This resource is designed to help you write clear, measurable, and aligned learning outcomes for online courses across disciplines. Whether you are developing a new course or revising an existing one, you can use this guide to select precise action verbs that reflect what students should be able to demonstrate by the end of a course, module, or activity.
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a widely used framework for categorizing levels of cognitive learning. It organizes cognitive skills into six levels: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Each level moves from foundational knowledge to more complex and abstract thinking. Bloom’s is often used as design tool, helping you intentionally select the level of cognitive demand that best fits you course goals and disciplinary context and identify related actionable verbs that inspire assessment.
Bloom’s verb bank
Use one primary measurable verb per outcome, and make sure the assessment actually lets students demonstrate that verb.
If the verb is evaluate, for example, students usually need to justify a judgment, critique a case, or defend a recommendation rather than simply recognize the right answer on a low-level quiz.
Use when students need to retrieve, recognize, or recall information, terminology, facts, formulas, steps, or definitions.
Suggested verbs
cite, define, describe, enumerate, identify, label, list, locate, match, name, outline, quote, recall, recite, recognize, record, repeat, reproduce, select, state, tabulate, tell, write.
Use when students need to explain meaning, classify ideas, summarize information, interpret examples, or restate ideas in their own words.
Suggested verbs
classify, compare, contrast, describe, discuss, explain, express, generalize, give examples, group, infer, interpret, paraphrase, predict, rephrase, restate, rewrite, sort, summarize, translate.
Use when students need to carry out a procedure, use a method, solve a problem, or transfer knowledge to a new situation.
Suggested verbs
administer, apply, calculate, change, complete, compute, configure, construct, demonstrate, employ, execute, implement, manipulate, model, operate, operationalize, perform, practice, prepare, retrieve, run, sketch, solve, use, utilize.
Use when students need to break material into parts, examine relationships, organize evidence, detect patterns, or distinguish relevant from irrelevant information.
Suggested verbs
analyze, annotate, appraise, articulate, break down, categorize, classify, compare, contrast, contextualize, correlate, deconstruct, differentiate, diagram, discriminate, distinguish, examine, inspect, interrogate, investigate, map, organize, question, relate, separate, subdivide, test.
Use when students need to make and justify judgments using criteria, evidence, standards, or disciplinary frameworks.
Suggested verbs
appraise, argue, assess, audit, choose, critique, defend, determine, estimate, evaluate, judge, justify, measure, prioritize, rank, rate, recommend, select, support, validate, verify, weigh.
Use when students need to generate, design, assemble, invent, or produce something original or newly organized.
Suggested verbs
adapt, architect, assemble, author, build, combine, compile, compose, construct, create, curate, design, develop, devise, formulate, generate, illustrate, improve, integrate, invent, modify, orchestrate, originate, plan, produce, propose, prototype, reorganize, revise, simulate, synthesize, visualize, write.
Verbs to avoid: understand, know, learn
These verbs describe internal mental states, not observable student performance. For learning outcomes, your goal is to name what students will do to demonstrate learning, because measurable verbs make assessment and course alignment much clearer. In online courses, this matters even more because objectives should align to visible evidence in the LMS: assessments, activities, materials, and technologies that show whether students achieved the outcome.
References
- Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. (Google Books)
- Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. (Center for Teaching Innovation)
- California Institute of Technology, Center for Teaching, Learning, and Outreach. Writing learning objectives. (CTLO)
- Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation. Bloom’s taxonomy. (Center for Teaching Innovation)
- Indiana University Bloomington, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Developing learning outcomes. (Innovative Teaching Center)
- Iowa State University, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. Bloom’s taxonomy. (CELT)
- Kansas State University, Office of Data, Assessment and Institutional Research. Action verbs for student learning outcomes by Bloom’s level. (Kansas State University)
- Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An overview.
- Quality Matters. Higher Ed. Bridge to Quality Guide, Basic Edition. (qualitymatters.org)
- The Ohio State University, Teaching and Learning Resource Center. Sample Bloom’s verbs. (Teaching and Learning Resource Center)
- University of Arkansas, TIPS. Using Bloom’s taxonomy to write effective learning objectives and Bloom’s taxonomy verb chart. (TeachInnovate)
- University of South Carolina, Center for Teaching Excellence. Action verbs for creating measurable learning outcomes.
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Teaching & Learning Innovation. Student learning outcomes (SLOs). (Teaching & Learning Innovation)
- University of Utah, Center for Teaching Excellence. Bloom’s taxonomy. (Center for Teaching Excellence)
- University of Washington, Teaching@UW. Learning outcomes. (Teaching@UW)
