Creating digital learning activities that make you think
Ellie Howitt explores using Bloom's Taxonomy as a tool to structure online learning.
Please note, the views expressed in this article are the opinion of the author.
So, there’s a myth, that says that online learning is not as intellectually challenging as face-to-face provision.
In fact, online and blended learning have the potential to be just as complex and effortful as our celebrated campus provision, where academic staff facilitate active learning and support self-directed learners to acquire knowledge and skills by undertaking authentic complex tasks, and create digital learning activities that really make students think.
Key Concepts
Bloom's Taxonomy is a tool that can be used to structure online learning. It outlines the cognitive domains of learning and specifies various activities associated with each stage. It proposes that the learning process involves students progressing through these stages as they acquire new knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of a subject.
The idea is that students attain expertise in their respective fields by engaging in higher order thinking, enabling them to navigate complex situations that deviate from routine tasks and handle ambiguous concepts and perspectives, ultimately creating their own interpretations.
Activities that emphasise analysis, evaluation, and creation play a pivotal role in fostering higher order thinking and eliminating low-effort options.
It is important to acknowledge that Bloom’s Taxonomy, while providing a valuable framework for learning, is not without its criticisms. Learning is not simply knowledge transfer, and at times it can be interpreted to mean that knowledge acquisition is linear and can be organised into a simple cumulative hierarchy. It is important that it is used in context with consideration of the affective domain (emotions, values, motivations). The educational context is also very important. Taken at face value, some verbs may not directly lend themselves well to assessing a student’s ability to face authentic challenges from their area of study.
When using this tool, consider which verbs work well for your students, or for you as a learner. It may be that there are some that feel irrelevant or over-simplified, or neglect key components of the primary skillset that the student is trying to gain.
| Remember | Understand | Apply | Analyse | Evaluate | Create |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| define describe examine identify label list locate match memorise recall recite recognise record reproduce retell select state tabulate tell visualise | associate classify compare contrast convert describe discuss distinguish explain illustrate interpret order predict relate report represent restate select summarise trace transform translate | apply | analyse categorise compare connect contrast criticize deduce diagram differentiate discriminate dissect estimate evaluate experiment infer organise plan prioritise question separate survey test | appraise argue assess choose convince critique debate defend editorialise estimate evaluate grade judge justify measure persuade predict rank rate reframe summarise support | adapt |
Bloom’s Taxonomy - University of Florida
Higher Order Thinking
Let’s go through some practical approaches and ideas that can be applied when using Bloom’s taxonomy to design activity that engages students in higher order thinking. Remember, these ideas use the taxonomy as a tool to support considered design. It has provided a starting point that sparks inspiration. When you apply it to your own work, you should critically contextualise it with a holistic student-centred perspective.
Create activities with multiple parts, such as a prompt followed by questions that require analysis, then evaluation, and finally creation. This helps to challenge students to think deeply and engage with the material in a meaningful way.
Assign creative projects that are submitted online and can be shared in a gallery for group critique. Creativity can take many forms, from solving mathematical problems to writing code or sketching a design or illustration concept. By encouraging students to approach problems in creative ways, you can help them develop their problem-solving skills and think outside the box.
Quizzes are a useful tool for promoting higher order thinking, especially when they require evaluation in order to come up with answers. Fill-in-the-blank questions and multiple-choice scenarios can be effective in challenging students to think deeply about the material and apply their knowledge in new ways.
When constructing questions, it's important to carefully consider the domain you are targeting and craft questions accordingly. Write questions that encourage students to engage with the material in a meaningful way. Especially in MCQs, it can be so obvious what the answer is, so avoid the common mistakes here.
Collaboration and discussion can also be powerful tools for promoting higher order thinking, as they encourage students to share ideas and perspectives, and to engage in critical analysis of the material.
Automated feedback can also be useful in promoting higher order thinking, as it provides students with immediate feedback and helps them identify areas where they may need to focus their efforts.
If it’s within reach, push this further with interactive multimedia resources such as simulations, VR and games, interactive learning experiences promote higher order thinking. It is not the expectation that most NTU academics have the skills to create this, however it’s what the Flex team do all the time. The Flex team can create this sort of learning in NOW for NTU, staff can find out more information by emailing flexiblelearning@ntu.ac.uk.
