“Bloomifying”
MC question: Licking a newt is a bad
idea for which of the following reasons
Steve Jurvetson CCL Attribution 2.0
Licking a newt is a bad idea for which
of the following reasons:
a) Newts are similar to cacti: they have tiny
spines on their skin.
b) A little known fact about newts is that if you
lick them, they will follow you around for one
year.
c) Newts secrete a neurotoxin called
tetrodotoxin, the same toxin found in puffer
fish.
d) Newt skin contains lead, a neurotoxin.
Disclaimer: I am a physicist, not a biologist. My apologies if I’m a little off on any of the biology!
Can we “Bloomify” it up to the Apply
Level?
Graph from the National Park Service
http://www.nps.gov/crla/naturescience/newtstoxicity.htm
Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs for Writing Learning Objectives
Lower Order Skills
I. Remember (Knowledge)
(shallow processing: drawing out
factual answers, testing recall and
recognition)
II. Understand (Comprehension)
(translating, interpreting and
extrapolating)
III. Apply
(Knowing when to apply; why to apply;
and recognizing patterns of transfer to
new situations)
arrange
choose
describe
define
find
identify
label
list
locate
match
memorize
name
order
omit
recite
recognize
relate
recall
reproduce
select
state
classify
describe
defend
demonstrate
distinguish
explain
express
extend
give example
identify
illustrate
indicate
interrelate
interpret
infer
locate
match
paraphrase
represent
restate
rewrite
select
show
summarize
tell
translate
apply
calculate
classify
construct
complete
choose
dramatize
employ
explain
generalize
illustrate
interpret
manipulate
organize
operate
paint
practice
prepare
produce
select
show
sketch
solve
translate
use
Slide courtesy of the Science Education Initiative, University of Colorado Boulder
Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs for Writing Learning Objectives
Lower Order Skills
New slide
I. Remember (Knowledge)
(shallow processing: drawing out
factual answers, testing recall and
recognition)
II. Understand (Comprehension)
(translating, interpreting and
extrapolating)
III. Apply
(Knowing when to apply; why to apply;
and recognizing patterns of transfer to
new situations)
arrange
choose
describe
define
find
identify
label
list
locate
match
memorize
name
order
omit
recite
recognize
relate
recall
reproduce
select
state
classify
describe
defend
demonstrate
distinguish
explain
express
extend
give example
identify
illustrate
indicate
interrelate
interpret
infer
locate
match
paraphrase
represent
restate
rewrite
select
show
summarize
tell
translate
apply
calculate
classify
construct
complete
choose
dramatize
employ
explain
generalize
illustrate
interpret
manipulate
organize
operate
paint
practice
prepare
produce
select
show
sketch
solve
translate
use
“Bloomified” Question
1. Examine this graph of newt
toxicity levels in four Oregon lakes.
Which of the following statements
are likely to have caused toxicity
differences between Crater Lake and
Soap Creek newts?
a) Crater Lake newts currently have
fewer predators and/or a less
abundant food supply than Soap
Creek newts
b) In the past, Crater Lake newts
had fewer predators and/or a
less abundant food supply than
Soap Creek newts
c) Both a) and b)
Seeking Feedback From Colleagues
Excerpt from an email that I received from biologist colleague Cynthia
Brame:
If you ask a more knowledgeable student, who either doesn't know the context of the
class or is a worrywort (they do pop up...), then she starts thinking things like: "We can
turn expression of enzymes on and off relatively rapidly, and do so all the time. If the
predators are secreting a pheromone, it could act as a signaling molecule in this welladapted population such that it starts expressing the enzyme that makes TTX.
Alternatively, if the presence of the higher concentration of predators is causing
increased stress and this cortisol, a downstream effect could be increased expression of
the enzyme that makes TTX. ....but maybe since the teacher is giving "whole body TTX”,
she's looking for less of a targeted effect...I wonder what she wants me to say....”
So I guess I'm saying that it is a perfectly reasonable question for a novice who doesn't
know much about other fields of biology (e.g.,genetics or endocrinology), but maybe
stickier for students who have other knowledge to bring to the table.
Could you turn it around and tell the students about different environments and ask
which newt population is likely to have the lowest TTX? the fewest copies of a TTXproducing enzyme?
Seeking Feedback From Colleagues
Excerpt from an email that I received from biologist colleague Cynthia
Brame:
If you ask a more knowledgeable student, who either doesn't know the context of the
class or is a worrywort (they do pop up...), then she starts thinking things like: "We can
turn expression of enzymes on and off relatively rapidly, and do so all the time. If the
predators are secreting a pheromone, it could act as a signaling molecule in this welladapted population such that it starts expressing the enzyme that makes TTX.
Alternatively, if the presence of the higher concentration of predators is causing
increased stress and this cortisol, a downstream effect could be increased expression of
the enzyme that makes TTX. ....but maybe since the teacher is giving "whole body TTX”,
she's looking for less of a targeted effect...I wonder what she wants me to say....”
So I guess I'm saying that it is a perfectly reasonable question for a novice who doesn't
know much about other fields of biology (e.g.,genetics or endocrinology), but maybe
stickier for students who have other knowledge to bring to the table.
Could you turn it around and tell the students about different environments and ask
which newt population is likely to have the lowest TTX? the fewest copies of a TTXproducing enzyme?
So I guess I'm saying that it is a perfectly
reasonable question for a novice who doesn't
know much about other fields of biology
(e.g.,genetics or endocrinology), but maybe
stickier for students who have other knowledge
to bring to the table.
Could you turn it around and tell the students
about different environments and ask which
newt population is likely to have the lowest TTX?
the fewest copies of a TTX-producing enzyme?
STEM Education Research Literature
Start with a Rough Draft
• Iterate
• Develop a network of peers: share questions
and provide one another with feedback
Comparing Multiple Choice Question
Responses to Open Ended Ones
Jenny Knight
Citations
• Koch, J. (2009). Science stories: Science
methods for elementary and middle school
teachers. Cengage Learning.
What Percentage of Undergraduate
Course Assessment Items are “Lower
Level” (i.e. 1,2, or 3) According to the
Paper Jenny Mentions? Roughly:
A)
B)
C)
D)
20%
50%
99%
90%
Which of these tools do you think
you’ll most likely try to use in the
future?
A) Use the bloom’s levels list of verbs
B) Find data sets in your discipline
C) Adding additional wording to traditional
textbook questions
D) None of the above