Taxonomy, Part 2

As I think about it, I can see a need to revise my taxonomy a little.

Tier 1: Knowledge discovery

1. Acquisition (information)
2. Comprehension (knowledge)
3. Presentation

Tier 2: Knowledge-working

1. Evaluation
2. Analysis
3. Contribution

Tier 3: Knowledge creation

1. Application
2. Synthesis
3. Creation

That gives us three sets of three, each its own path.

But that isn't really what concerns me. The problem with this list is that it has the same flaw as Bloom's. It only addresses cognitive learning, and in a model that assumes a simple path from factual knowledge to meta-cognitive knowledge.

So what types of knowledge are there? If we listen to the experts (okay, I'll listen to the experts this time instead of arguing with them), we have:

• Cognitive
  • factual
  • conceptual
  • procedural
  • meta-cognitive
• Affective
• Psychomotor

Bloom's is just concerned with the first item, and assumes, as I complained about before, that the ability to think through at the meta-cognitive level is in some way a higher order of cognition than being able to act on these thoughts. My argument was that, in the end, it always has to come back to application. Otherwise, what's the point? So I bring it back to application first as presentation, then as contribution to the body of knowledge, then as creation of new knowledge.

But now that I think about it, it seems that we have six knowledges to deal with:

• factual
• conceptual
• procedural
• reflexive/abstract
• behavioral
• kinesthetic

In any taxonomy of learning, all these need to be taken into account.

Fast, where does the following learned skill fall into Bloom's taxonomy?

Students will hold a pen, pencil or other sketching tool in a balanced posture that allows for the hand to move the utensil smoothly across the drawing surface.

Get the point?

Maybe it is missing from the list because it is not a significant accomplishment. (And maybe you need an artist to come over and kick you in the kneecaps. That'll learn ya.)

There is more to learning than knowledge, and a matrix that does not fit easily into a grid since these things don't always interrelate cleanly.

But now that I have fuel for the fire, I am going to try anyway.

Next time though. That is my rant for today.