Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO) should be at the heart of each course. They describe exactly what the student will be able to do after taking the course. Doing is implied by an active verb. Bloom’s taxonomy of verbs provides us with a list of verbs that are sorted by cognitive domain. Below is a table with several examples of verbs. Creating is the highest cognitive domain, while remembering and understanding are lower on the scale.
Table 1: Bloom’s taxonomy of verbs
| level | Root | Active Verbs |
|---|---|---|
| highest | Creating | design, construct, plan, produce, invent, devise, .. |
| Evaluating | Hypothesize, critique, assess, judge, test, detect, ... | |
| Analysing | compare, organize, deconstruct, outline, structure, integrate, ... | |
| Applying | Implement, carry out, use, execute, calculate, ... | |
| Understanding | summarize, infer, classify, compare, explain, ... | |
| lowest | Remembering | recognize, list, describe, identify, name, ... |
When I was introduced to this table, it sparked many idea’s. Using active verbs forces the author to be precis and exact with the learning outcomes. This provides clarity to the students about what they will learn and what is expected.
It made me also reflect on the fact that engineering students will progress up the hierarchy by first remembering, understanding and applying. Then when they become more adapt they will analyse, and evaluate work. And ultimately, create novel ideas using existing knowledge.
As an engineering student, doing to all steps prior to creating is important as not to reinvent the wheel. Additionally, engineering students need to work within physical constraints of the system they are trying to work within. Without a good understanding of the physical system error may be made that are destructive. When a level of mastery is obtained in of the physical domain, students can produce innovative work. This development in some ways span their entire program, course, or module (a unit within a course).
In the final years of their program, ILO might solely include the upper cognitive domain verbs. The student is required to known which of the lower level activities to undertake to meet these higher level cognitive domain challenges. This is critical to reflect on as a teacher. As the students might have had insufficient experience with some of the lower level activities to walk them up these cognitive domains easily.
The verbs provide a useful tool to break down program, course of module ILO. For example, within a module we would like to teach the students about electric vehicles. Having them first, list the features of electric vehicles and conventional vehicles. Then compare the features between the type of vehicles. Then do efficiency and carbon emission calculations on both vehicles. Compare the results. Hypothesize a better car, then design and construct an improved version of the electric vehicle.
Each assignment is aligned with a cognitive domain and gradually moves the student to a higher cognitive domain. Due to the fact that the students start at a lower level, informed decisions are made at higher cognitive levels and the end results will be better.
An outline for a third year course might just say, create a new electric vehicle design, and imply that students walk through process this without mentioning other steps. The key is that probably first year students and second year students will need to have more explained through step-by-step procedures. In third year or later, this step-by-step procedure is not required, because the students will have prior experience from earlier course work within their program. Course prerequisite give a good indication what skills set is required of the students.
Ultimately, this list allows for a quick reference to find a cognitive required level and help construct appropriate ILO. First year and second year courses should focus on laying down a solid foundation of applying, understanding and remembering. While later years can focus on analyzing, evaluating and creating. And, ultimately build mastery of the fundamental cognitive domains.