Use this table to design or revise discussion prompts by matching your prompt to a specific level of thinking. It organizes Bloom’s cognitive levels and pairs each level with aligned action verbs, instructional goals, and sample prompts. Together, these elements help you ensure your questions and assignments are intentionally matched to the kind of thinking you want students to demonstrate.
You can use this table as an aid when writing, revising, or conducting quick checks of current discussion boards.
| Bloom’s level | Action verbs | Goal | Discussion prompts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remember | define, describe, identify, list, recall, recognize | Ensure students can recall key concepts and information | Identify the key components of ___. Why are they important? Describe ___ in your own words. What are the main ideas presented in ___? |
| Understand | explain, summarize, interpret, compare, classify, infer | Help students explain ideas and demonstrate comprehension | Summarize the main argument of ___. Compare ___ and ___. What stands out as most significant? Explain why ___ occurs. What does ___ mean in your own words? |
| Apply | apply, use, demonstrate, solve, implement, relate, choose | Enable students to use concepts in practical or real-world situations | How would you apply ___ to a real-world situation? Given this scenario, what would you do and why? How does ___ relate to your own experience or field? Which approach would you use to address ___? |
| Analyze | analyze, differentiate, examine, compare, contrast, categorize, investigate | Encourage students to break down ideas and examine relationships | What factors contribute to ___? How do ___ and ___ differ in their impact? What is the relationship between ___ and ___? Why does ___ happen? What are the underlying causes? |
| Evaluate | evaluate, critique, defend, justify, prioritize, recommend, judge | Ask students to make judgments and support their reasoning | Which option is most effective and why? Do you agree or disagree with ___? Defend your position. What criteria would you use to evaluate ___? Which solution would you recommend and why? |
| Create | create, design, develop, construct, propose, modify, formulate | Support students in generating new ideas or solutions | Design a solution to address ___. Propose an alternative approach to ___. How would you improve or modify ___? Develop your own example that illustrates ___. |
References
- Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of educational objectives. Longman.
