LEVELS OF THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN AND EXAMPLES

OF OBJECTIVES AND VERBS for SAMPLES OF BEHAVIOR

Level of Learning	Sample of Lesson Objectives	Illustration Verbs For Samples of Behavior
EVALUATION is the ability to judge the value of material presented in a lesson. The evaluation is concerned with the materials accuracy, appropriateness, or applicability for a given situation. Lesson objectives in this area are the highest and thus most difficult to obtain in the cognitive domain. Achievement of evaluation objectives indicates mastery of all lower levels in the cognitive domain.	To evaluate the ability of ….	Appraise, compare, conclude, contrast, criticize, deduce, describe, discriminate, distinguish, explain, interpret, infer, relate, summarize, and support.
SYNTHESIS is the ability to put together to form a new whole entity. This means after completing the analysis, the student can create new entities by putting the synthesis level stress creative behaviors, with verbs for SBs focused on this creative action.	To synthesize the various theories with ….	Alter, arrange, categorize, change, chart, combine, complete, compile, compose, create, design, devise, develop, design, explain, generate, generalize, modify, organize, plan, rearrange, reconstruct, relate, reorganize, revise, rewrite, systematize, summarize tell, write.
APPLICATION refers to the ability to use learned material in new situations. Lesson objectives at the application level require doing the action in a new environment, not just thinking about it.	To apply the rules of accounting in an actual situation	. Change, compute demonstrate, discover, manipulate, modify, operate, perform, predict, prepare, produce, relate, show, use.
COMPREHENSION refers to the student's ability to understand the material. This may be shown by: translating material from one form to another; by interpreting material such as explaining or summarizing; and extrapolating, that is, predicting the outcome of events based on material learned.	To understand the difference between A and B	Convert, defend, distinguish, estimate, explain, extend, generalize, give example, infer, paraphrase, predict, rewrite, summarize, describe.
KNOWLEDGE refers to remembering material in the same form as it was taught.	To describe the basic elements of …	Define, identity, label, list match, name, outline, reproduce, select, state * Verbs generally fit into these categories, however they may be interchanged depending on how lesson is taught.

Developed by The Joint Force Staff College of Norfolk, VA

© 2002 All Rights Reserved by Yanyan Yong, Ph.D.

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