Learning Design Toolkit
Learning Design Reference

Bloom's Taxonomy
Visual Guide

Explore all six levels of Bloom's revised taxonomy — with plain-language explanations, verb banks, and real-world objective examples.

Click any level to explore it

Create Level 6
Evaluate Level 5
Analyse Level 4
Apply Level 3
Understand Level 2
Remember Level 1

↑ Higher order thinking  ·  Lower order thinking ↓

Remember
Understand
Apply
Analyse
Evaluate
Create
Level 1 — Foundation
Remember
Recalling facts, terms, concepts, or procedures from memory.
The key question: "Can they recall it?"
In plain language

This is the most basic level of learning — it's about whether learners can pull something from memory when asked. Think of it as the foundation everything else is built on. You can't apply what you can't recall.

Training at this level focuses on recognition and retrieval: names, definitions, steps in a sequence, policies, formulas, dates. It's often underestimated, but getting this right is genuinely important — especially in safety, compliance, and technical contexts where recall under pressure matters.

Verb bank
definelistname recallidentifystate labelmatchrecognize reproduceselectoutline
When to aim here
✓New employees learning policies or procedures
✓Safety training where specific steps must be memorized
✓Compliance training with regulatory requirements
✓Any foundation-level knowledge before moving to application
Example objective
Example
Given a list of workplace hazard scenarios, you will identify the correct PPE required for each situation, naming at least 4 of 5 scenarios correctly, as evaluated by the trainer using an observation checklist.
Level 2
Understand
Making meaning from information — explaining, interpreting, and putting things in your own words.
The key question: "Can they explain it?"
In plain language

Understanding goes beyond memorization. A learner who understands can explain a concept to someone else, recognize examples they haven't seen before, or connect a new idea to something they already know.

This level is where a lot of training stalls — learners can recite a definition but can't explain what it actually means in practice. If you want more than surface knowledge, you need to design activities that require learners to interpret, paraphrase, and make connections.

Verb bank
explaindescribesummarize interpretclassifyparaphrase comparecontrastdiscuss illustratepredicttranslate
When to aim here
✓Concepts that learners need to explain to others
✓When learners need to recognize examples in varied contexts
✓Introduction of complex theories before application
✓Communication and customer service training
Example objective
Example
Given a case study and discussion, you will explain the difference between active and passive listening in your own words, providing at least two concrete examples of each, as evaluated by a peer using a response rubric.
Level 3
Apply
Using knowledge and skills in new situations — executing procedures, solving problems, demonstrating techniques.
The key question: "Can they use it?"
In plain language

Application is the bridge between knowing and doing. At this level, learners take what they've understood and put it to work in a new context — a scenario, a simulation, a real task. This is where training starts to have direct practical payoff.

Most workplace training should be aiming for at least this level. If a learner can only recall or explain a procedure but can't actually carry it out when it matters, the training hasn't done its job.

Verb bank
applyusedemonstrate implementexecuteconduct performsolveoperate completeproducecarry out
When to aim here
✓Skills that must be performed on the job
✓Scenarios or simulations that mirror real work conditions
✓Any training where "doing it right" is the standard
✓Software, equipment, or process training
Example objective
Example
Given a role-play scenario and feedback, you will conduct a performance conversation with a simulated employee, using the four-step framework covered in the workshop, as evaluated by the facilitator using a conversation checklist.
Level 4 — Higher Order
Analyse
Breaking information into parts, finding patterns, distinguishing relevant from irrelevant, and examining relationships.
The key question: "Can they take it apart?"
In plain language

Analysis is where learning starts to get genuinely sophisticated. Learners aren't just applying a formula — they're examining how things work, why they work that way, and what matters. They can distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information, identify assumptions, and recognize patterns.

This level is especially valuable when learners face ambiguous or complex problems where there's no single right answer — they need to think critically, not just follow steps.

Verb bank
analyseexaminedifferentiate distinguishbreak downcompare contrastdeconstructinvestigate prioritizeattributeinfer
When to aim here
✓Problem-solving and diagnostic training
✓Leadership and management development
✓Roles that require interpreting data or complex situations
✓Training where judgment and nuance are the goal
Example objective
Example
Given a set of case studies and facilitated discussion, you will analyse three performance management scenarios to differentiate between a coaching issue and a conduct issue, identifying the key indicators in each case, as evaluated by the facilitator using a discussion rubric.
Level 5 — Higher Order
Evaluate
Making judgments based on criteria — assessing quality, validity, effectiveness, or appropriateness.
The key question: "Can they judge it?"
In plain language

Evaluation requires learners to make and justify judgments. Not just "is this good or bad?" but "good or bad according to what criteria, and why?" This level asks learners to assess quality, weigh trade-offs, defend a position, or critique an approach.

