DesigningTraining
Even if you have not heard of Bloom’s Taxonomy, chances are you have used its principles. As an instructional designer, I have long been an advocate of using Bloom’s whenever I design or develop training.
However, I’ve quickly come to realize that you need a light touch when referencing it during discussions with nontraining stakeholders. They may have no idea what you are talking about.
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a framework, developed by Benjamin Bloom, that helps us understand different levels of cognitive learning. It organizes learning outcomes into six categories that describe what learners should be able to do because of training. (See Figure 1.)
Beginning at the most basic learning goal (Remember), it progresses to the most complicated learning goal (Create).
Understanding these levels gives you a framework through which to filter the requests for training that come to you daily. There are many ways that you can implement the principles of Bloom’s without ever uttering the word “taxonomy”!
Use your knowledge of Bloom’s learning levels to nail down the goals of the training you need to create:
Start with the end in mind: Ask your stakeholders questions across levels: What do you want your learners to be able to do after the training? Do they need to remember key knowledge? Be able to apply their knowledge in interactions with customers?
Think beyond “Remember”: Encourage your stakeholders to aim for higher-level thinking skills like problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity.
As a training professional, you are often tasked with translating business objectives into learning objectives. As shown in Figure 2, determine what you’re trying to improve.
For example, asking a learner to recall key epidemiology statistics related to a disease state is very different from the skill of discussing, interpreting and applying these facts during dialogue with a healthcare provider.
Stakeholders will often start requests for training by discussing the learning medium they’d like to use (e.g., “I think we should create a video about…”). As tempting as it is to join in a discussion of fun delivery approaches, it can often lead your discussion down the wrong path if your goals and objectives aren’t clear first.
Use your knowledge of Bloom’s levels to reorient the discussion to what the training really needs to accomplish. While it’s important to aim for higher-level thinking skills, it’s also essential to ensure that learners have a solid foundation of basic knowledge and skills first.
Once the learning sequence is clear, you can vary the appropriate learning modalities to keep learners engaged.
Here are some modalities that are effective for each level of Bloom’s:
Remembering: Self-study modules, videos, flashcards, quizzes, games
Understanding: Presentations, verbalizations
Applying: Skill practice, role-plays, simulations, case studies
Analyzing: Comparative analyses, critical-thinking exercises
Evaluating: Panel discussions, peer review
Creating: Project-based learning, collaborative projects
Bloom’s Taxonomy can also provide a framework for assessing learners’ knowledge and skills at different levels. Evaluation and measurement can be used to provide feedback to learners, to drive development of future training materials and to demonstrate your success to leadership and peers.
Again, your knowledge of Bloom’s can come in handy to ensure you:
Use diverse assessment methods: A variety of assessment methods, such as quizzes, assessments, case studies, presentations and simulations, can help you evaluate different learning levels.
Focus on application: Assess how well learners can apply their knowledge in real-world situations.
Seek feedback: Gather feedback from your learners to identify areas for improvement.
While you may not explicitly reference Bloom’s Taxonomy as you discuss training solutions with stakeholders, its principles can guide your needs analysis and decision-making process as you work collaboratively to design learning solutions for all levels.
All without hearing “Bloom’s what?”
Wendy Eicholzer, M.Ed., is president of Whole Systems. Email Wendy at weicholzer@wholesystems.com or connect through linkedin.com/in/wendy-eicholzer.
