Bloom's Taxonomy is a hierarchical classification of cognitive learning objectives, originally developed by educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom in 1956 and revised by Anderson and Krathwohl in 2001. NBA accreditation expects programmes to use Bloom's Taxonomy when writing Course Outcomes, ensuring CO statements use action verbs that indicate the specific cognitive level expected of students — not vague aspirations.
Why NBA cares about Bloom's Taxonomy
NBA's GAPC v4.0 framework expects engineering graduates to demonstrate higher-order cognitive abilities — Design, Analysis, Investigation of Complex Problems. If course assessments only test lower-order recall ("Define X," "List Y"), the programme cannot legitimately claim graduates have achieved POs that require synthesis and evaluation. Bloom's Taxonomy provides the vocabulary for matching cognitive level to PO requirements.
The 6 levels of Bloom's Taxonomy
In ascending order of cognitive complexity: 1. Remember (Define, List, Recall, Identify) — basic recall of facts. 2. Understand (Explain, Describe, Summarize, Classify) — comprehension of concepts. 3. Apply (Use, Implement, Solve, Demonstrate) — using knowledge in new situations. 4. Analyze (Compare, Contrast, Differentiate, Examine) — breaking down information. 5. Evaluate (Justify, Critique, Defend, Assess) — making judgments based on criteria. 6. Create (Design, Construct, Develop, Formulate) — producing original work.
How to write COs using Bloom's
Each Course Outcome statement should begin with a single, measurable action verb from one of the 6 Bloom's levels. Bad CO: "Students will understand database systems." (Vague — what does "understand" mean to test?). Good CO: "Students will design normalized relational database schemas for given problem statements." (Bloom's Level 6 — Create. Specific. Measurable through assessment.) Each course typically has 4-6 COs spanning multiple Bloom's levels — not all at the same level.
Bloom's level distribution across the curriculum
A well-designed engineering curriculum shows progressive cognitive demand across semesters. First-year courses may emphasize Remember and Understand levels. Mid-programme courses shift toward Apply and Analyze. Final-year courses, capstone projects, and electives emphasize Evaluate and Create. NBA expert teams check this distribution — a programme where every CO across all courses is at the Remember level cannot claim its graduates demonstrate PO3 (Design) or PO4 (Investigation).
Common Bloom's mistakes in CO writing
Common mistakes: Using vague verbs ("understand," "know," "appreciate") that don't indicate cognitive level; Stating outcomes from the teacher's perspective ("Will be taught X") instead of student's ("Will design X"); Listing all COs at the same Bloom's level (typically all Remember/Understand); Making COs unmeasurable through normal course assessments; Mismatching CO Bloom's level with the assessment's actual cognitive demand (CO claims Create level but assessment is multiple choice asking Recall).