Sample Test Questions for Higher-Order Thinking

Submitted by Dr. Rhonda Dubec on Tue, 02/06/2018 - 07:36

"Assessment/Evaluation Topics: Bloom's Sample Test -- Sample Test Questions - Six Levels of Learning"
(webpage) presents six questions on the same topic, each tailored to engage one of the six levels of
thinking represented in Bloom's Taxonomy.

These examples model how assessment questions can be easily modified to engage higher-order
thinking:

Bloom's taxonomy pyramid with sample verbs for each level: Knowledge, comprehension, application,
analysis, synthesis, evaluation

"This information has been adapted from the University of Victoria Counseling Services."

A. Recognition Questions (knowledge - simple recall)

1. A society where daughters are expected to remain in their parents' household and the sons move in
with their wives is called:

a. a matrilocal society

b. a neolocal society

c. a matriarchal society

d. a bilateral society

2. A group of relatives by marriage constitute:

a. a conjugal family

b. an extended family

c. a nuclear family

d. none of the above

3. People who are related by blood are kin. (True or False?)

B. Recall Questions (Comprehension - shows understanding)

1. Describe the major differences among patrilineal, matrilineal, and bilateral societies.

2. Define:

a. extended family

b. nuclear family

C. Application Question (use the information in a new context)

1. Sammy's parents had a party for him on his fifth birthday. They invited both sets of grandparents, and
Sammy's father's brother and his children. This is called a gathering of:

a. a consanguine family

b. a conjugal family

c. an egalitarian family

d. a patriarchal family

D. Analysis Questions (connecting patterns, identifying hidden meanings)

1. Explain the patrilocal society in terms of lineage and dominance of the sexes.

2. Explain the term conjugal families, by making reference to the different types of societies to which
they could belong.

3. Kin can be best analyzed by examining:

a. the society to which they belong

b. their pattern of descent

c. their form of family organization

d. the type of family unit to which they belong

E. Synthesis Questions (relate knowledge from several areas)

1. Explain why it is likely that a matriarchal family system would be found in a matrilocal or matrilineal
society

2. Which one of these combinations of society descriptions is unlikely to exist within one society:

a. neolocal, egalitarian, nuclear

b. patrilocal, patrilineal, patrilocal

c. bilateral, egalitarian, nuclear

d. extended family, conjugal family, kin

F. Evaluation Question (assess value of theories)

1. Describe the economic consequence of a neolocal society. Support your description with
information you have learned from this course
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him
unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion's nose. Roused from his nap,
the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.

"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you."

The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally
let the Mouse go.

Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net.
Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly
found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it
until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.

"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help
a Lion."

Higher-order questions put advanced cognitive demand on students. They encourage

students to think beyond literal questions. Higher-order questions promote
critical thinking skills because these types of questions expect students to apply, analyze,
synthesize, and evaluate information instead of simply recalling facts.28 Oct 2014

A kindness is never wasted.

Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

One has to keep in mind that skills such as Creativity and Imagination,
Collaboration, Critical thinking, Citizenship, Student Leadership and Digital
LiThese are the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) which need teachers to practice
them as well while teaching. Content is the bedrock on which teachers can help
students to develop these skills. As students move from Lower Order Thinking skills
(LOTS) to HOTS, they start focussing on these very important skills.

Some interesting activities that provide focus on these ‘21st century skills’ to my
students are:
Draw pictures to show a particular event / make a colouring book: This activity is for a
very creative mind and a very good technique for students to remember an important
event in the text.

Make up a puzzle or a game about the topic of study: The sky is the limit for this
activity as students can create vocabulary games or quizzes about quotes / characters,
points of interest. This activity also takes care of collaboration as it works best with
groups.

‘Gamification’ can enhance and bring out creativity as well as critical thinking skills.

Write a biography of any one of the characters: Writing a biography needs an in depth
analysis of characters. This can also be taken up as a follow up activity of ‘interview
with ------------- (character)’.

teracies cannot be taught or learnt in isolation.

Teaching Strategies that Enhance

Higher-Order Thinking
One of the main 21st century components that teachers want their students to use is
higher-order thinking. This is when students use complex ways to think about what they
are learning.

Higher-order thinking takes thinking to a whole new level. Students using it are
understanding higher levels rather than just memorizing facts. They would have to
understand the facts, infer them, and connect them to other concepts.

Here are 10 teaching strategies to enhance higher-order thinking skills in your students.

1. Help Determine What Higher-Order Thinking Is

Help students understand what higher-order thinking is. Explain to them what it is and

why they need it. Help them understand their own strengths and challenges. You can do
this by showing them how they can ask themselves good questions. That leads us to
the next strategy.
2. Connect Concepts

Lead students through the process of how to connect one concept to another. By doing
this you are teaching them to connect what they already know with what they are
learning. This level of thinking will help students learn to make connections whenever it
is possible, which will help them gain even more understanding. For example, let’s say
that the concept they are learning is “Chinese New Year.” An even broader concept
would be “Holidays.”

3. Teach Students to Infer

Teach students to make inferences by giving them “real-world” examples. You can

start by giving students a picture of a people standing in line at a soup kitchen. Ask
them to look at the picture and focus on the details. Then, ask them to make inferences
based on what they see in the picture. Another way to teach young students about how
to infer is to teach an easy concept like weather. Ask students to put on their raincoat
and boots, then ask them to infer what they think the weather looks like outside.

4. Encourage Questioning

A classroom where students feel free to ask questions without any negative reactions
from their peers or their teachers is a classroom where students feel free to be creative.
Encourage students to ask questions, and if for some reason you can’t get to their
question during class time, show them how they can answer it themselves or have them
save the question until the following day.

5. Use Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers provide students with a nice way to frame their thoughts in an

organized manner. By drawing diagrams or mind maps, students are able to better
connect concepts and see their relationships. This will help students develop a habit of
connecting concepts.
6. Teach Problem-Solving Strategies

Teach students to use a step-by-step method for solving problems. This way of higher-
order thinking will help them solve problems faster and more easily. Encourage students
to use alternative methods to solve problems as well as offer them different problem-
solving methods.

7. Encourage Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is when students invent, imagine, and design what they are thinking.
Using creative senses helps students process and understand information better.
Research shows that when students utilize creative higher-order thinking skills, it
indeed increases their understanding. Encourage students to think “outside of the box.”

8. Use Mind Movies

When concepts that are being learned are difficult, encourage students to create a
movie in their mind. Teach them to close their eyes and picture it like a movie playing.
This way of higher-order thinking will truly help them understand in a powerful, unique
way.

9. Teach Students to Elaborate Their Answers

Higher-order thinking requires students to really understand a concept, not repeat it or

memorize it. Encourage students to elaborate their answers by asking the right
questions that make students explain their thoughts in more detail.

10. Teach QARs

Question-Answer-Relationships, or QARs, teach students to label the type of question

that is being asked and then use that information to help them formulate an answer.
Students must decipher if the answer can be found in a text or online or if they must rely
on their own prior knowledge to answer it. This strategy has been found to be effective
 for higher-order thinking because students become more aware of the relationship
between the information in a text and their prior knowledge, which helps them decipher
which strategy to use when they need to seek an answer.

 #CreativeThinking, #HigherOrderThinking, #TeachingStrategies
 Why is hots important?
 HOTS are important aspects in teaching and learning. ... A person's thought can
affect the ability, speed and effectiveness of learning. Therefore, thinking skills is
associated with learning process. Students who are trained to think demonstrate
a positive impact on the development of their education.28 Oct 201