Depth of Knowledge
Why Depth of Knowledge?
Why Depth of Knowledge?
• Mechanism to ensure that the intent of the
standard and the level of student demonstration
required by that standard matches the assessment
items (required under NCLB)
• Provides cognitive processing ceiling (highest level
students can be assessed) for item development
• Designed for use with assessments
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Pennsylvania
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Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
Webb’s Depth of Knowledge
Recall and Reproduction
Level 1
Skills and Concepts
Level 2
Strategic Thinking
Level 3
Extended Thinking
Level 4
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Pennsylvania
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Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
Recall and Reproduction: Level 1
•DOK 1 requires recall of information, such as a fact,
definition, term, or performance of a simple process or
procedure, as well as performing a simple algorithm or
applying a formula.
•Answering a Level 1 item can involve following a
simple, well-known procedure or formula. Simple skills
and abilities or recall characterize DOK 1.
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Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
DOK Level 1 Examples
1. Identify a diagonal in a geometric figure.
2. Define the following literary terms: plot,
resolution...
3. Who was the 1st president to be born in the US?
4. What is a mole? (Chem not Bio  )
5. Measure an angle.
Source: Kentucky Department of Education (2007). Support Materials for Core Content for
Assessment.
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Pennsylvania
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Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
Skills/Concepts: Level 2
•DOK 2 includes the engagement of some mental processing
beyond recalling or reproducing a response. Items require
students to make some decisions as to how to approach the
question or problem.
•Keywords distinguishing Level 2 may include classify, organize,
estimate, make observations, collect and display data, and
compare data.
•These actions imply more than one mental or cognitive
process/step.
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Pennsylvania
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Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
DOK Level 2 Examples
1.Compare the tragic flaws two different protagonists.
2.Compare two sets of data using the mean, median,
and mode of each set.
3.Study a list of policy ideas and determine which of
the two main political parties would favor each idea.
4.Extend a geometric pattern.
5.Organize a set of data and construct an appropriate
display.
Source: Kentucky Department of Education (2007). Support Materials for Core Content for
Assessment.
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Pennsylvania
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Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
Strategic Thinking: Level 3
•DOK 3 requires reasoning, planning, using evidence,
and more demanding cognitive reasoning. The
cognitive demands at Level 3 are complex and abstract.
•An assessment item that has more than one possible
answer and requires students to justify the response
they give would most likely be a Level 3.
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Pennsylvania
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Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
DOK Level 3 Examples
1.Solve a multiple-step problem and provide support with a
mathematical explanation that justifies the answer.
2. Create an argument, using facts and details, to determine the
best and worst presidents in U.S. history.
3.Explain how changes in the dimensions affect the area and
perimeter/circumference of geometric figures.
4.Provide a mathematical justification when a situation has more
than one outcome. Interpret information from a series of data
displays.
Source: Kentucky Department of Education (2007). Support Materials for Core Content for
Assessment.
Copyright ©2010 Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania
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Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
Extended Thinking: Level 4
•DOK 4 requires high cognitive demand and is very complex. It
requires complex reasoning, planning, developing, and thinking.
Students are expected to make connections - relate ideas within
the content or among content areas — and select or devise one
approach among many alternatives on how the situation can be
solved.
•Due to the complexity of cognitive demand, DOK 4 often
requires an extended period of time.
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Pennsylvania
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Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
Extended Reasoning/Thinking Examples: Level 4
1.Specify a problem, identify solution paths, solve the problem,
and report the results.
2.Collect data over time taking into consideration a number of
variables and analyze the results.
3.Model a social studies situation with many alternatives and
select one approach to solve with a mathematical model.
4.Develop a rule for a complex pattern and find a phenomenon
that exhibits that behavior.
5.Complete a unit on formal geometric constructions, such as
nine-point circles or the Euler line.
6.Construct a non-Euclidean geometry.
Source: Kentucky Department of Education (2007). Support Materials for Core Content for
Assessment.
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Pennsylvania
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