Structure of Observed Learning Outcome
Encyclopedia
The Structure of Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy
is a model that describes levels of increasing complexity in student's understanding of subjects. It was proposed by John B. Biggs
and K. Collis and has since gained popularity.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
is a model that describes levels of increasing complexity in student's understanding of subjects. It was proposed by John B. Biggs
John B. Biggs
John B. Biggs , born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1934, is an Australian educational psychologist and novelist who developed the SOLO Taxonomy for assessing the quality of learning outcomes, and the model of constructive alignment for designing teaching and assessment...
and K. Collis and has since gained popularity.
The model
The model consists of 5 levels of understanding- Pre-structural - The task is not attacked appropriately; the student hasn’t really understood the point and uses too simple a way of going about it.
- Uni-structural - The student's response only focuses on one relevant aspect.
- Multi-structural - The student's response focuses on several relevant aspects but they are treated independently and additively. Assessment of this level is primarily quantitative.
- Relational - The different aspects have become integrated into a coherent whole. This level is what is normally meant by an adequate understanding of some topic.
- Extended abstract - The previous integrated whole may be conceptualised at a higher level of abstraction and generalised to a new topic or area.
See also
- John B. BiggsJohn B. BiggsJohn B. Biggs , born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1934, is an Australian educational psychologist and novelist who developed the SOLO Taxonomy for assessing the quality of learning outcomes, and the model of constructive alignment for designing teaching and assessment...
- Bloom's Taxonomy
- Educational psychologyEducational psychologyEducational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
- Educational technologyEducational technologyEducational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources." The term educational technology is often associated with, and encompasses, instructional theory and...
- Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding (short-film about Constructive Alignment and The SOLO Taxonomy)