THE NEXT TOP (LEARNING) MODEL: BLOOM'S TAXONOMY
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Is It Learning If You Can’t Measure It? Why Bloom’s Taxonomy Still Rules
You’ve designed a stunning eLearning course. The graphics pop, the voiceover is smooth, and there’s even a slick interactive quiz at the end. But here’s the question: Did anyone actually learn anything?
This is the heart of the issue facing many L&D teams today. Without a clear, measurable learning objective, all you’ve got is digital noise. Enter Bloom’s Taxonomy. This is a model so useful it’s still the backbone of instructional design over 60 years after it was first developed.
Originally created by Benjamin Bloom in 1956 and later updated in 2001, Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical model that classifies learning objectives by cognitive complexity. It helps instructional designers, trainers, and educators write learning goals that are measurable.
And as we all know, measurability is pretty important.
So, What Is Bloom’s Taxonomy?
At its core, Bloom’s Taxonomy is a way to help you figure out what kind of learning needs to happen, from simple recall to deep analysis and creative application.
The taxonomy is typically shown as a pyramid, with six levels arranged from the most basic to the most complex:
Remember – Recall facts and basic concepts.
Understand – Explain ideas or concepts.
Apply – Use information in new situations.
Analyse – Break information into parts and explore relationships.
Evaluate – Justify a decision or course of action.
Create – Produce original work or propose new ideas.
For every level that your learner progresses up the pyramid, they’re taken one step closer to mastering the content.
You’ll often see a set of verbs associated with each level. These are important when it comes to writing your course objectives because it gives you a tangible way to measure whether the objective has been achieved or not. Keep reading for some useful examples!
Why Bloom’s Taxonomy Still Matters in 2025
Whether you’re designing a compliance module, a leadership development programme, or a piece of custom eLearning content for onboarding, Bloom’s Taxonomy helps you:
Define exactly what success looks like.
Align learning activities and assessments to clear objectives.
Evaluate whether learners have genuinely achieved the outcome.
Communicate impact to stakeholders using evidence, not guesswork.
If you can’t measure it, you can’t prove it. And if you can’t prove it, it might not get funded again.
Let’s break down the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
1. Remember – “Can they recall the facts?”
This is the foundational level. Perfect for knowledge checks, definitions, and key compliance info.
Verbs: define, list, label, recall, name, identify, repeat, describe, state
Example Objective: “List the five steps in the disciplinary process.”
Use for: Onboarding basics, health and safety rules, product knowledge.
2. Understand – “Can they explain what it means?”
This level is about comprehension. Learners go beyond memorisation and begin to show they get it.
Verbs: summarise, explain, classify, discuss, illustrate, compare, paraphrase, interpret
Example Objective: “Explain why GDPR compliance matters in customer service.”
Use for: Case study reflections, customer scenarios, basic concept discussions.
3. Apply – “Can they use this knowledge in context?”
Now we’re cooking. This level tests whether learners can take what they know and use it in real-life situations.
Verbs: implement, use, demonstrate, solve, perform, schedule, execute
Example Objective: “Use the negotiation model in a roleplay to close a sale.”
Use for: Simulations, system training, customer-facing scenarios, behavioural change.
4. Analyse – “Can they break it down and spot what’s important?”
This is the investigation stage. Learners start to dissect, differentiate, and explore relationships.
Verbs: analyse, differentiate, organise, examine, test, contrast, appraise
Example Objective: “Compare two learning strategies and decide which is more suitable for remote teams.”
Use for: Strategy discussions, leadership training, audit or risk-based learning.
5. Evaluate – “Can they make informed judgments?”
Here, learners need to assess situations critically and make evidence-based decisions.
Verbs: evaluate, judge, defend, support, critique, argue, recommend
Example Objective: “Evaluate the effectiveness of two team conflict resolutions and justify your choice.”
Use for: Performance reviews, project planning, managerial training, ethics discussions.
6. Create – “Can they build something new from what they know?”
The pinnacle. Here, learners aren’t just absorbing—they’re innovating.
Verbs: design, construct, compose, develop, formulate, invent, propose
Example Objective: “Design a new process for onboarding that integrates digital learning and face-to-face mentoring.”
Use for: Innovation workshops, business transformation, leadership strategy.
How to Use Bloom’s Taxonomy in Your Learning Design
At Popcorn Learning Agency, we use Bloom’s as our North Star. Here’s how to make it work for your organisation too:
Start with the outcome: Use Bloom’s verbs to frame your objective. “Understand the GDPR” becomes “Explain how GDPR applies to your role”.
Match activities to the level: Want to test ‘Analyse’? A multiple-choice quiz won’t cut it. Go for scenarios or comparative exercises instead.
Align assessments clearly: Make sure your evaluations test what your objectives say they will. If you said ‘design’, your test should involve creating something.
Communicate impact in Bloom’s language: When reporting outcomes, say: “85% of learners were able to evaluate a customer complaint using the new framework.”
That’s language a stakeholder understands. That’s how you show the learning impact evaluation side of your project.
Final Thoughts: Bloom’s = Better Learning Design
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a practical tool that empowers you to build better learning from the ground up. It makes your outcomes clearer, your activities sharper, and your results measurable.
In short: it’s your L&D secret weapon.
Want to turn vague objectives into measurable learning impact? At Popcorn, we use Bloom’s Taxonomy to shape every element of our custom eLearning content, from interactive modules to mobile learning and beyond. Let’s chat. And follow us on LinkedIn for more of Popcorn’s Next Top (Learning) Model.
