Module 2.2 Bloom's Taxonomy, Gagne's Events of Instruction & Inquiry Based Learning

Bloom's Taxonomy

In 1956 Benjamin Bloom headed a group of educational psychologists who developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important in learning. This became a taxonomy.

Bloom identified six levels within the cognitive domain, from the simple recall or recognition of facts, as the lowest level, through increasingly more complex and abstract mental levels, to the highest order which is classified as evaluation. Verb examples that represent intellectual activity on each level are listed here.

  • Knowledge: arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name, order, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce state.
  • Comprehension: classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, identify, indicate, locate, recognize, report, restate, review, select, translate.
  • Application: apply, choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write.
  • Analysis: analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test.
  • Synthesis: arrange, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, manage, organize, plan, prepare, propose, set up, write.
  • Evaluation: appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose compare, defend estimate, judge, predict, rate, core, select, support, value, evaluate.
  • http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm
    useful verbs, sample questions, sample activities

 

Gagne's Events of Instruction

Cognitive psychologist Robert Gagne has suggested that well thought out instruction follows these nine events or conditions for learning:

(1) gaining attention (reception)

(2) informing learners of the objective (expectancy)

(3) stimulating recall of prior learning (retrieval)

(4) presenting the stimulus (selective perception)

(5) providing learning guidance (semantic encoding)

(6) eliciting performance (responding)

(7) providing feedback (reinforcement)

(8) assessing performance (retrieval)

(9) enhancing retention and transfer (generalization)

Task: Robert Gagne's Events of Instruction

To what extent to you agree with these nine events of instruction? Do you find that your instructional practice follows this pattern? Take a look at this Web site:

http://ide.ed.psu.edu/idde/9events.htm

Explore the site by clicking on each condition for learning with your partner or critical friend.   As you do this consider the project you are planning. How will you make sure that all these conditions for learning are met as your students do their projects?    When you are finished log in to My eCoach and go to the Events of Instruction Discussion Board and respond to the question: How will making sure that Gagne's Events of Instruction (Conditions for Learning) are met strengthen student learning for my project?

As you build the timeline (Activities) for your project make sure you are meeting Gagne's nine conditions for learning. Follow the example of the Project Activity Timeline template in the table below.

 

Project Activity Timeline Template

Pre-Production

Stage I: Inquire

The Inquire stage has two steps: Engage Learners and Build Inquiry. In these steps, teachers design activities that “hook” the students, introduces the project topic and essential question, and has the students generating questions that help answer the essential question.
Gagne's Events of Instruction Inquiry Based Learning Project Activities

(1) gaining attention (reception)

(2) informing learners of the objective (expectancy)

(3) stimulating recall of prior learning (retrieval)

Activity 1: Engage Learners

  Student performance tasks:

  • Introduced to the topic
  • Discuss the essential question
  • Connect to prior knowledge
 
(4) presenting the stimulus (selective perception)

Activity 2: Build Inquiry

  Student performance tasks:

  • Develop probing questions that help answer the essential question (questions that point to specific information)
  • Develop leading questions (students provide their own interpretation of facts)
  • Write a plan for research
 

Stage 2: Investigate

This is where the research begins. Students collect data or information and start to put the research process into practice. This is also where students organize and analyze their research.

(5) providing learning guidance (semantic encoding)

(6) eliciting performance (responding)

(7) providing feedback (reinforcement)

Activity 3: Research Topic Student performance tasks:

  • Research topic and collect data using a variety of resources (including Internet and print resources)
 

Activity 4: Analyze Findings

  Student performance tasks:

  • Organize, cite, and analyze findings and check for validity.
  • Discuss and model how to check the reliability of sources and the importance of having multiple sources of information.
  • Discuss and model how to cite sources correctly
 

Stage 3: Synthesize

In the Synthesize stage, students summarize what they have found and create a product that translates their findings.

(5) providing learning guidance (semantic encoding)

(6) eliciting performance (responding)

(7) providing feedback (reinforcement)

Activity 5: Summarize Findings Student performance tasks:

  • Re-examine findings and summarize ideas and form a conclusion
 

 

Production

(5) providing learning guidance (semantic encoding)

(6) eliciting performance (responding)

(7) providing feedback (reinforcement)

Activity 6: Produce Final Product

  Student performance tasks:

  • Decide on and create a medium/product that communicates and translates findings
 

 

Post-Production

Stage 4: Understand

Students present and defend their findings, and reflect and evaluate their work in the Understand Stage. The ILU approach expects students to also engage in extension activities where they can apply their new knowledge and take what they have learned a step further.

(8) assessing performance (retrieval)

(9) enhancing retention and transfer (generalization)

Activity 7: Present and Defend

Student performance tasks:

  • Present and defend research findings to an audience
 

Activity 8: Reflect
Student performance tasks:

  • Reflect on learning experience
  • If students worked in a group, they reflect on how they functioned in the group. If they worked individually, they reflect on their process, how it worked and how they could improve on it next time
  

Activity 9: Extend Thinking

Student performance tasks:

  • Extend thinking to further understanding (i.e. apply new knowledge in new situation)
 

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Inquiry-Based Learning

An old adage states: "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." The last part of this statement is the essence of inquiry-based learning. Inquiry implies involvement that leads to understanding. Furthermore, involvement in learning implies possessing skills and attitudes that permit students to seek resolutions to questions and issues while they construct new knowledge.

Based on John Dewey’s philosophy that education begins with the curiosity of the learner, inquiry-based learning is one of the most important teaching practices used today in the classroom. With the inquiry method of instruction, students arrive at an understanding of concepts by themselves and the responsibility for learning rests with them.

Students can take more responsibility for:

  • Determining what they need to learn
  • Identifying resources and how best to learn from them
  • Using resources and reporting their learning
  • Assessing their progress in learning

Task: Reflection on Inquiry-Based Learning

Project-based learning is strengthened through inquiry based learning.   Take a look at DalesCone of Experience at http://www.inquiry2u.org/rationale.html .   Take time to reflect on these questions:

  • To what extent does the project you are planning require students to use higher order thinking skills?  
  • To what extent will your project allow students to retain 90% of what they will learn as a result of doing this project?
  • How can you assure the project you are planning prepare them for the standardized tests they must take?

Now click on the Design Process link. Notice the four stages and the nine activities that are involved in inquiry based learning. How might you utilize these four stages and nine activities in your project?