What is Higher-Level Thinking?

Higher-level thinking also called higher-order thinking, occurs when a student

or an independent learner strives to understand information on a deeper level,
rather than focusing only on recalling facts. Educators often cite Bloom's
Taxonomy, a tool originally created in 1956 that helps organize educational
goals. Bloom's Taxonomy was updated in 2001 to Bloom's Revised Taxonomy,
and since then, many educators have combined the two, resulting in seven levels
of understanding. The seven levels of Bloom's Taxonomy are:

Name Level Meaning Example

Lower- The ability to recall important

Rememb Recalling historical
Order facts or foundational
er dates
Thinking information

The ability to comprehend

Lower- Summarizing the
Understa learned material and to
Order difference between a
nd summarize, interpret, or
Thinking noun and pronoun
classify information

Higher- The ability to employ learned Demonstrating how to

Apply Order information in a real-world use a mathematical
Thinking setting formula

Higher- The ability to deconstruction Comparing and

Analyze Order information and/or examine it contrasting the traits of
Thinking from differing perspectives reptiles and amphibians

Higher- The ability to combine Identifying similarities

Synthesi
Order information to form a complete between the writing
ze
Thinking picture or understanding styles of two authors

Higher- The ability to form educated Defending a

Evaluate Order judgments and form relevant disagreement with a
Thinking critiques concept

Constructing a
Higher- The ability to present learned
presentation to explain
Create Order information in new and unique
your findings to an
Thinking ways
audience
Educational settings often focus on lower-order thinking goals. Teachers present
information to a student body with the goal of getting the learner to remember
and understand the information. Educators who use higher-order thinking goals
ask more of their students and want them to build a deeper understanding of the
material. Higher-level thinking skills require students to use critical thinking.
Critical thinking occurs when a learner is able to form their own understanding,
connections, and judgments based on learned information.