Bloom's Taxonomy and Webb's Degrees of Knowledge

In a recent conversation with some educational folks the question came up of redirecting instructional targets from Bloom’s Taxonomy to Webb’s Degrees of Knowledge. After considering the pros and cons of using one or the other, it was decided that they in fact, complement each other. I embraced this idea ad immediately begin to think about how to assess these complex outcomes.

Benjamin Bloom’ taxonomy is a sequence of learning outcomes from simple recall and understanding through layers of application, analysis, evaluation, synthesis, and creating.

Norman Webb’s Degrees of Knowledge explains 4 levels of knowledge: Recall, Skills, Strategic Thinking, and Extended Learning.

The two become complementary in relation to creativity that is at the top of Bloom’s pyramid. In Webb’s model, a student would define creativity at the recall level, find examples of creativity in the world at the skills level, explain and demonstrate how creativity has improved the world at the Strategic Thinking level, and create a new way to recycle or design for a purpose in the Extended Learning.

The greater challenge lies in assessing these. The first skill level may use the Common Core Language Arts vocabulary building standard. The second may use a peer review checklist for comparing the findings to the quality indicators of creativity, the third may combine an ELA writing standards with a presentation rubric, and the third may return to the quality indicators of creativity with a self, peer and teacher assessment rubric.

What do you think of this idea? Do you have any examples to add?