PDF For years, Bloom’s Taxonomy has been near the top of the list of college teaching advice. Recently, I wrote another article on this subject.
Note: Before you spend more than $100 on a used copy of Bloom’s original book, I encourage you to purchase Steven Banks’s book:
If you haven’t read my first article yet, it was Bloom’s Taxonomy for College Instructors. I also encourage you to check out Bloom’s Taxonomy Basics.
Questions That Assess Higher Level Learning
Let me expand on the teaching advice I provided in the other articles with some examples. Consider how you might assess your students knowledge of Aristotelian logic at each of the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. As you may know, I am not a philosophy instructor, but here is my attempt at this assignment:
Level 1 – Knowledge
What were Aristotle’s three categories of argumentative writing?
a. Ethos, Logos and Pathos
b. Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
c. Moral, Social and Legal
d. Juvenile, Adolescent and Adult
Level 2 – Comprehension
Explain Aristotle’s three categories of argumentative writing.
Level 3 – Application
Write a one paragraph persuasive argument for legalizing marijuana using the technique Aristotle labeled as Pathos.
Level 4- Analysis
Classify the following three statements (not shown here) about tobacco use as either Credible, Emotional or Logical and explain why.
Level 5 – Synthesis
Write a short article that encourages birth control for parents with more than two children. Use one type of reasoning, wither Ethos, Pathos or Logos, and explain why you chose that approach.
Level 6- Evaluation
Critique the following two arguments about gun control. Explain the approach taken by each author in terms of Aristotelian logic. Identify which argument is more persuasive and why you that is.
I hope you find these examples to be helpful college teaching advice. However, if you found my examples sufficient reason to ban me from every philosophy classroom feel free to say so. No, better yet. Construct an argument for banning me from Philosophy 101 at your college, and explain the type of reasoning you applied.
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Thank you!!!
© 2010 Paul A. Hummel, Ed.D.
Revised September 19, 2010