It's often confused with analysis, but the key difference is that evaluation involves a judgment call — a verdict with reasoning.

Verb bank
evaluateassessjudge critiquejustifydefend recommendargueappraise prioritizeselectrate
When to aim here
✓Senior leadership or expert-level development
✓Roles that require recommending or approving decisions
✓Training that includes peer or self-assessment
✓Program evaluation and quality improvement roles
Example objective
Example
Given a sample training program and an evaluation rubric, you will assess the program's alignment with experiential learning principles, justifying your rating for each criterion with specific evidence from the program design, as evaluated by yourself using a program evaluation checklist.
Level 6 — Highest Order
Create
Putting elements together to form a new, coherent whole — designing, constructing, planning, or producing something original.
The key question: "Can they build something new?"
In plain language

Creation is the highest level of Bloom's — and the most demanding. Learners aren't working with existing material; they're generating something new: a plan, a design, a product, a proposal. This requires drawing on all lower levels simultaneously.

Don't mistake "create" for "creative." A learner who writes a step-by-step onboarding plan, designs a training module, or constructs a project proposal is working at this level — even if the output is highly structured.

Verb bank
designcreatedevelop constructproducebuild writeplandraft formulategeneratecompose
When to aim here
✓Training designers and facilitators building their own programs
✓Advanced professional development with a capstone project
✓Roles that involve strategic planning or program design
✓When the learning outcome IS the product
Example objective
Example
Given readings, templates, case studies, practice, and feedback, you will design a learning objective for a workshop in your own context, meeting all four standards of the objective-writing framework, as evaluated by yourself using the objective-writing checklist.

Based on Anderson & Krathwohl's revised Bloom's Taxonomy (2001) · For use in the Experiential Learning Design workshop

Learning Design Tool

What Bloom's Level
Should I Target?

Answer four questions about your training context and we'll recommend the right level — with verbs and an example objective.

Question 1 of 4
1
About your learners

What best describes your learners' starting point with this topic?

Think about where they are right now — before your training begins.

Complete beginnersThey have little or no prior knowledge of this topic. It's largely new territory.
Some familiarityThey've been exposed to the topic — they know the basics but haven't applied it much.
Experienced practitionersThey already do this work. The training is about deepening, refining, or extending what they know.
2
The real-world outcome

After training, what do you most want learners to be able to do?

Choose the option that best fits your learning goal — even if it's not a perfect match.

Think about what success looks like on the job, not just in the workshop.
Know and recall key informationPolicies, definitions, steps, terms — things they need to remember and retrieve reliably.
Understand and explain conceptsThey need to grasp the "why" and be able to explain it to others in their own words.
Use a skill or procedure on the jobThere's a task they need to actually perform — an interview, a technique, a process.
Analyse situations and make sense of complexityThey face situations with no obvious right answer — they need to examine, compare, or figure things out.
Make judgments and recommendationsThey need to assess quality, weigh options, defend a position, or advise others.
Design or produce something newThe output IS the learning — a plan, a design, a proposal, a program, a product.
3
The nature of the task

How complex or ambiguous is the task your learners will face?

This helps us confirm the right level — some tasks seem complex but are actually straightforward to execute.

Clear and well-definedThere's a right answer or correct procedure. Success is relatively easy to recognize.
Situational — depends on contextThe right approach shifts depending on circumstances. Learners need to read the situation and adapt.
Complex — requires judgment and synthesisThere are competing priorities, unclear information, or no obvious right answer.
4
Your training context

How much time and practice opportunity does your training allow?

Higher levels of Bloom's require more time — this helps us give you a realistic recommendation.

Short session (1–3 hours)Limited time. We need to be realistic about what's achievable.
Half or full dayEnough time for some practice, discussion, and feedback.
Multi-day or ongoing programPlenty of time for practice, iteration, coaching, and deeper learning.
Instructional Design Tool

Learning Objective Builder

Step through all four components to craft a complete, well-structured learning objective.

1
Conditions
2
Performance
3
Standards
4
Evaluator
📋
Step 1 of 4

Conditions

Select the teaching & learning methods, then arrange them in the order they will occur.

Selected methods (in order):
None selected yet

Click chips above to reorder by removing and re-selecting.

🎯
Step 2 of 4

Performance

Choose a Bloom's level, select an action verb, then describe the skill or task.

Describe what the learner will do — be specific.

📐
Step 3 of 4

Standards

Select one or more measurable success criteria and fill in the details.

👁️
Step 4 of 4

Evaluator

Who will assess the learner's performance?

✦

Your Learning Objective

Conditions
Performance
Standards
Evaluator
Select all text below and press Ctrl+C / Cmd+C to copy plain text:
© 2026 McEachern & Associates Consulting Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2026 Alison McEachern · McEachern & Associates Consulting Inc. · amlearning.ca · All rights reserved.