UNDERSTANDINGDEPTH 0F KNOWLEDGE

Steve Williams, Fine Arts Consultant

MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Measures the degree to which the knowledge elicited from students on assessments is as complex as what students are expected to know and do as stated in the state standards

Depth of Knowledge

NCLB requires that each state develop rigorous standards (Show-Me Standards) and align their state assessment (MAP) to those standards. States must adopt a system to guarantee that alignment.

Why Use DOK?

Mechanism to ensure that the intent of the standard and the level of student demonstration required by that standard matches the assessment items

Provides cognitive processing ceiling (highest level students can be assessed) for item development

What Does DOK Accomplish?

Developed by Dr. Norman Webb, senior research scientist at the National Institute for Science Education. Several other states (at least 20) use DOK to evaluate the rigor of their state assessments.

Where Did DOK Come From?

Depth of Knowledge is broken into 4 levels. Level One is the most basic level, essentially the “definition” stage. As the levels increase, students must demonstrate increasingly complex mental strategies. Higher levels of DOK require that students solve problems in new and creative ways, and allow for multiple solutions to solve those problems.

How Does it Work?

Levels of DOK

LEVEL ONE - RECALL Recall of a fact, information, or procedure

LEVEL TWO – SKILL/CONCEPT Use information or conceptual knowledge

LEVEL THREE – STRATEGIC THINKING Reasoning, developing a plan

LEVEL FOUR – EXTENDED THINKING Requires an investigation, collection of data and

analysis of results

DOK is similar to Bloom’s Taxonomy. The next slide is a rough comparison of the levels of DOK and Bloom’s Taxonomy.

DOK Compared to Bloom’s

SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION

“Putting together elements & parts to form a whole, then making value judgments about the method.”

   EXTENDED THINKING

Requires an investigation; time to think and process multiple conditions of the problem or task.

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY WEBB’S DOK

KNOWLEDGE “The recall of specifics and universals, involving little more than bringing to mind the appropriate

material”

COMPREHENSION“Ability to process knowledge on a low level such that the knowledge can be reproduced or

communicated without a verbatim repetition.”

APPLICATION“The use of abstractions in concrete situations.”

ANALYSIS“The breakdown of a situation into its component parts.”

RECALL

Recall of a fact, information, or procedure (e.g., What are 3 critical skill cues for the overhand throw?)

SKILL/CONCEPT

Use of information, conceptual knowledge, procedures, two or more steps, etc.

STRATEGIC THINKING

Requires reasoning, developing a plan or sequence of steps; has some complexity; more than one possible answer

Wyoming School Health and Physical Education Network (2001).  Standards, Assessment, and Beyond.  Retrieved May 25, 2006, from http://www.uwyo.edu/wyhpenet

Emphasis is on facts and simple recall of previously taught information. This also means following simple steps, recipes, or directions. Can be difficult without requiring reasoning. At DOK 1, students find “the right answer,” and there is no debating the “correctness,” it is either right or wrong.

DOK 1

Requires comparison of two or more concepts, finding similarities and differences, applying factual learning at the basic skill level. Main ideas – requires deeper knowledge than just the definition. Students must explain “how” or “why” and often estimate or interpret to respond.

DOK 2

Students must reason or plan to find an acceptable solution to a problem. More than one correct response or approach is possible. Requires complex or abstract thinking, and application of knowledge or skill in a new and unique situation.

DOK 3

At this level, students typically identify a problem, plan a course of action, enact that plan, and make decisions based on collected data. Usually involves more time than one class period. Multiple solutions are possible. Students often connect multiple content areas to come up with unique and creative solutions.

DOK 4

Key Points Regarding DOK

• DOK is about complexity, not difficulty• DOK 1 + DOK 1 + DOK 1 = 1• In levels 1 and 2, the answer is either

completely right or completely wrong• In levels 3 and 4, students make

decisions and there are many right answers

• We don’t do enough level 3 and 4• Either 1 - 2, or 3 - 4

Thank You!

Please contact me if you have any questions

Steve Williams Fine Arts Consultant

MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Ph. (573) 751-2857 Steve.williams@dese.mo.gov