BLOOMS TAXONOMY
Understanding Dr Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning will help you understand the different levels of learning, so that you can consciously progress from one to the other.
Learning starts with remembering. This occurs when you memorise a poem, recall the nine provinces of South Africa, or remember mathematical formulas.
The second level is understanding. For example, understanding takes place when you organise the animal kingdom based on a given framework, illustrate the difference between a rectangle and a square, or summarise the plot of a story.
The third level is applying your knowledge. Application takes place when you use a formula to solve a problem, select a design to meet a purpose, or work out how a new law would progress through a government system.
On the fourth level you will be analysing information and knowledge. You may identify different elements of democracy, explain how the steps of a scientific process work together, or identify why a machine isn’t working.
The fifth level is evaluation. Now you may have to make a judgement regarding an ethical dilemma, interpret the significance of a law of physics, or illustrate the relative value of a certain kind of technology in farming.
The sixth and final level is creation. This is when you design a new solution to an “old” problem, write a persuasive essay that draws on different sources, or write a poem on a given theme.
Keep this framework in mind when you are studying and be aware that your teachers will assess your skill and ability on the different levels.
FOCUSED AND DIFFUSE THINKING
Learning anything new has an effect on your brain, creating new pathways and new connections. It is one of the most important things you can do as a human being.
Barbara Oakley, an engineering professor who failed maths at school, and who has made it her life’s focus to understand how we learn, explains that your brain is complex. It has two fundamental modes of functioning: focused and diffuse.
Focused brain function is what we usually define as studying. You really concentrate on the matter at hand, giving your full attention to understand and solve the problem. You zoom in and do not allow distractions.
Diffuse thinking embraces distractions. You let your mind wander freely and allow all kinds of crazy connections. Diffuse thinking usually happens when you are away from your desk when you go for a walk, or take a shower, talk to friends, or just daydream. You are well advised to go into diffuse thinking mode when you cannot crack a problem. You might see the solution while you are not really looking!
Spending all your time in diffuse mode won’t do. It is the interaction between the two modes that is required to master the art of effective study. Think of a flashlight: you can concentrate the beam to have a bright light illuminating a small area; or have a more diffuse beam casting a dimmer light on a wider area. The brain can concentrate on the details better if it has also seen the bigger picture