Depth of Knowledge or...

The newest educational propaganda.  I call it propaganda just because it's the new buzz word we're hearing in all our meetings. So not really propaganda in the strictest sense, but I always wonder about things being pushed hard.

One of my things as a person and teacher is that I like to let people know where things are coming from. I know that I've posted a bit on Bloom's Taxonomy  and that's something that education has been preaching for years, and I think it's been around about 50 years. This doesn't necessarily mean that it's no longer true, but it does seem like it's about that time for re-evaluation. During the week, your RHS teachers had a meeting about Webb's Depth of Knowledge. Honestly, it's not too different from Bloom's, but I thought I would shoot it at you so you could become comfortable with it. This little system is from 1997, again a little old, but not necessarily a bad thing.

Again this is another system of levels of evaluating learning.

DOK 1: (recall) Recall - Recall or recognition of a fact, information, concept, or procedure..

Webb's DOK 1 Aspects :
Identify Who , What, When, Where, Why
Recall facts, terms, concepts, trends, generalizations and theories
Recall elements and details of story structure such as sequence of events, character, plot and setting
Use a variety of tools
Recognize or identify specific information contained in graphics
Define
Describe
Identify purposees
Label
Measure
Illustrate
Repeat, quote, recite, name, tell, match, state, use

This, to me is a lot like the lower levels of Bloom's.

DOK 2: (skill/concept) Basic application of Skills and Concepts - Use of information, conceptual knowledge, following or selecting appropriate procedures, two or more steps with decision points along the way, routine problems, organizing/displaying data.

Webb's DOK 2 Aspects :
Graph
Classify, Organize, Categorize, Construct
Separate
Cause/Effect
Estimate, Compare, Observe, Interpret, Distinguish, Show
Infer
Relate
Use Context Clues
Describe how or why
Give an example
Solve multi-step problems (A two step problem is not automatically a DOK 2 if the steps require only rote or mechanical knowledge or skills)

DOK 3: (strategic thinking) Strategic Thinking - Requires reasoning, developing a plan or sequence of steps to approach a problem; requires some decision making and justification; abstract and complex; often having more than one possible answer.

Webb's DOK 3 Aspects
Revise, crique, formulate, draw conclusions
Investigate, construct
Hypothesize,
Cite Evidence
Assess
Make ands upport decisions
Recognize and explain misconceptions

DOK 4: (extended thinking) Extended Thinking - An investigation or application to real work; requires time to research, think, and process multiple conditions of the problem or task non-routine manipulations, across disciplines/content areas/multiple sources, requires complex reasoning, planning, developing most usually over an extended period of time.


Webb's DOK 4 Aspects:
Design
Synthesize
Criqute
Analyze
Create
Prove
Apply and adapt information to real-world situations
Complex reasoning with planning, investigating or developing a product that will most likely require an extended period of time-must require applying significant conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking

Anyway long story short, shoot for the top level in things you do for your classes.  You will obviously have to do the first few levels of knowledge to get there, but don't stop until you reach the top.


Crites, Christien. "Depth of Knowledge Information."East Carter R-II School. East Carter R-II School, 14 May 2008. Web. 6 Aug 2011. <http://www.ecarter.k12.mo.us/dept/curriculum/dok.html>.

"Distractions." Web. 6 Aug 2011. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MOk5ui8gKj3FrjoHCkOqMI8E3MzDZjQfD8SO5WhUOQengkvTgwoFmDPhdRIc0Qng4Yb3TRkyhx8pmfeVpAxyklE2bbmjKL8Tl68R2gOCocZ_bOWZRiLl33_HCp0mPbY2UxG297_f6wbo/s1600/distractions.gif>.