Bloom´s Taxonomy arrange learning objectives in a certain hierarchic way (see Arievitch, 2020). I believe it is important to emphasize that this is just one way to think about learning objectives.
In Bloom´s Taxonomy, the ability to memorize is the first level and after that comes other learning objectives in the following order: to understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and to create. This means that to create should be seen as being the highest level (Arievitch, 2020). Using the taxonomy might lead to a computer metaphor. This is expressed by Arievitch who also underline “the need to take a fresh look at and radically revise the key suppositions that underlie the currently influential Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objectives” (2020, p. 1). Arievitch argue that “the Taxonomy has multiple conceptual problems – it reflects a number of deeply entrenched and widely spread misconceptions about how the human mind works, how students learn, and therefore, how teachers need to teach” (ibid).
If building on Bloom´s Taxonomy there is, in Arievitch´s view, an unfortunate underlying assumption that humans first perceive “information,” then memorize and “store” this information, then make sense of the information, understand it and apply for typical problem solving, and only later come to be able to properly analyze and evaluate it and to use it more “creatively? (Arievitch, 2020, p. 4)
Arievitch suggests another way to look at learning objectives. Levels “of learning objectives” (2020, p. 4) should not be separate. Instead, it could be more productive to take a perspective including the different learning objectives as “different aspects of problem-solving activity” (ibid.). As for an example: “Memorizing must be and is really a “byproduct” of problem solving and making sense of learning materials and tasks” (ibid.)
Motivation is something which is missing in Bloom’s Taxonomy. This can be problematic since motivation, as expressed by Arievitch (2020), can be seen as something critical. The students need to feel motivation to perform when different tasks are given to them. There ought to be a reason to do a task. Or, as I would like to express it, it should be meaningful to do an assignment.
References
Arievitch, M. (2020), The vision of Developmental Teaching and Learning and Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objectives. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, Volume 25.
