Identifying Opportunities for
Higher Level Thinking with the Web
Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University
Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University
Bernie’s Taxonomy
Life Verbs
Classroom Verbs
Decide Design Create Predict Judge
Know Tell Remember
Apply Analyze Explain
Design Tasks
Give learners the task of bringing about some desired result while
working within realistic constraints
Give learners the task of bringing about some desired result while
working within realistic constraints
Ask Yourself….
Is there something that could be designed that would engage learners with the content?
Characteristics
A pre-set desired result Realistic contraints that make the
design a challenge, A process that mirrors something
people do outside of schools as workers or citizens
Things You Might Design Museum or exhibit Event Commemoration Itinerary Physical object Invention
An Exercise
Decision Tasks
Give learners a choice, decision or judgment to make
Give learners a choice, decision or judgment to make
Ask Yourself….
Can this content be wrapped around a decision or choice or judgment to be made?
Characteristics
Somewhere between 2 and 7 possible alternatives
No obvious best choice Support available on the web for each
choice. No straw men! Should mirror the kind of decisions made
in life outside of school by professionals, organizations, governments or individuals. Not a bogus choice that only happens in classrooms.
Things You Might Decide Which energy source should be
developed to replace oil? Who was the best world leader of
the 20th century? Should stem cell research be
supported? Which of these TV shows is worth
watching?
An Exercise
Analysis Tasks
Give learners the task of breaking down a complex idea, event or artifact into some useful set of
subcomponents.
Give learners the task of breaking down a complex idea, event or artifact into some useful set of
subcomponents.
Ask Yourself….
Is there a fruitful, meaningful way to take this content apart and examine the individual pieces?
Characteristics
The target of the analysis should be complex, at least to the learners
The target should be analyzable from at least 2 different perspectives, ideally more.
Conducting the analysis should teach things that could be applied to other content.
Things You Might Analyze What would a slave owner be offended by
while reading Tom Sawyer? What would a slave be offended by?
What characteristics of rural life would be appealing to senior citizens? What parts are less appealing?
How do TV commercials make us want to buy things?
What are the benefits of space exploration? Who benefits most?
An Exercise
Creative Tasks
Give learners an open-ended task to create something within a given genre while using content drawn
from the web
Give learners an open-ended task to create something within a given genre while using content drawn
from the web
Ask Yourself….
Is there something that could be created that would require applying knowledge about this content?
Characteristics
Opportunity to make something unique and surprising
Many possibilities Not totally open-ended. Constrained
by need for accuracy, usefulness, adherence to a genre, etc.
Things You Might Create
Stories, skits Poems, songs Drawings, posters, multimedia Physical objects Games
An Exercise
Prediction Tasks
Give learners the task of extrapolating existing data to a
future time
Give learners the task of extrapolating existing data to a
future time
Identifying Opportunities for
Higher Level Thinking with the Web
Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University
Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University