Taxonomies of Learning

What is a taxonomy?
Taxonomies are classifications that organize or group concepts for better study and understanding. An educational taxonomy is a way to classify levels of thinking and knowing or to demonstrate a progression from concrete thinking to complex analysis.

Why are they helpful?
According to educator Benjamin Bloom, we create and use taxonomies for many reasons. They:

• Facilitate communication
• Ensure accuracy of communication
• Define vague terms
• Specify objectives
• Clarify goals and outcomes
• Clarify relationships between learning goals
• Allow for comparison and understanding between educators
• Allow for comparison and understanding between, curriculum, goals, and outcomes
• Aid in building curriculum

The following are abstracts representing 4 prominent educational taxonomies.

• Bloom
• Perry
• King/Kitchner
• Belenky