Most educators are familiar with Bloom’s taxonomy – we all studied this learning and thinking framework in our initial training courses, and have regularly referred to Bloom throughout our careers when planning learning activities.
A more recent derivation / extension of Bloom’s thinking levels has been coined Depth of Knowledge or DOK, attributed to Norman Webb.
We can all reflect on our classroom activities, and think about where these activities might fit in the ‘levels’ below (as interpreted by Alice Keeler)…
Level 1 – Memorize
- Follow steps
- Memorize facts
- Everyone has the same answer
- Follow steps
- Complete a worksheet
- Recreate something
Level 2 – Thinking
- Write summaries
- Compare data
- Use context clues
- Describe and explain
Level 3 – Critical Thinking
- Make and refute claims
- Explain thought processes
- Include research
- Justify solutions
Level 4 – New Thinking
- Original ideas and application
- Apply to new situation
- Invent something
Here is Alice Keeler’s interpretation of the more complicated DOK chart…
