Depth of Knowledge and Cognitive Demand

1. Depth of Knowledge and Cognitive Demand Andria Disney Instructional Specialist

2. Cognitive Demand in Problems Cognitive demand is a measure of what the item requires. The context of the problem must be considered to determine the cognitive demand--not just a look at which verb was used. When examining the item, you must consider the stimulus, stem (question) and the answer choices.

3. Cognitive Demand in Problems Cognitive demand requires looking at the problem in order to determine the level. It is about the problem, not the student. The level of cognitive demand is not affected by a student’s prior knowledge or his/her individual abilities. You do need to consider the student’s experience with the content according to the standards.

4. Level 1 Recall Level 2 Skill/Concept Level 3 Strategic Thinking Level 4 Extended Thinking Depth of Knowledge (DOK)A Four Level System

5. Depth Of Knowledge L E V E L I L E V E L II L E V E L III L E V E L IV

6. Recall Level 1 DOK 1 requires recall of information, such as a fact, definition, term, or performance of a simple process or procedure. Answering a Level 1 item can involve following a simple, well-known procedure or formula. Simple skills and abilities or recall characterize DOK 1. This does not necessarily mean the question is simple.

7. Skills/Concepts Level 2 DOK 2 includes the engagement of some mental processing beyond recalling or reproducing a response. Items require students to make some decisions as to how to approach the question or problem. Often requires interpreting. These actions imply more than onemental or cognitive process/step.

8. Strategic ThinkingLevel 3 DOK 3 requires deep understanding as exhibited through planning, using evidence, and more demanding cognitive reasoning. The cognitive demands at Level 3 are complex and abstract. An assessment item that requires students to justify the response they give would most likely be a Level 3. That justification needs to be strategic.

9. Extended ThinkingLevel 4 DOK 4 requires high cognitive demand and is very complex. Students are expected to make connections and relate ideas within the content or among content areas—and have to select or devise one approach among many alternatives on how the situation can be solved. These are often non-routine problems. Due to the complexity of cognitive demand, DOK 4 often requires an extended period of time to answer.

10. Depth Of Knowledge Level 3: Strategic Reasoning Focus is on reasoning Complex and abstract thinking is required Justification May need to experiment to find the solution Level 1: Recall Focus is on specific facts, definitions, details, or using routine procedures Can be ‘difficult’ without requiring ‘deep’ content knowledge “You know it or you don’t” Level 2: Skill/Concept Focus is on applying skills and concepts, relationships (compare, cause-effect) Making decisions Interpreting Level 4: Extended Reasoning Requires complex reasoning, planning, and thinking Relate concepts among other content areas or within that content area Make real-world applications in new situations 10

11. What DOK is it?Guiding Questions DOK 1: Is it naked content? Does it cue a standard algorithm/procedure? DOK 2: Does it require interpretation? Does it have many pathways? Is a decision made? Does it require multiple mental/cognitive steps? DOK 3: Does it require justification, rationale, proof, explanation, or experimentation? Is it strategic? DOK 4: Is it at least a Level 3? Does it require connections?

12. Language Arts Guiding Questions • Can you find the answer directly in the passage/text? Does this require recall of types of language/terms/word meanings?=DOK1 • Does it require finding/using cues in the context? Is this a summary, prediction (based on the text), comparison, interpreting?=DOK2 • Is it inference? Is it a critique? Does the analysis require an explanation? Does it require considering alternate perspectives in the same piece?=DOK3 • Does it ask about common themes across sources, analysis of multiple sources, or explaining alternate perspectives across sources (key words…MULTIPLE sources)?=DOK4 Adapted from Norman L. Webb & Nevada Department of Education (2002)

13. What DOK Level is it?Grade 5 What is the author’s purpose for writing this flyer? A. To provide the reader information about canoes and kayaks. B To persuade the reader to buy a canoe or kayak. C. To answer questions that readers have about how to paddle. D. To teach the reader how to properly paddle a canoe or kayak.

14. What DOK Level is it? • It is DOK 2. • It requires interpretation and pulling information from the stimulus and the answer choices. • If the question also asked how the author’s purpose affects a reader’s interpretation of the text, it would be a DOK 3.

15. What DOK Level is it?High School While both texts are expository, Malcolm X uses a more narrative style. Which of the following techniques exemplifies a narrative style in this passage? • use of first person point of view and less formal language • use of third person point of view and formal language • use of first person point of view and formal language • use of third person point of view and less formal language

16. What DOK Level is it? • It is DOK 1. • The question requires recall of the characteristics of narrative style.

17. What DOK Level is it?Junior High How did Thoreau and the Puri Indians interpret time similarly? A They were meticulous in their time-keeping. B They often fretted over idleness and inactivity. C They viewed time as abundant and flowing. D They saw time’s passage as tumultuous.

18. What DOK Level is it? • It is DOK 2. • It requires you to make a comparison. • If any of the phrases in the answer choices were directly from the text, it would most likely lower the DOK to 1.

19. What DOK Level is it?Grade 1 Why did the author of this selection bold some words? • They are the easiest words to read. • They are words that are important to know. • They are words that mean the same thing.

20. What DOK Level is it? • It is DOK 3. • The answer choices provide strategic reasoning as to why the author bolded the words.

21. What DOK Level is it?Grade 3 Think about the ways that the rajas have used elephants. Which animal have American pioneers used in a similar way? A. Sheep B. Horse C. Chicken D. Camel

22. What DOK Level is it? • It is DOK 2. • It requires you to consider the relationship between the use of elephants in India and Pakistan and animals used by American pioneers.

23. Serves: about 7 Serving size: about 10 chips and 1/2 c. of salsa What DOK Level is it?Grade 3 How many people could you serve with this recipe? • 7 people • 10 people • 8 people • 17 people

24. What DOK Level is it? • It is DOK 1. • The answer is found directly in the text.

25. What DOK Level is it?High School How can this selection best be characterized if one considers diction, tone, and rhetorical mode? A an articulate commentary of the American dream B a paradoxical dialogue C an inferred appraisal of the new American nation D a discourse bent upon bettering European countries E an amiable anecdote

26. What DOK Level is it? • It is DOK 2. • The student must make a decision about which answer choice best characterizes diction, tone and rhetorical mode.

27. Conclusion… • What will you take-away about DOK and cognitive demand?