We're familiar with learning styles, the aggregate each class brings to the contact point of teaching, from the auditory to the visual learner. This is not to be confused with learning levels, the degree to which we expect to have concepts cognitively synthesized.
There are lots of models from both a design and learning approach. The levels below are drawn and interpreted from instructional design theory and from my experience in teaching:
Simple Knowledge - The learner discusses and can distinguish ideas.
Comprehension - The learner relates and can critique concepts.
Application - The learner implements and practices ideas, concepts and theories.
Conceptualization - The learner creates original thinking and new approaches.
Beyond Application - The learner synthesizes and teaches concepts.
Simple Knowledge - The learner discusses and can distinguish ideas.
Comprehension - The learner relates and can critique concepts.
Application - The learner implements and practices ideas, concepts and theories.
Conceptualization - The learner creates original thinking and new approaches.
Beyond Application - The learner synthesizes and teaches concepts.
What do you want your students to take away from your time with them? Is there a priority to your course learning objectives? Do the needs of your class change the priority?
I've found that they do and that I need to be flexible in terms of what levels I expect students to reach with my curriculum. The distinction here, though, is that I've identified the levels and matched them to the class learning objectives that I feel are valuable to the student's outcome of the class, and then derive a sound method to assess their achievement.
That's the craft, what we do as teachers.
