Traversing Bloom's taxonomy in an introductory scripture course

Abstract

AbstractMany courses in higher education rely on the hierarchical organization of Bloom's taxonomy to categorize and sequence learning. Introductory courses on scripture often emphasize remembering content and background as a basis for applying the sacred text to one's life. However, a review of the literature demonstrates little support for the widely assumed hierarchical nature of Bloom's taxonomy. Furthermore, this study examined the performance of traditional and non‐traditional students in a New Testament survey course on a comprehensive exam (a Remember task) and an application assignment (an Apply task) and found no correlation between the two. Furthermore, students struggled most with the interpretation portion of the application assignment, prompting the realization that interpreting a sacred text is a complex hermeneutical enterprise incorporating multiple levels of the taxonomy. Thus, introductory scripture courses may be better organized around the central, integrating practice of interpretation supported by needed information and application skills.