Pros & Cons

There are many pros related to Bloom’s taxonomy. One being that this taxonomy creates organization in lessons and teaching which, in-turn, allows for collaboration. As mentioned, this theory can also be used across the different levels of education (local, state, and national) and can be used in all content ares. It also establishes and clarifies learning goals for both the student and teacher to achieve. This type of organization in a lesson can be beneficial for the teacher as it helps with planning and delivering instruction, designing appropriate activities and assessments, and making sure that all aspects of the lesson are aligned with the learning objectives.

However, a con of this theory is that some people claim that “learning is not a hierarchy” and that the taxonomy tries to claim that some levels of skill hold more importance than other levels. Another con for Bloom’s taxonomy is its claim to be “outdated” despite its revision in 2001. Brenda Surge argues that “the taxonomy was developed before we understood the cognitive process involved in learning and performance, but now that we do understand the cognitive process, we must change”. She labels the theory as “invalid, impractical, and unreliable” because the theory is based on previous knowledge rather than what has been learned since about the process of learning.