Instructional design/Learning objectives/Cognitive Domain Verb Usage

Verbs Used in the Cognitive Domain
Here is a brief description of each level of Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitve Domain which includes a short list of cognitive action verbs, a performance phrase, and a measurement strategy. The external links at the end provide access to more information concerning verbs for each cognitive domain.

Knowledge
Knowledge is the lowest level in the cognitive domain. It involves the recall or remembering of information that was previously learned. The information could be a fact, concept, procedure, or principle.

Comprehension
Comprehension is defined as the ability to grasp the meaning of material. This may be shown by translating material from one form to another (words to numbers), by interpreting material (explaining or summarizing), and by estimating future trends (predicting consequences or effects).

Application
Application refers to the ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations. This may include the application of such things as rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws, and theories. Learning outcomes in this area require a higher level of understanding than those under comprehension.

Practice and Feedback
Now let's practice identifying verbs for the knowledge, comprehension, and application levels of the cognitive domain. Choose the correct answer for each question below by clicking a box. At the end, click the Submit button for the correct answers.

{Which of the following is a performance verb for knowledge? + Name - Examine - Validate - Compose
 * type="[]"}

{Which of the following is a performance verb for comprehension? - Choose - Create - Diagnose + Explain
 * type="[]"}

{Which of the following is a performance verb for application? + Demonstrate - Test - Write - Match
 * type="[]"}

References and Writing Aids
Two tables that may be used as writing aids for learning objectives. They contain Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain with several performance verbs.

(1) Bloom's Cognitive Domain and Action Verbs

(2) [[media:Table_of_Cognitive_Verbs.pdf|Table of Cognitive Verbs]]

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