AI Prompt
I am curious about the types of thinking and I observed that different sources provide different models to describe types of thinking. What are the types of thinking are documented and have examples of the approach they take or problems they resolve.
Exploring the Landscape of Human Thought: A Comprehensive Overview of Thinking Types and Their Applications
Research Steps
1. Find articles and books on the topic of types of thinking.
2. Find different models of thinking, such as Bloom's Taxonomy, critical thinking, creative thinking, analytical thinking, etc.
3. For each type of thinking, find examples of how it is used in real-life situations.
4. Find case studies or examples of problems that have been solved using different types of thinking.
5. Find information on how to develop and improve different types of thinking skills.Introduction
Thinking, a fundamental human activity, encompasses a wide range of cognitive processes that enable us to perceive, understand, and interact with the world around us. While the act of thinking may seem singular, it is a multifaceted phenomenon with distinct types, each characterized by unique approaches and applications. This article delves into the diverse landscape of human thought, exploring various documented thinking types and providing real-world examples of their applications.
Bloom’s Taxonomy: A Hierarchical Model of Cognitive Processes
Bloom’s Taxonomy, a widely recognized framework in education, classifies cognitive skills into six hierarchical levels, each building upon the previous one. This model, developed by Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues, provides a valuable tool for educators to design learning objectives, assessments, and activities that foster higher-order thinking in students. 1 2 These 6 levels can be used to structure the learning objectives, lessons, and assessments of your course.1 3 Bloom’s Taxonomy emphasizes the progressive nature of learning, where mastery of higher-level skills depends on the foundation of lower-level ones. It encourages educators to design learning experiences that guide students through the different cognitive levels, ultimately fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity1.
The Six Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Remembering: Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from long-term memory. This foundational level involves memorizing facts, concepts, and procedures.1 For example, remembering the names and relationships of characters in a play.4
Understanding: Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining.1 This level involves understanding the meaning of information and materials.2 For example, understanding and explaining the main ideas of a play.4
Applying: Carrying out or using a procedure through executing or implementing. This level involves using information and materials to solve new problems or respond to concrete situations.1,2 For example, applying the main ideas/themes in the play to another context, such as writing an advice column responding to one of the characters.4 To effectively apply knowledge and solve problems, individuals often engage in a systematic process. Robert J. Sternberg, an American psychologist, identified seven crucial steps in problem-solving5:
Problem identification: Recognizing the existence of a problem.
Problem definition: Determining the nature of the problem. Resource allocation: Determining the resources needed to solve the problem.
Problem representation: Mentally organizing the information needed to solve the problem.
Strategy construction: Developing a strategy to solve the problem.
Monitoring: Assessing the progress of the problem-solving process.
Evaluation: Evaluating the success of the problem-solving process.
Analyzing: Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose through differentiating, organizing, and attributing. This level involves decomposing materials into their component parts to understand their structure and relationships.1,2 For example, analyzing the relative roles of each character in the play and their relationships to each other.4
Evaluating: Making judgments based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing. This level involves judging the value of materials based on personal values/opinions or definite criteria.1,2 For example, evaluating the decisions of characters in the play and supporting the evaluation with textual evidence.4
Creating: Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure through generating, planning, or producing.1 This level involves using new and creative applications of prior knowledge and skills.1,2 For example, creating a new and unique piece of writing using similar plot devices from the play.4
Real-World Applications of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy finds application in various educational settings and beyond. For instance, teachers can use it to design lesson plans that incorporate a range of cognitive skills, ensuring students progress from basic recall to higher-order thinking. 6 In corporate training, Bloom’s Taxonomy can guide the development of training modules that cater to different learning styles and objectives.7
| Level | Example |
Works cited
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Objectives, accessed on February 24, 2025, https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/