Blooms Research and Response Essay

A psychologist in the early 1950’s by the name of Benjamin Bloom developed Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. This was developed as a tool for educators to classify learning objectives and skills for students (Larkin & Burton, 2008). This taxonomy has been used extensively by the health field, including nursing, to structure teaching plans and outcome testing. Blooms Taxonomy, consists of a hierarchy within 3 different domains of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor (Larkin & Burton, 2008). According to the taxonomy there are several subcategories within the cognitive domain. The lowest aspect in the hierarchy for the cognitive domain is knowledge. One is expected to retrieve information from long-term memory. Using this in nursing would be the patient being able to recognize medication side effects associated with their medication regimen. Advancing up the pyramid is comprehension. This is when one is expected to construct meaning from oral, written, or graphic information. Using this in nursing the patient would be able to explain the importance of having clean hands while doing central line flushing. Application is next. The patient should be able to apply concepts to real-life situations. For example, the patient should be able to calculate a resting heart rate. The highest level in the cognitive domain is the evaluation. A nurse would be able to modify concepts to create an individual teaching plan to fit the particular patient situation. The nurse would be able to modify daily exercise regime to meet health goals. The second domain of learning is the affective domain. This domain centers around how people deal emotionally: including values, motivations, and attitudes. Receiving is at the bottom of the hierarchy. The nurse must be attentive to and aware of the opportunity for learning. A prime example of using this skill in nursing, the nurse will help the patient realized need for change in their lifestyle decision making. Near the top of the pyramid is organizing and conceptualizing, being able to organize values thru prioritization and through contrasting differing values. Examples for using this in nursing are being able to teach the patient to prioritize daily responsibilities to allow for time and stress management. The top of the pyramid in this domain is value concept; a value system that explains their behavior. When applying this to nursing the patient will be able to sustain healthy choices over time. The third domain in Blooms Taxonomy of Education is the psychomotor domain; how people use motor skills to complete or engage in a task. Imitation is the ability to imitate motor activity. Applying imitation to nursing the patient would be able to detect the proper site for blood glucose testing. Manipulation is next; where the patient follows instructions. A patient can assemble equipment for glucose testing. Naturalization is at the top of the psychomotor domain. The patient will have the necessary skills to complete the task without thinking about it. Using this in nursing the patient will be able to progress to unassisted mobility following orthopedic surgery through the use of exercise and physical therapy. Bloom’s Taxonomy is easy to understand and makes a logical progression from fundamental learning to complex. Using this taxonomy in the nursing teaching process can have long-lasting effects on improving the nursing practice (Larkin & Burton, 2008). References Anderson, L.W., Krathwohl, D.R., Airasian, P.W., et al. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York. Addison Wessly Longman. Bloom, B., ed. (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York. Longman Krathwohl, D.R., Bloom, B.S., & Masia, B.B.,(1973). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the classification of educational goals. Handbook II: Affective domain. New York: David McKay CO., Inc. Larkin, B. G., & Burton, K. J. (2008). Evaluating a case study using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education. AORN Journal , 88(3), 390. Simpson E.J., (1972). The classification of educational objectives in psychomotor domain. Washington D.C., Gyphon House.