detecting inconsistencies or
Judge the value of...
fallacies within a process or
What do you think Make a booklet about
product.
about...? five rules you see as
important. Convince
Determining whether a others.
Can you defend your
process or product has
position about...?
internal consistency.
Form a panel to discuss
Do you think...is a good views.
Synonyms :
or bad thing?
Testing,
Write a letter to.
Detecting,
How would you have ..advising on changes
Monitoring
handled...? needed.

Critiquing
What changes to.. would Write a half-year report.
you recommend?
Detecting the
Prepare a case to
appropriateness of a
Do you believe...? How present your view
procedure for a given task or
would you feel if. ..? about...
problem.

Synonyms :Judging How effective are. ..?

 
CREATE Can you design a...to...? Invent a machine to do
a specific task.
Generating Can you see a possible
solution to...? Design a building to
Coming up with alternatives house your study.
or hypotheses based on If you had access to all
criteria resources, how would Create a new product.
you deal with...? Give it a name and plan
Synonyms : Hypothesizing a marketing campaign.
Why don't you devise
Planning your own way to...? Write about your
feelings in relation to...
Devising a procedure for What would happen
accomplishing some task. if ...? Write a TV show play,
producing puppet show, role play,
How many ways can song or pantomime
Synonyms : Designing you...? about..

Producing Can you create new and Design a record, book

unusual uses for...? or magazine cover for...
Inventing a product.
Can you develop a Sell an idea
Synonyms : Constructing proposal which would...?
Devise a way to...