Pre- and Post- Questioning
It is important to know what prior knowledge students have before the lesson begins. This is not only efficient because it limits reteaching and redundancy, it also prevents classroom management issues stemming from boredom. It is also important to help teachers identify any content that may need to be retaught, or focused on. In addition to these, the teacher can be sure to teach the lesson at the current
level of the students and slightly above for challenge.
Post- questioning is important instructional and assessment tools because it allows the teacher to evaluate their own teaching methods, to find out if students understand and can apply the material, or to determine if material needs to be retaught altogether.
level of the students and slightly above for challenge.
Post- questioning is important instructional and assessment tools because it allows the teacher to evaluate their own teaching methods, to find out if students understand and can apply the material, or to determine if material needs to be retaught altogether.
Bloom's Taxonomy
The cognitive domain of Bloom's taxonomy is a set of categories classifying six levels of comprehension. Similar to the
food pyramid, this domain of Bloom's taxonomy is shown by a pyramid shape. They range from knowledge, the most simple
level of comprehension, to evaluation, the most complicated.
As the learner grows in comprehension ability, they progress up the pyramid levels. Each level builds upon the one(s) below it and progress seamlessly from one to another. These levels include: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
Knowledge is the ability to remember something. When a student can recall the date Columbus sailed the "ocean blue" he or she is demonstrating their knowledge of the subject.
Comprehension is the ability to understand what is read. At this stage, the student not only remembers facts, but can interpret them and find meaning.
Application is the ability to remember facts, understand the concept and then put it onto action. For example, when a student reads or hears a set of instructions, they must remember them and understand them in order to apply them to a task.
Analysis is the student's ability to draw conclusions from what is read. For example, if the passage states that the main character "gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white" the student could conclude that she might be scared or mad.
Synthesis is the student's ability to take what they already know, what they understand, and create something new. For example, students could read a silly, repetitive story and then try to come up with a new episode based on what they know about the story, characters, plot, etc.
Evaluation is the ability to formulate new ideas that were not in the text. For instance, if students are reading information about photosynthesis, students could conclude that trees produce oxygen that we need to be able to breathe. From this, they could suggest that planting trees could be a class project, or something everyone should do.
As the learner grows in comprehension ability, they progress up the pyramid levels. Each level builds upon the one(s) below it and progress seamlessly from one to another. These levels include: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
Knowledge is the ability to remember something. When a student can recall the date Columbus sailed the "ocean blue" he or she is demonstrating their knowledge of the subject.
Comprehension is the ability to understand what is read. At this stage, the student not only remembers facts, but can interpret them and find meaning.
Application is the ability to remember facts, understand the concept and then put it onto action. For example, when a student reads or hears a set of instructions, they must remember them and understand them in order to apply them to a task.
Analysis is the student's ability to draw conclusions from what is read. For example, if the passage states that the main character "gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white" the student could conclude that she might be scared or mad.
Synthesis is the student's ability to take what they already know, what they understand, and create something new. For example, students could read a silly, repetitive story and then try to come up with a new episode based on what they know about the story, characters, plot, etc.
Evaluation is the ability to formulate new ideas that were not in the text. For instance, if students are reading information about photosynthesis, students could conclude that trees produce oxygen that we need to be able to breathe. From this, they could suggest that planting trees could be a class project, or something everyone should do.