iii. step up: higher-order thinking

Asking questions that challenge learners to think critically and deeply helps scale-up cognition towards subject mastery and conceptual change.

Questions to consider

1. How are discussion questions designed to engage, and elicit open-ended response?

2. How are questions sequenced to help participants build on prior knowledge to make new meaning?

3. How will questions engage thinking around content and process?

transfer tip

Ask participants to share instances where they witnessed higher-order thinking in their work contexts—ask them to consider what features of the situation made the deeper thinking possible.

the type of thinking we do matters

Extending the meaning of PD material beyond the session is critical for transferability and usability. One way to do this is to engage higher-order thinking.

what is higher-order thinking?

Adapted from Wilson: Bloom's Taxonomy Revised and Forehand: Bloom's Taxonomy.

Benjamin S. Bloom researched the nature of thinking to create Bloom's Taxonomy of Higher-Order Thinking in 1956. Shortly after the turn of the century, his original version of the taxonomy was revised to include the act of thinking instead of just the outcome.

The taxonomy helps educators measure the alignment between learning objectives, products, and activities. Balanced PD should aim to facilitate dialogue that draws from multiple tiers of the taxonomy.

want to try it out?

Match your session's activities to Bloom's Taxonomy.

Where do most of your learning tasks fall?

What could you change to spread them out more?

Can you feature an activity that challenges learners to create a product and remember learned facts?

THE Construct of constructivism

Meaning isn't just made by thinking— it's made by doing. By creating opportunities where participants can try out their new learning by creating something with authentic application to their work setting, you increase the likelihood they will successfully transfer knowledge into usable skills.

Through discussion around the activity, the goal is to help learners anchor their new understandings on models of the best practices and materials.

Try it out by having participants: analyze cases, teach a mini lesson, or design a protocol. See Collaborative Learning for more ideas.

Pro tip

Need on a good question to push thinking to a higher level? When in doubt, ask: "Why?" "What do you mean by that?" or "Tell me more!"

know the difference between a fishbowl & an apple tree?

how do I balance out higher-order thinking?

Think back to your learning objectives and apply them to this John Hopkin's video about Course Design on a Shoestring Budget!

"In order to provoke a sufficiently higher level of self-awareness, professional development programs may need to include a deliberate intervention that creates cognitive dissonance and hence challenges people to develop more complex ways of thinking about their work."

–Helsing et al. "Putting the Development in Professional Development: Understanding and Overturning Educational Leader's' Immunities to Change." (2008)

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