Encouraging higher-order thinking - LinkedIn Learning Tutorial

- There is a big difference between asking someone to understand how the heart works and asking them to do open-heart surgery. The same is true of developing and designing learning experiences. It takes a lot more than basic knowledge of the subject matter. You must consider the cognitive hierarchy of thought and understanding to determine what type of mastery you want your learners to have. And there is no better tool to guide us than Bloom's taxonomy. Dr. Benjamin Bloom created this tool to promote higher forms of thinking and education. And over 60 years later, it still works. The framework consists of six major categories. When looking at all of the categories, they start at the bottom with the simplest form of thinking and then build from there. The idea is that as you are moving the learner to this next level, you've provided a foundation of thought from the previous level. Let's take a look at each one and how they apply to best utilize LinkedIn Learning resources. The first is Remember, which is the recall of terminology, methods, and processes. At this point, you are only asked to be able to recall this information. LinkedIn Learning utilizes chapter-level quizzes on many courses to help learners recall the information they just learned. The second level is Understanding, which is the comprehension of the material or idea being communicated. The assessments in a LinkedIn Learning course again can help with the confirmation that learners understand the material through a validation of correct responses to questions. The third, Application, is the ability to relate topics to situations. We see this application when learners adapt the knowledge from a LinkedIn Learning course into their own work. As an educator, you can ask learners to apply the knowledge from a LinkedIn Learning course to a class project or a paper so you can assess their application of the knowledge. The fourth, Analysis, is the breakdown of information to look at it from different perspectives. In the implementation of LinkedIn Learning content, learners may take what they've learned from one course, say a project-based course on Revit architecture software, and use that knowledge to understand how Autodesk software works. The fifth is Evaluation, and that is the assessment of materials and methods being taught. Learners using LinkedIn Learning content may start to recognize that there are different styles of content available within the same topic, and they might seek out the content that best fits their own learning preferences. And finally, Creation. This encourages taking the base of thought and evolving it into an entirely new concept. With LinkedIn Learning, at this level, learners may create their own content and upload it to share with peers. By considering the level of cognitive hierarchy you expect from your learners, you will be able to structure your learning materials and the assessments to meet your learner's capabilities and needs. If you're only interested in learners memorizing a subject, you might just provide a recall quiz. But if you want to go in more depth with the application of a topic, you might have them do a project where they are applying their knowledge to a real-life situation. Furthermore, this determination will influence which LinkedIn Learning resources align with your teaching goals, and ultimately, the learning outcomes. When in doubt, return to the Bloom's triangle and ask, what do you want your learners to know and be able to do? I guarantee it will be a tool to use over and over again in your instructional design practice.