Question

The questions asked by a teacher in the unit test on the topic Ammonia is given below. Identify the Lower Order Question from the following.

• A. Explain the preparation of Ammonia in the laboratory.
• B. How can you prove that ammonia is basic in nature ?
• C. Suggest a general method for the preparation of Ammonia.
• D. List any two uses of ammonia.

Answer 1

Answer:

D. List any two uses of ammonia.

Lower Order Questions (LOQs)

• Lower Order Questions (LOQs) primarily assess a student's ability to recall facts, definitions, or basic concepts.

• They typically correspond to the lower levels of Bloom's Taxonomy of cognitive domains.

• LOQs focus on memorization and recognition rather than deeper understanding, application, or critical thinking.

• Examples of verbs used in LOQs include 'list,' 'define,' 'identify,' 'recall,' 'name,' 'describe' (basic).

Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Domains

• Bloom's Taxonomy, originally developed by Benjamin Bloom in 1956, categorizes different levels of thinking skills.

• It is a foundational framework in educational psychology used for designing curricula, teaching methods, and assessments.

• The original taxonomy had six levels: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.

• In 2001, Anderson and Krathwohl revised the taxonomy, changing the nouns to verbs and reordering the top two levels. The revised levels are:

  • Remembering (Recall facts and basic concepts) - Corresponds to LOQ

  • Understanding (Explain ideas or concepts) - Corresponds to LOQ

  • Applying (Use information in new situations) - Corresponds to HOQ

  • Analyzing (Draw connections among ideas) - Corresponds to HOQ

  • Evaluating (Justify a stand or decision) - Corresponds to HOQ

  • Creating (Produce new or original work) - Corresponds to HOQ

Why "List any two uses of ammonia" is a Lower Order Question

• The verb 'list' directly corresponds to the 'Remembering' level of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy.

• This type of question requires only the recall of memorized information (uses of ammonia) without any need for interpretation, application, analysis, or evaluation.

• Students can answer this question if they have simply committed the uses of ammonia to memory, indicating a superficial level of understanding rather than deep learning.

Competitive Exam Related Facts

• Benjamin Bloom (1913–1999) was an American educational psychologist who made significant contributions to the classification of educational objectives.

• The revised Bloom's Taxonomy was published by Lorin Anderson (Bloom's former student) and David Krathwohl in 2001.

• The taxonomy is widely used by educators to ensure that learning objectives and assessments cover a range of cognitive complexity, from basic recall to complex problem-solving.

• Understanding the different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy is crucial for competitive exams related to teaching aptitude, educational psychology, and pedagogy.