The Four Levels of Depth of Knowledge (DOK)
It is our (teachers) responsibility to include multiple forms of questions to ensure that students achieve their greatest potential. Utilizing the DOK throughout lessons and assisting students in their learning, and more importantly, how to learn and even more importantly, how to ask specific questions about their learning!
Level 1: Recall and Reproduction (DOK 1)
Questions at this level (DOK 1) may ask students to recall information such as facts, definitions, or simple procedures, as well as perform a simple algorithm or carry out a one-step, well-defined, and straightforward procedure.
Level 2: Skills and Concepts/Basic Reasoning (DOK 2)
DOK level 2 questions involve some mental processing beyond a habitual response. They require students to make some decisions as to how to approach the problem, as well as to classify, organize, estimate, make observations, collect, display, and compare data.
Level 3: Strategic Thinking/Complex Reasoning (DOK 3)
This level (DOK 3) includes problems that require reasoning, planning, using evidence, and higher levels of thinking beyond what was required in DOK levels 1 and 2. This level requires students to explain their thinking, and its cognitive demands are more complex and abstract. DOK 3 demands that students use reasoning skills to draw conclusions from observations and make conjectures.
Level 4: Extended Thinking/Reasoning (DOK 4)
DOK level 4 questions include things such as complex reasoning, planning, and developing. Students' thinking will most likely take place over an extended period of time and will include taking into consideration a number of variables. Students should make several connections and relate ideas within the content area or among other content areas. Students should select one approach among many alternatives to solve problems. At this level students will be expected to design and conduct their own experiments, make connections between findings, and relate them to other concepts and phenomena.