Challenges with Learning Objectives & Bloom's Taxonomy

image accessed 4/14/12 from Dreamstime.com

Without an instructional design background, it is difficult to understand using Learning Objectives (LO's) in the larger curriculum. What I understand so far is that Learning Objectives are developed first, and then we create assessment activities based on the LO's. However, it seems that once I start developing activities, the LO's may need to be fluid in order to fit the activity, so I am left wondering which one really comes first. And are they meant to be set in stone or fluid? In what order do we create goals, LO's, and activities? Without the big picture I am left confused an stuck... for now.

A second challenge of writing LO's is that they are supposed to be specific but not actually indicate the activity that will be used. They are also supposed to be general, but not so general that it is just a course goal, as course goals might have multiple LO's. So it seems there is a tricky fine line between creating the LO but not being to specific that it overlaps with the Activity and not too general that it overlaps with the Goal.

Bloom's Taxonomy seems to mostly pertain to activities. Will your students engage in an assessment that incorporates higher order or lower order thinking skills? The 2001 published revision of Bloom's Taxonomy includes the following verbs (from low to high order): Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, Creating. An important note: it is typically less common for students to plagiarize when engaged in the higher order thinking skills.