Give students no choice but to engage at a high level
Fundamental to facilitating higher order thinking online is that activities give students no choice but to engage at a high level. Work should still be differentiated, there is just no low effort way to complete the work.
Biggs and Tang (2011) help us to understand this by defining two students, Robert and Susan. Susan naturally applies themself to learning that requires high level engagement without promoting or support, and Robert will stay around the lower levels of Bloom’s taxonomy unless activity design is specifically structured to give them no choice but to go beyond this.
Consider these activities:
- Students follow technical instructions to complete a task. Some get stuck and give up or email the teacher who points out where they went wrong. Some might attempt to problem solve, but also feel demotivated because they are just getting it wrong and don’t know why.
- Students are given an image of an outcome and instructed to find their way there. Students work in pairs to figure out how to recreate the outcome most closely, with minimal teacher instruction. They can research, and they record and share their process. There are multiple routes to achieving the same outcome. The teacher will give clues to students who struggle.
The second activity requires students to problem solve, evaluate and be creative. The first only requires them to remember small bits of information and follow instructions. The minimum effort required in the second activity still ensures all students engage in higher order thinking online. This is how to give students no choice but to engage at a higher level.
Technology Enhanced Learning
Using technology in a deliberate and meaningful way will develop student learning in the higher cognitive domains. You will plan activities that take advantage of the unique capabilities of the online medium to create learning opportunities that wouldn't be possible in a physical classroom.
For example, by setting questions automated knowledge checks, you ensure that every student processes the material and formulates an answer, is aware of whether they are correct or not, and receives personalised feedback on their attempt, based on their individual performance and contributions. This would be difficult to recreate in a traditional classroom and is a fantastic example of how technology can enhance learning.
What next?
Creating online learning that promotes higher-order thinking can be challenging. By using available digital tools and approaching learning design with scaffolding, an awareness of ‘Robert and Susan’ and considered application of Bloom’s taxonomy, you can create activities that really make students think.
NTU colleagues can see examples of this sort of activity on our VLE, by visiting the Rocket Science 101 learning room.
References
Armstrong, P. (2010). Bloom’s Taxonomy. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [24/01/2023] from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Longman.
Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for Quality Learning at University. McGraw-Hill Education. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [30 November 2022]
citt.ufl.edu. (n.d.). Bloom’s Taxonomy - Center for Instructional Technology and Training - University of Florida. [online] Available at: https://citt.ufl.edu/resources/the-learning-process/designing-the-learning-experience/blooms-taxonomy/#:~:text=In%20Bloom.
David R. Krathwohl (2002) A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy: An Overview, Theory Into Practice, 41:4, 212-218, DOI: 10.1207/s15430421tip4104_2
Elshout-Mohr, M., Oostdam, R., & Overmaat, M. (2002). Student assessment within the context of constructivist educational settings. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 28(4), 369-390.
Jisc (2022) Applying the SAMR model to aid your digital transformation. Online: https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/applying-the-samr-model#:~:text=SAMR%20(substitution%2C%20augmentation%2C%20modification,below%20explains%20the%20four%20categories. Available [24/01/2023]
Morrison, D. (2003). Using activity theory to design constructivist online learning environments for higher order thinking: A retrospective analysis. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology/La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie, 29(3).
Newton PM, Da Silva A and Peters LG (2020) A Pragmatic Master List of Action Verbs for Bloom's Taxonomy. Front. Educ. 5:107. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2020.00107
Pishchukhina, O., & Watson, M. (2021). Tools and techniques to stimulate higher order thinking in online learning. In D. Maga, & J. Hajek (Eds.), Proceedings of 30th Annual Conference of the European Association for Education in Electrical and Information Engineering (EAEEIE-2021), Prague, 1-3 September, 2021 (1 ed., pp. 188-193). (30th Annual Conference of the European Association for Education in Electrical and Information Engineering (EAEEIE 2021): Proceedings). Czech Technical University, Publishing House. https://doi.org/10.1109/EAEEIE50507.2021.9530851
Author information
Ellie Howitt is a Senior Learning Designer who designs and develops innovative and effective online and blended learning experiences for students. Reach Ellie Howitt by email.
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