Table 2: The Cognitive Process Dimension

Categories

& Cognitive

Processes

Alternative Names

Definitions and Examples

1. REMEMBER—Retrieve relevant knowledge from long-term memory

1.1 Recognizing

Identifying

Locating knowledge in long-term memory that is consistent with presented material (e.g., Recognize the dates of important events in United States history)

1.2 Recalling

Retrieving

Retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory (e.g., Recall the dates of important events in United States history)

2. UNDERSTAND—Construct meaning from instructional messages including oral, written, and graphic communication

2.1 Interpreting

Clarifying, paraphrasing,

representing, translating

Changing from one form of representation (e.g., numerical) to another (e.g., verbal) (e.g., Paraphrase important speeches and documents)

2.2 Exemplifying

Illustrating,

instantiating

Finding a specific example or illustration of a concept or principle (e.g., Give examples of various artistic painting styles)

2.3 Classifying

Categorizing,

subsuming

Determining that something belongs to a category (e.g., Classify observed or described cases of mental disorders)

2.4 Summarizing

Abstracting,

generalizing

Abstracting a general theme or major point(s) (e.g., Write a short summary of events portrayed on a videotape)

2.5 Inferring

Concluding, extrapolating,

interpolating, predicting

Drawing a logical conclusion from presented information (e.g., In learning a foreign language, infer grammatical principles from examples)

2.6 Comparing

Contrasting, mapping,

matching

Detecting correspondences between two ideas, objects, and the like (e.g., Compare historical events to contemporary situations)

2.7 Explaining

Constructing models

Constructing a cause-and-effect model of a system (e.g., Explain the causes of important 18th Century events in France)

3. APPLY—Carry out or use a procedure in a given situation

3.1 Executing

Carrying out

Applying a procedure to a familiar task (e.g., Divide one whole number by another whole number, both with multiple digits)

3.2 Implementing

Using

Applying a procedure to an unfamiliar task (e.g., Use Newton’s Second Law in situations in which it is appropriate)

4. ANALYZE—Break material into its constituent parts and determine how the parts relate to one                another and to an overall structure or purpose

4.1 Differentiating

Discriminating, distinguishing,

focusing, selecting

Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant parts or important from unimportant parts of presented material (e.g., Distinguish between relevant and irrelevant numbers in a mathematical word problem)

4.2 Organizing

Finding coherence,

integrating, outlining,

parsing, structuring

Determining how elements fit or function within a structure (e.g., Structure evidence in a historical description into evidence for and against a particular historical explanation)

4.3 Attributing

Deconstructing

Determine a point of view, bias, values, or intent underlying presented material (e.g., Determine the point of view of the author of an essay in terms of his or her political perspective)

5. EVALUATE—Make judgments based on criteria and standards

5.1 Checking

Coordinating, detecting,

monitoring, testing

Detecting inconsistencies or fallacies within a process or product; determining whether a process or product has internal consistency; detecting the effectiveness of a procedure as it is being implemented (e.g., Determine if a scientist’s conclusions follow from observed data)

5.2 Critiquing

Judging

Detecting inconsistencies between a product and external criteria, determining whether a product has external consistency; detecting the appropriateness of a procedure for a given problem (e.g., Judge which of two methods is the best way to solve a given problem)

6. CREATE—Put elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganize elements into a new pattern or structure

6.1 Generating

Hypothesizing

Coming up with alternative hypotheses based on criteria (e.g., Generate hypotheses to account for an observed phenomenon)

6.2 Planning

Designing

Devising a procedure for accomplishing some task (e.g., Plan a research paper on a given historical topic)

6.3 Producing

Constructing

Inventing a product (e.g., Build habitats for a specific purpose)