Teaching is about learning, and learning is about understanding. As classrooms diversify tasks and assessments, it helps to view understanding through multiple lenses. Bloom’s Taxonomy offers helpful planning verbs, yet it does not address everything teachers consider important, including self knowledge in Understanding by Design and movement from incompetence to competence in SOLO.

Use the frameworks below to design tasks, evaluate evidence, and plan for transfer. If you need planning language, see our Bloom’s verbs by level. For technology rich tasks, see Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy.

1. TeachThought Learning Taxonomy

The TeachThought Learning Taxonomy orders isolated tasks from less to more complexity across six domains.

• The Parts: explain or describe a concept in simple terms
• The Whole: explain a concept in micro detail and macro context
• The Interdependence: explain relationships to similar and non similar concepts
• The Function: apply a concept in unfamiliar situations
• The Abstraction: show nuance through artfulness or insight
• The Self: self direct future learning about the concept

2. UbD’s Six Facets of Understanding

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe created the Six Facets to support Understanding by Design. The model is non hierarchical and helps evaluate understanding through explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, and self knowledge.

3. Marzano and Kendall Taxonomy

Marzano and Kendall arrange cognitive processes into six categories. The verbs and phrases are useful for assessment design and mastery evaluation.

• Retrieval: executing, recalling, recognizing
• Comprehension: integrating, symbolizing
• Analysis: matching, classifying, analyzing, generalizing, specifying
• Knowledge Utilization: decision making, problem solving, experimenting, investigating
• Metacognition: monitoring accuracy and clarity, setting goals, examining motivation
• Self System Thinking: examining emotions, efficiency, importance

4. Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning

Dee Fink outlines attributes of significant learning that emphasize endurance, resonance, and impact. The center of the taxonomy is the design sweet spot where knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring, and learning how to learn converge.

5. Webb’s Depth of Knowledge

Webb’s Depth of Knowledge organizes cognitive demand into four categories that support rigor and alignment between tasks and standards.

• Recall
• Skill or Concept
• Strategic Thinking
• Extended Thinking

6. SOLO Taxonomy

SOLO stands for Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes. John Biggs and Kevin Collis describe five levels of understanding that move from surface to transfer.

• Pre structural
• Uni structural
• Multi structural
• Relational
• Extended Abstract

The progression begins with one or a few aspects, continues with several unrelated aspects, moves to integration into a whole, and culminates in generalizing that whole to new applications.

Common Questions

Is Bloom’s still useful if I adopt one of these models?

Yes. Bloom’s remains a helpful planning language. Many teachers pair Bloom’s verbs with a second framework for depth, transfer, or evidence of understanding. For verbs, see Bloom’s verbs by level with examples.

Which model should I start with?

Choose a model that matches your goal. For rigor alignment, try Webb’s DOK. For transfer and design, explore UbD or Fink. For learning progression clarity, consider SOLO.

How do these connect to technology use?

If you design technology rich tasks, see Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy for language and examples that fit modern tools and media.