Toward Teaching at Higher Levels of Cognition

NACTA Journal, Jun 2005 by Newcomb, L H, Trefz, Marilyn K

How should one measure the effectiveness of a collegiate academic program? What qualities should an effective program possess? Bloom, Madaus, and Hastings (1981) stated that "education is a process of change; students must be changed in some way through the instruction they receive." College academic programs seek to "change" students by developing and enhancing abilities required in a professional career. Such required abilities include: (1) the ability to communicate intelligently and effectively; (2) the ability to think and perform independently; (3) the ability to evalute existing products and ideas and create new ones; and (4) the ability to transfer and apply curriculum based knowledge to career-based situations.

In an effort to help students develop the types of abilities that will be demanded in their careers, professors need to examine the purpose of their instruction and ask themselves the following questions:

1. To what extent is our system of educating students effective in providing them with not only information, but also experiences in using that information in situations similar to those they will encounter in their careers?

2. To what extent does instruction focus on what and how much information students learn compared to how it is actually being learned and how it will be used?

3. What opportunity is provided for students to think independently, to create new solutions to old problems, or foresee potential problems and seek solutions?

Professors share in the responsibility for student learning and need to take steps to ensure their adequate preparation for careers. If all students can do is repeat back to the professor information that has been given to them, then not much instruction of an enduring nature has taken place. Many students make the mistake of assuming they have "learned" adequately if the information seems to make sense as they read it in a textbook or hear it in a lecture. Ii experiences are not provided through coursework enabling students to use and internalize such information, they may be unaware of their abilities to do so until it is too late - when they are confronted with a career situation that requires such behavior (Bransford and Stein, 1984).

To gain a sense of the effectiveness of education in preparing students for career demands, it is necessary to look at the specific types of positions being filled by new graduates of agricultural colleges. Are there certain requisite abilities common to most or all of these positions (e.g., critical thinking skills, decision making skills, creative thinking skills, etc.)? Once such abilities are identified, it is necessary to relate them to the classroom. Are class discussions, student assignments, and examinations promoting the development and enhancement of these abilities? If not, further study and action is needed.

Development of a system of classifying activities and behaviors in the classroom could simplify the faculty member's task of determining his/her ability to prepare students for careers. Many researchers have developed ways to categorize learning behaviors. One of the most popular and widely-used approaches of such a classification system is the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Cognitive Domain, developed by Bloom, Englehart, Furst, and Krathwohl in 1956.

Categorizing Learning Behaviors

In developing the Taxonomy, the various behaviors associated with learning were examined and grouped into hierarchical levels. These levels ranged from the simplest to the most complex learning behaviors. Each level of behavior was designed to serve as a prerequisite and a basis for the next higher level.

The original hierarchy developed by Bloom et al. (1956) consisted of six levels of behavior - knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. For the purposes of simplifying the differences between these levels, the six levels have been restructured into four levels (Newcomb and Trefz, 1987). A brief description of these levels follows.

Levels of Learning

Remembering is the simplest of the cognitive levels, involving the memorization, recall, and identification of facts. The ability to recall many types of information is involved at this level, ranging from simple, specific facts to more complex concepts and abstract theories.

It is important to note that at the remembering level, all emphasis is placed on the mere recall of information; no understanding of the concepts or principles of the information is required or assumed.

Providing this background of facts, dates, theories, etc. is essential for the student beginning to learn new subject matter. Avoidance of such fundamental instruction would depive students of a point of reference or foundation for further learning.

However, when educators fail to elaborate on such facts or do not assist students with developing a deeper understanding that will enable them to apply their knowledge in new and challenging situations, the full potential of education cannot be realized. The mere knowledge of facts is not a sufficient goal in education. Only when students can make the transition from the curriculum to the career and can express their knowledge in ways relevant to the situations facing them has their education been truly beneficial to their professional growth and development.